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About Azerbaijan

Our priorities

 

The football of Azerbaijan was in terrible condition a few years ago. After some changes in the leadership of the country, a new page was opened in the football life of Azerbaijan. Although “Khazar-Lankaran” was created 3 years ago but it is considered to be one of the pretentious clubs of Azerbaijan and has army of fans consisting of 100 thousands. Missing the golden medal in the debut match, the football players dressed in white-greens are planning to be number 1 team of state championship in the future. We believe in their victory. Therefore, we would like to give a little information about the history of our team. We need our fans badly. The president of our team always says: “Karvan” is not ours, it is of our fans”.

 

Supported by the leadership of the country AFFA made some changes in the first league of the championship in order to achieve advance. A range of businessmen put investment in our football. One of them was Mubariz Mansimov, the president of “PALMALI” group of companies who lives and works in fraternal Turkiye. Later he admitted in one of his interviews that the people close to him suggested that he should establish such a football team in Lankaran which could rise to the peaks. So, big football returned to Lankaran in 2004. At that time there was not any professional team in Lankaran, which had the most suitable place for football in the country. Even the team that was considered the first and the best in lankaran because of great financial difficulties had stopped its existence. Therefore, establishment of “Khazar-Lankaran” was very important step from the development of the country football point of view. The reforms done in our football enabled “Khazar-Lankaran” to try its strength in the first league. Established 2-3 months before the opening a new season “Khazar-Lankaran”did its debut in Kazakh, on August 7, 2004.

 

This match versus “Turan” ended in a draw. Actually it was great victory for the team. “Khazar-Lankaran” was one of the decisive, confident teams. 5 days after this, “Khazar-Lankaran” gained its first victory, historical victory at the Shafa stadium. (It was our first victory in the national championship). The score was 2:1 in favor of our team. This score made everybody believe that team dressed in white-green would be one of strongest and most pretentious teams among 18 teams in the championship . Only as a result of this victory the leadership of “Khazar-Lankaran” decided to establish a team struggling for medals, for top place in the table. Very soon the name “Khazar-Lankaran” was mentioned among the strongest teams.

 

Our team was in the focus. The team did the things deserving the state championship. “Khazar-Lankaran” wasn’t established 50 or 100 years ago, it was set up only in 2004. There are thousands of fans of “Khazar-Lankaran” in every corner of the south- Astara, Masalli, Lerik, Yardimli, Calilabad and surely in Lankaran – we are also supported by a large number of fans in Baki and Sumgait. We have a new constructed stadium of 15 thousands seats. During the game of the team you can’t find any empty seats. “Go ahead, ahead, the Khazar of Lankaran” with these slogans fans occupy their places at the stadium. After establishing “Khazar-Lankaran” there was such a saying in the press of the country: “The football in Lankaran makes men avoid from policy, the women from rumors.”

“Khazar-Lankaran” has short but rich history. It is one of the teams, which has its own base. After revival in the life of the country football, a range stadiums was built in different regions of the country and we take pride that “Khazar-Lankaran” stadium is the biggest among them. The most modern colorful digital monitor has been installed in central stadium of Lankaran. Although “Khazar-Lankaran” was established 2004, but it has done number of works in our football, for being celebrated in an international arena. Oktay Daralioglu’s participant in our team, Rasim Kara’s cooperation with us had attracted the attention of mass media.

 

All of these are only the start. The leadership of the club led by the president of “PALMALI” - Mubariz Mansimov is planning great projects. Very soon “Khazar-Lankaran” should turn into the team of European importance. Therefore, we have a lot work to do. Go ahead, go ahead, the Khazar of Lankaran.

 

 

Place II – 35 matches / 24 victories / 6 matches in a draw / 5 defeats (top difference: 69-17; 78 points)

The bombers: Samir Aliyev-20, Oktay Daralioglu (Turkiye) 17

 

Result: semi-final 6 matches / 2 victories / 3 matches in a draw / 1 defeat (top difference: 6-5)

 

As “Khazar-Lankaran” got ready for debut match hastily, duty of gaining maximum result had not been put in front of the team. Due to uncompleted staff till the beginning of the championship our team’s play in the euro cup next year was the only optimist desire.

 

The first round of the championship also affirmed that “Khazar-Lankaran” was not ready for medals and state cup. Some problems in the staff, home matches held in Sumgait and Jalilabad (at that time arena in Lankaran was not of high standard) did not enable our team to be stable. Successful matches were replaced by unsuccessful matches. But determined leadership continued its activity purposely without expecting the beginning of the new season. Before the first round was finished Rasim Kara, one of the famous specialists, replaced Nazim Suleymanov. After his coming, Oktay Daralioglu, the second best bomber after Hakan Shukur, joined our team. After this, our team won 6 games out of 9 in the championship games under the leadership of Rasim Kara. And took the obstacle - “Karvan” in the 1/8 final of the Azerbaijan cup tournament. Although our place wasn’t among the leaders in the tournament table, the results of the last matches had enabled our team to go on winter break with high spirit. Serious reforms were made in the team in order to have positive results.

 

The football players as Deniz Kolgu, Masud Tungoglu appeared in the team who had super league experience of Turkiye. Besides it, nobody imagined that finally the team would win the silver medal of the championship and this would disappoint the fans of white-greens. The round was fantastic; our team won 13 matches out of 16. Oktay scored 15 goals in these games. His penalty kicked in the last round in Ganja is curtain not to be forgotten for a long time. Our team should definitely have won the game but in the last minutes Oktay won penalty. The penalty carried out exactly had our team to gain the golden match. The pride of the south of Azerbaijan had been left aside from the state cup. The return match of dramatic duel versus “Inter” was disappointing in Lankaran. Our team had lost the chance of final 5 minutes before the end of the match. That’s why, golden match was the final chance of completing debut with title. The rival was one of titled clubs of the country “Neftchi” (Baki).

 

After long debates Beritorili was appointed the referee, Ganja was determined the place of the scandalous match. More than 100 buses full of fans from Lankaran and Baki had come to support our team. All the things had been arranged by the leadership in order to have the team witness the victory of “Khazar-Lankaran”. Unforgettable match had begun as we wished. The first half was completed with the goal scored by Alim Qurbanov, unfortunately the second half was unsuccessful and scoring 2 goals “Neftchi” could preserve its title of champion. Surely, when goals were scored by Bakivites, the referee had not paid attention to the rudeness made by Tagizade and Rashad Sadikhov. Unfortunately it couldn’t change anything, the title had already gone. Our team displayed really a game deserving championship in the second round of that season. It should be mentioned that, “Khazar-Lankaran” was more scoring team of the season and had been the second less being scored team after “Neftchi”. If out of place postponements (“Turan” and “Karvan”) had not been, the team might have won the golden game.

 

 

 

Place: VII – 26 matches / 9 victories / 9 matches in a draw / 8 defeats (top difference: 27-18, 36 points)

The best bomber: Katalin Lita (Romania) 4

 

Result: semi-final – 8 matches / 6 victories / 1 match in a draw / 1 defeat (top difference: 19-3)

 

Stage: Initial classification stage – 2 matches / 0 victory / 0 match in a draw / 2 defeats (top difference 2-5)

 

The selection work held during inter seasons had formulated such an opinion in football public that “Khazar-Lankaran” is the only favorite of the season. Our team attracted 2 leading footballers – Mahmud Gurbanov, Emin Guliyev from “Neftchi” and one footballer – Kamal Guliyev from “Karvan”. Even Oktay Derelioglu’s leaving the team who had displayed fantastic efficiency was not considered that serious. Zaur Ramazanov, getting status of the best bomber, substituted him. Zaur Ramazanov had spent his previous championship in the staff of Karvan. In short, before the season full of disappointments everybody considered “Khazar-Lankaran” one of the rivals who was much stronger. Gaining the card into Euro cup tournament for the first time white-greens had to meet against “Nistru”, vice champion of Moldova, in the classification stage of UEFA Cup. Carelessness, self-confidence was so high that even most fans were thinking of victory. The match ended in a score 3:1 in favor of the rival team. As the matter of fact this had to be a good lesson for our footballers and corps of coaches. Nobody took his lesson from it.

 

Everybody was sure that “Khazar-Lankaran” would win the return match in Baki (because at time it was impossible to hold a match of high standard in Lankaran). The ruinous impact of the Euro cup failure was felt during the season. Not being defeated once in the second stage “Khazar-Lankaran” didn’t look like vice-champion. Psychological shock did leave our team. Therefore, our team nether could not struggle for medals nor could take fitting place. It should be mentioned that, the leadership had to change the coaches of the team 3 times. Only Victor Pasulko’s coming stabilized the situation a little.

 

The only pleasant recollection from the season of 2005/06 was completing the second round without defeat. As a result of a 13 game serial without defeat “Khazar-Lankaran” could rise to the middle of tournament table and showed the 4th result among the participants in the second stage. We lost semifinal versus “Karvan” after the duel held with “MKT-Araz” in the state cup that was our only chance for taking place in Euro cup. With a big scored defeat in the return match “Khazar-Lankaran”s euro cup desire didn’t come true under the leadership of Victor Pasulko.

 

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