Qarabag FK – Who are ya?
Qarabag Futbol Klubu (nickname ‘The Horsemen’) was founded in 1951 and originates from a town called Aghdam situated right on the Azerbaijani border with Armenia. Going through a few name changes (Mehsul, Shafaq and Cooperative Society!), plus a ten year period in the wilderness due to financial troubles, the club eventually re-emerged as part of the Azerbaijan Premier League in 1992.
In 1993, as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh war (which resulted from the collapse of the former Soviet Union), Armenia took control of Qarabag’s home town of Aghdam, subsequently rendering it uninhabitable to discourage any returning Azerbaijanis.
Once home to over 40,000 people, it is now a ghost town plundered for building materials and gradually being reclaimed by nature. Head coach of the ...