The AZAL Courier
Squad21 Sep 2026
Jerry Orozco breaks a bone — 88 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 88 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Match19 Sep 2026
A hiding for AZAL
Beaten 0‑7 by Qarabag, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Squad21 Sep 2026
A one-man rearguard from Dimitrij Ismayilov
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match21 Sep 2026
AZAL are in real trouble now
Position 10, 1 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Match19 Sep 2026
The wait goes on for AZAL
7 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Squad21 Sep 2026
Tempers go at AZAL
Shahriyar Guseynov was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match19 Sep 2026
Nobody could stop scoring
7 goals. Both benches spent the second half looking at each other rather than at the pitch. Purists will complain about AZAL and Qarabag in equal measure; everybody else had a wonderful time.
Squad21 Sep 2026
No hiding place for Namig Mammadov
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Namig Mammadov, and the manager let it.
Boardroom21 Sep 2026
Nobody left the AZAL dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
In brief
- Player ratings A day to forget for Qara Madatov
- Player ratings Off the pace: Renat Nadirov
- Player ratings Namig Mammadov spends the afternoon fouling