Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan Offical Match Programme

'EPPIH XLI 0ERH SJ *MVI JVSQ ERGMIRX XMQIW HYI XS MXW SMP VMGL WSMP [LMGL SJXIR FYVWXW WTSRXERISYWP] MRXS ƥEQI QSHIVR %^IVFEMNER [SR MRHITIRHIRGI JVSQ XLI 9776 MR 2S[EHE]W MXW REXYVEP VIWSYVGIW SJ SMP ERH KEW JYIP ER IGSRSQ] [LIVI XLI EQFMXMSR MW XS HIZIPST E REXMSREP JSSXFEPP XIEQ GETEFPI SJ GSQTIXMRK SR XLI [SVPH WXEKI

8LI )YVS UYEPMƤIVW WE[ %^IVFEMNER IRXIV XLI MRXIVREXMSREP EVIRE JSV XLI ƤVWX XMQI FYX VIEGLMRK XLI ƤREPW SJ E QENSV XSYVREQIRX MW WXMPP E HVIEQ In contrast club sides in the country are more successful because of foreign imports. Not until the 1960s, seen as the ‘Golden Age’ of %^IVFEMNER JSSXFEPP [MXL 2IJXGLM &EOY EW XLI ƥEKWLMT team of the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, did players such as forward Anatoly Banishevsky (51 caps and 19 goals between 1965 and 1972) emerge on the world scene. &IXXIV ORS[R XS &VMXMWL JERW MW VIJIVII 8SƤU Bahramov, the linesman who helped to award the third goal (by Geoff Hurst) for England in the 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley against West Germany. He originally played for Neftchi Baku but a serious leg injury prevented him from continuing his playing career and he became a referee. After his death in 1993, Azerbaijan’s then national stadium was VIREQIH XLI 8SƤU &ELVEQSZ 7XEHMYQ MR LMW LSRSYV In February 2004 Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of the Brazil side which won the 1970 World Cup, [EW ETTSMRXIH REXMSREP GSEGL XLI ƤVWX JSVIMKRIV XS occupy the position. Under him Azerbaijan played twice against Northern Ireland in World Cup 2006 UYEPMƤIVW ɄHVE[MRK MR &EOY ERH [MRRMRK EX Windsor Park. Carlos Alberto, as he was better known in this part of the world, sadly passed away last month after suffering a sudden heart attack. One of the world’s greatest footballers, he played 53 times for Brazil between 1964 and 1977, scoring eight goals, the most famous of which was his strike in the 1970 ;SVPH 'YT *MREP MR 1I\MGS [LIR &VE^MPɄHIJIEXIH Italy 4-1. A move which started in the Brazil half WE[ 4IPI PE] SR E TEWW [LMGL EPPS[IH %PFIVXS XS ƤVI in a superb angled drive from the right side of the penalty area. April 2008 saw the appointment of former German international player and national coach Berti Vogts as the country’s new national coach. In the WC 2010 UYEPMƤIVW %^IVFEMNER ƤRMWLIH SR ƤZI TSMRXW X[S ahead of last placed Liechtenstein. -R 2SZIQFIV :SKXWŭ GSRXVEGX [EW I\XIRHIH until 2012 and they broke their scoring and points records with seven points and 10 goals in the Euro UYEPMƤIVW 8LI] EPWS EGLMIZIH XL TPEGI MR XLI FIFA rankings, their best ever position. -R XLI ;SVPH 'YT UYEPMƤIVW XLI] EQEWWIH RMRI TSMRXW ERH ƤRMWLIH JSYVXL MR XLIMV KVSYT SRI TPEGI above Northern Ireland.

In July 2014, under Vogts, Azerbaijan achieved their highest FIFA ranking to date (73rd). The German was still in charge when Azerbaijan entered the Euro 2016 qualifying cycle but resigned from his post following three straight losses at the start of the campaign. On 1 December 2014, former Croatia star Robert 4VSWMRIʏOM [EW REQIH EW XLI RI[ LIEH GSEGL SJ the Azerbaijan national team. An initial two-year GSRXVEGX YRXMP 9)*% )YVS [EW PEXIV I\XIRHIH XS cover the WC 2018 campaign. -R XLI )YVS ɄUYEPMƤIVW %^IVFEMNER ƤRMWLIH MR E HMWETTSMRXMRK ƤJXL TPEGI SYX SJ WM\ MR XLIMV KVSYT [MXL SRI [MR XLVII HVE[W ERH WM\ HIJIEXW MR QEXGLIW The only team below them was Malta. Prosenicki made a bright start in his new role with a 2-0 home win against the Maltese in March 2015 followed by a scoreless draw in Oslo in June. There was another scoreless draw at home to Croatia in September, followed three days later by a 2-2 draw in 1EPXE 8LI ƤREP X[S UYEPMƤIVW [IVI HIJIEXW EX LSQI to Italy (3-1) and away to Bulgaria (2-0). The WC 2018 campaign has certainly started well for Azerbaijan. They have not conceded a goal in their three matches to date in Group C and are currently in second place in the table. They have defeated both San Marino (away) and Norway (home) 1-0 and drawn 0-0 with Czech Republic in Ostrava. The leading club in Azerbaijan at present is Qarabagh FK (Qarabag), who have won the league for the last three seasons and the cup in the last two seasons. The leading scorer last season was Spanish winger Dani Quintana with 15 league goals. Qarabagh are currently playing in the Europa League group stages where they are taking on Fiorentina, PAOK and Liberec. Also playing in the Europa League group stages are +EFEPE */ [LS ƤRMWLIH XLMVH MR XLI PIEKYI Ʉ8LI] EVI up against Anderlecht, St Etienne and Mainz. Best known club is probably Neftci FK who have won the league eight times - the last time was in 2013 - and the cup seven times. They were beaten F] 5EVEFEKL MR PEWX WIEWSRŭW GYT ƤREP -R XLI] FIGEQI XLI ƤVWX %^IVFEMNERM GPYF to reach the group stage of the Europa League. Founded in 1937, they represented Azerbaijan in the

USSR league system. ;SVHW 6S] /MXWSR

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