Araz-Naxçıvan PFK

This article is about the Nakhchivan-based football club. For the futsal club, see Araz Naxçivan.

Araz-Naxçıvan PFK (Azerbaijani: Araz-Naxçıvan Peşəkar Futbol Klubu) is an Azerbaijani professional football club based in Nakchivan.

Araz-Naxçıvan

Full name	Araz-Naxçıvan Peşəkar Futbol Klubu
Nickname(s)	Qırmızı-ağlar (The Red-whites)
Founded	1967; 58 years ago (1967)
Ground	Nakhchivan City Stadium
Capacity	12,800
Chairman	Ramin Akhundov
Manager	Elmar Bakhshiyev
League	Azerbaijan Premier League
2024–25	Azerbaijan Premier League, 3rd of 10
Home colours Away colours

The club played in the Azerbaijan Premier League again in 2014–15 after being promoted at the end of the 2013–14 season. The club played in the Azerbaijan First Division from 2022 to 2023 season. In 2023, Araz Nakhcivan was champion of Azerbaijan First Division, and promoted to the Azerbaijani Premier League.

History

The club was created in 1967 and as of 1968, it participated in Soviet First League.^[1] The club stopped its activity after collapse of Soviet Union.^[2] In 2001, the team was formed again and took part in the Azerbaijan Premier League.^[3] However year later, due to financial difficulties the team again ceased to exist.^[4]

The club was re-established on 23 May 2013 and immediately joined Azerbaijan First Division.^[5] In its first season, Araz sent Simurq crashing out of the Azerbaijan Cup. In May 2014, the club earned promotion to Azerbaijan Premier League after winning the division in same season. In September 2014, Araz became linked to a match fixing scandal, the result of which saw the key players leaving the club and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic government officials intervening.^[6][7]

On 3 November 2014, Araz-Naxçıvan announced their withdrawal from the league due constant biased referee decisions,^[8][9] with the officially announcing their withdrawal on 17 November 2014.^[10] The club competed in the Azerbaijan First Division. In 2023, Araz Nakhcivan was champion of Azerbaijan First Division, and promoted to the Azerbaijani Premier League 2023–2024.

Stadium

Main article: Nakhchivan City Stadium

Araz's home ground was Nakhchivan City Stadium, which has a capacity of 12,000. For the stadium's first game, the announced attendance was 4,000.^[11]

League and domestic cup history

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Domestic Cup	Top Goalscorer
2000–01	1st	10	20	3	3	14	14	55	12	1/8 final	İlham Allahyarov (6)
2013–14	2nd	1	30	25	4	1	66	11	79	1/4 final	David Janalidze (24)
2014–15	1st	Withdrew								Withdrew	David Janalidze (3)
2023–24	1st	8	36	9	9	18	31	50	36	1/4 final	Orkhan Aliyev (9)
2024–25	1st	3	36	15	13	8	34	29	58	1/2 final	Felipe Santos (10)

European history

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2025–26	UEFA Conference League	2QR	Aris Thessaloniki	2–1	2–2	4–3
		3QR	Omonia

Notes

• 1QR: First qualifying round
• 2QR: Second qualifying round
• 3QR: Third qualifying round
• POR: Play-off round

Supporters

Supporters of Araz were drawn from all over the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and beyond Azerbaijan. The club's main two supporting groups were Ultra Araz and Nagshijahan AAK.^[12]

Players

For a list of all former and current Araz-Naxçıvan PFK players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:Araz-Naxçıvan PFK players.

Current squad

As of 25 July 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 MF  AZE Qara Qarayev 3 DF  AZE Bəxtiyar Həsənalızadə 4 DF  BRA Igor Ribeiro 5 DF  AZE Slavik Alkhasov 6 MF  CPV Patrick Andrade 7 FW  FRA Hamidou Keyta 9 MF  MAR Ayyoub Allach 10 FW  BRA Felipe Santos 11 FW  GER Ba-Muaka Simakala 12 GK  MDA Cristian Avram 14 FW  AZE Ulvi Isgandarov 16 FW  BRA Ramon 17 DF  BFA Issouf Paro

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 MF  ISR Bar Cohen 20 MF  AZE Turan Valizade 22 DF  AZE Elchin Mustafayev 23 FW  POR Nuno Rodrigues 24 MF  AZE Mustafa Ahmadzada 26 DF  AZE Omar Buludov 29 MF  BRA Wanderson Maranhão 34 DF  AZE Urfan Abbasov 44 DF  AZE Rahil Mammadov 70 MF  FRA Charles Boli 77 DF  BRA Bruno Franco 88 MF  AZE Tugay Alizada 94 GK  AZE Tarlan Ahmadli

For recent transfers, see Transfers summer 2025.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 5 DF  AZE Nihad Gurbanli (at MOIK)

Club officials

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Elmar Bakhshiyev
Assistant coach	Rasim Ramaldanov Afran Ismayilov
Goalkeeping coach	Ramiz Karimov
Physical training coach	Teodor Terziev

Notable managers

Information correct as of match played 2 November 2014. Only competitive matches are counted.

Name	Nat.	From	To	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	%W	Honours	Notes
Tofig Akhundov	Soviet Union	1967	????	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		[1]
Vagif Sadygov	Soviet Union	1977	1979	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ahmad Alaskarov	Soviet Union	1979	1979	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ali Rahmanov	Azerbaijan	199?	2000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		[13]
Boyukagha Hajiyev	Azerbaijan	1999	2000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		[14]
Asgar Abdullayev	Azerbaijan	Jun 2013	Nov 2014	30	25	4	1	66	11	083.33		[15]

• Notes:

P – Total of played matches W – Won matches D – Drawn matches L – Lost matches GS – Goal scored GA – Goals against
%W – Percentage of matches won

Nationality is indicated by the corresponding FIFA country code(s).

Honours

• Azerbaijan First Division
  • Winners (2): 2013–14, 2022–23