Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan

Governing body of football in Azerbaijan

Association of Football Federations of AzerbaijanUEFA

Founded| 26 March 1992; 33 years ago (1992-03-26)
Headquarters| Khatai, Baku
FIFA affiliation| 1994; 31 years ago (1994)
UEFA affiliation| 1994; 31 years ago (1994)
President| Rovshan Najaf
Vice-President| 3 officials
Website| www.affa.az

The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Futbol Federasiyaları Assosiasiyası, AFFA) is the governing body of football in Azerbaijan. Formed in 1992, it is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory. AFFA is a member of both UEFA and FIFA.[1]

AFFA sanctions all competitive football matches within its remit at national level, and indirectly at local level through the AFFA Amateur League. It runs numerous competitions, the most famous of which is the Azerbaijan Cup. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's and youth national football teams and leagues.

## History

[edit]

The AFFA was formed on 26 March 1992, after Azerbaijan gained independence from the USSR.[2] On 23 February 2009, the AFFA, along with UEFA vice president Şenes Erzik, unveiled the Azerbaijan Football Academy at Nobel Avenue, Baku.[3][4]

In 2010, the association adopted a new logo.[5] In 2012, the federation held an election with Rovnag Abdullayev being the only candidate, the assembly was marred with controversies.[6]

## Members

[edit]

* President: Rovshan Najaf
* Regional Football Federation: Balakishi Gasimov (AFFA Vice-President), Elshad Nasirov (AFFA Vice-President), Sarkhan Hajiyev (AFFA Executive Vice-President)
* Professional Football League: Farid Mansurov, Gurban Gurbanov, Khayal Javarov, Magsud Adigozalov, Samad Gurbanov
* Sectional Football Federation: Leyla Khalilova Rzazada, Ulvi Mansurov
* Public Football Union: Konul Mehtiyeva: (AFFA Vice-President), Zaur Akhundov

## Relationship with FIFA

[edit]

The country's football association received a major blow in April 2002, when UEFA imposed a two-year ban in response to a long-standing conflict between the AFFA and majority of the Azerbaijan Premier League clubs.[7] The domestic championship was abandoned as a result of the conflict and the top clubs prevented their players from playing for the national team, with tax officials also probing allegations of fraud at the Azerbaijan federation.[8]

## Principals

[edit]

Office-holders  Office  | Name  | Tenure

|
|

President  | Fuad Musayev[9] | 1992–2003
Ramiz Mirzayev[10] | 2003–2007
Elshad Nasirov[11] | 2007–2008
Rovnag Abdullayev[12] | 2008–2024
Rovshan Najaf[13] | 2024–present

## Competitions

[edit]

See also: Azerbaijani football league system

It organizes the following competitions:

Men's football

* Azerbaijan Premier League (or Topaz Premyer Liqası); First league
* Azerbaijan First Division (or Birinci Divizion); Second league
* Azerbaijan Cup
* Azerbaijan Supercup
* Azerbaijan Futsal Premier League
* AFFA Amateur League

Women's football

* Azerbaijan Women's Football League

## National teams

[edit]

The AFFA also organises national football teams representing Azerbaijan at all age levels:

National team  | Manager  | Captain

|
|

Men's
Senior |  Fernando Santos | Maksim Medvedev
Under-23 | vacant | Ruslan Abışov
Under-21 |  Milan Obradović | Hajiagha Hajili
Under-20
Under-19 |  Samir Aliyev | Turan Valizade
Under-18 |  Zaur Hashimov | Karim Diniyev
Under-17 |  Vugar Mammad  | Jalal Huseynov
Under-16  |  Tabriz Hasanov  | unknown
Under-15  |  Aslan Kerimov
Futsal |  Miltinho  | Rizvan Farzaliyev
Beach soccer |  Zeynal Zeynalov  | Elhad Guliyev
Women's
Senior |  Siyasat Asgarov  | Aytaj Sharifova
Under-17 | unknown

## Sponsorship

[edit]

Companies that AFFA currently has sponsorship deals with include:

* Topaz \- Official sponsor[14]
* Bakcell \- Official sponsor[15]
* Atena - Official sponsor[16]
* Unicef \- Official sponsor[17]
* Coca-Cola \- Official sponsor[18]
* AccessBank Azerbaijan \- Official sponsor[19]
* Clear \- Official sponsor[20]

## See also

[edit]

* Professional Football League of Azerbaijan

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan". www.affa.az. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
2. ^ "AFFA-nın 20 İLLİK FƏALİYYƏTİNƏ "2" VERİLDİ". www.musavat.com (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
3. ^ Opening of Football Academy
4. ^ Opening ceremony of Azerbaijan Football Academy to take place early 2009
5. ^ Утвержден новый логотип АФФА - ФОТО. 1news.az (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
6. ^ "Rovnag Abdullayev re-elected AFFA president". UEFA. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
7. ^ "İbrahimoviç Qurbanova çatdı". futbolplusqol.com (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
8. ^ Walker, Paul. "Relief for Wales as Uefa lifts ban on Azerbaijan". Independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2011.[dead link‍]
9. ^ "Fuad Musayev: "AFFA-nın hədiyyəsindən imtina etdim"". news.lent.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
10. ^ "Chingiz Ismayilov: "Fuad Asadov offered me deputy post"". www.today.az. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
11. ^ "Elşad Nəsirov: "Mən "Neftçi"nin sahibi yox, AFFA-nın vitse-prezidentiyəm" - See more at". rekord.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
12. ^ "Wealth Generator". www.thebusinessyear.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
13. ^ "Rovshan Najaf has been elected as the president of AFFA". www.affa.az. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
14. ^ "Azerbaijani Premier League has a new sponsor". news.az. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
15. ^ "Bakcell becomes sponsor of Azerbaijani national football team". www.bakcell.com. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
16. ^ "AFFA ilə "Atena" şirkəti arasında sponsorluq müqaviləsi imzalanıb". mak.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
17. ^ "Youth Development". www.unicef.org. Unicef. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
18. ^ "AFFA, Coca-Cola sign sponsor deal". news.az. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
19. ^ "AFFA". www.accessbank.az. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
20. ^ ""Clear" rəsmən millimizin sponsoru oldu". stadium.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 November 2014.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan.

* Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (in Azerbaijani and English)
* "AFFA TV". Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
* Azerbaijan at FIFA site
* Azerbaijan at UEFA site

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Football in Azerbaijan

Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan

League competitions|

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Sport in Azerbaijan

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