Araz Abdullayev
Araz Abdullayev | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 18, 1992 Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Occupation | Footballer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Winger for Karvan and Azerbaijan national team |
Araz Abdulla oğlu Abdullayev (born 18 April 1992) is a professional Azerbaijani footballer who operates primarily as a winger for the Azerbaijani club Karvan and represents the Azerbaijan national team.
Early career
Originating from Baku, Abdullayev was part of the youth setup at Neftchi Baku between January 2007 and December 2008. He made his first appearance for Neftchi's senior squad on 5 October 2008. Notably, in November 2011, he netted the milestone 1000th goal for Neftchi Baku.
Everton
On 4 July 2010, English Premier League side Everton negotiated an agreement that provided them with the initial option to acquire Abdullayev within two years, contingent upon securing a work permit. By 21 September, it was declared that he would commit to an initial three-year deal, with an option to extend for an additional two seasons commencing January 2011. Everton officially confirmed on 7 January 2011 that Abdullayev had signed a long-term contract, while he remained on loan at Neftchi until the conclusion of the Azerbaijan Premier League season. Returning to Everton for the 2011–12 term, he participated in their Reserves' opening friendly against Freiburg during the Lev Yashin Cup.
Loan spell at Panionios
Abdullayev was loaned to Panionios for the remainder of the season on 27 December 2011. He made his first appearance in a friendly match against Koropi on 30 December 2011, playing 61 minutes in a 3–2 victory. His debut in the Greece Superleague came on 3 January 2012 when Panionios defeated Asteras Tripoli 2–0 at home.
Return to Neftchi
In the summer of 2012, Abdullayev rejoined Neftchi Baku, quickly establishing himself as an essential member of the squad. During the 2012–13 campaign, he played a role in Neftchi's historic achievement as the first Azerbaijani club to advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, competing in Group H alongside Internazionale, Rubin Kazan, and Partizan. Abdullayev appeared in five group matches, making his debut on 20 September 2012 against Partizan as a substitute. That season concluded with Neftchi securing both the Azerbaijan Premier League championship and the Azerbaijan Cup.
He added another National Cup victory during the 2013–14 season and finished as runner-up in the subsequent two finals, both times falling to Qarabağ. Over a span of four and a half years at Neftchi, Abdullayev accumulated 173 appearances across all competitions and scored 25 goals.
His inaugural European goal came against Slovenian side Koper in the second qualifying round of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. In total, Abdullayev scored three goals across 25 European fixtures representing Neftchi.
Gabala
Abdullayev signed a two-year deal with Gabala on 31 December 2016. He made his Azerbaijan Premier League debut for Gabala on 28 February 2017, featuring for 84 minutes in a match that ended in a 1–1 draw away to Kapaz.
Loan to Anorthosis
On 12 August 2017, Abdullayev joined Anorthosis on a season-long loan arrangement. His first appearance in the Cypriot First Division came on 20 August 2017 when he played for 83 minutes during a 1–1 away draw with Nea Salamis. Abdullayev netted his debut goal for Anorthosis in a home fixture against AEL Limassol, which concluded as a 1–1 draw on 25 November 2017.
Panionios
Abdullayev committed to a two-year deal with the Superleague outfit Panionios on 7 July 2018.
Loan to Qarabağ
On 31 August 2018, Qarabağ FK confirmed the arrival of Abdullayev on a loan arrangement lasting two years.
Boluspor
Abdullayev inked a contract for one year with an option for an additional year at Turkish club Boluspor on 15 September 2020.
Sumgayit
On 15 January 2022, Abdullayev joined Sumgayit under a contract extending through the remainder of the 2021–22 season, featuring a clause for a possible two-year extension.
Zira
Zira announced the acquisition of free agent Abdullayev on 24 March 2024, signing him until the conclusion of the current season.
Qaradağ Lökbatan
In October 2024, Abdullayev became part of Qaradağ Lökbatan, competing in the Azerbaijan First League.
International
Due to impressive club performances, Abdullayev received a call-up to the Azerbaijan squad for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers match against Finland on 11 October 2008, setting the record as Azerbaijan’s youngest international player at just 16 years and 4 months old.
He netted his inaugural senior international goal on 9 March 2017 during a friendly encounter where Azerbaijan secured a 2–1 victory over Qatar at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Neftchi Baku | 2008–09 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 3 | |||
| Total | 41 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 5 | ||
| Panionios (loan) | 2011–12 | Superleague Greece | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Neftchi Baku | 2012–13 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 27 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | — | 44 | 5 | |
| 2013–14 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 8 | ||
| 2014–15 | 30 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 42 | 5 | |||
| 2015–16 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 34 | 9 | |||
| 2016–17 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| Total | 123 | 23 | 25 | 4 | 25 | 3 | — | — | 173 | 30 | ||
| Gabala | 2016–17 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Anorthosis (loan) | 2017–18 | Cypriot First Division | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | |
| Career total | 211 | 28 | 34 | 4 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 269 | 35 | ||
International
| Azerbaijan national squad | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Appearances | Goals |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 40 | 3 |
Data current as of the match played on 8 September 2020
International goals
- The scorelines and outcomes present Azerbaijan's goal count first.
| No | Date | Location | Opponent | Score at time of goal | Final score | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 March 2017 | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly match |
| 2. | 4 September 2017 | Bakcell Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers |
| 3. | 14 October 2018 | Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Nations League D |
Honours
Neftchi Baku
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2010–11, 2012–13
- Azerbaijan Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14
Qarabağ
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2018–19, 2019–20
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1992 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Baku
- Azerbaijani men's footballers
- 21st-century Azerbaijani sportsmen
- Azerbaijani expatriate men's footballers
- Azerbaijan men's international footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Neftçi PFK players
- Everton F.C. players
- Gabala SC players
- Panionios F.C. players
- Anorthosis Famagusta FC players
- Qarabağ FK players
- Boluspor footballers
- Azerbaijan Premier League players
- Super League Greece players
- Cypriot First Division players
- TFF 1. Lig players
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Greece
- Azerbaijani expatriate sportspeople in Greece
- Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
- Azerbaijani expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- Azerbaijani expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Azerbaijan men's under-21 international footballers
- Azerbaijan men's youth international footballers