2012–13 Azerbaijan Premier League

Azerbaijan Premier League
Season2012–13
ChampionsNeftchi (8th title)
RelegatedKəpəz, Turan
Champions LeagueNeftchi
Europa LeagueQarabağ
Khazar
Inter Baku
Matches played192
Goals scored467 (2.43 per match)
Top goalscorerNicolás Canales
(26 goals)
Biggest home winNeftchi 8–1 Sumgayit
Biggest away winSumgayit 1–6 Qarabağ
Highest scoringNeftchi 8–1 Sumgayit
(9 goals)
Longest winning run5 games
Neftchi, Qarabağ
Longest unbeaten run11 games
Qarabağ
Longest losing run9 games
Kəpəz
Highest attendance11,000
Khazar 2–3 Inter
(12 February 2013)[1]
Lowest attendance30
Turan 0–2 Azal
(20 October 2012)[2]
Average attendance5,462

The 2012–13 Azerbaijan Premier League was the twenty first season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season began on 4 August 2012 and finished on 20 May 2013. Neftchi Baku were the defending champions, having won the previous season.

Teams

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Location of teams in 2012–13 Azerbaijan Premier League

A total of 12 teams contested the league, including all 12 sides from the 2011–12 season, as no teams were promoted from the 2011–12 Azerbaijan First Division.[3]

On 10 April 2012, FK Qaradağ sealed promotion to the league after winning the first division.[4] However, due to a decision by AFFA about licensing, no clubs were promoted which meant all clubs from the previous season remained in the league.[5][6]

Stadia and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Venue Capacity[7]
AZAL Baku AZAL Stadium 3,000
Baku Baku FC Baku's Training Base 2,000
Gabala Gabala Gabala City Stadium 4,000
Inter Baku Shafa Stadium 8,000
Kəpəz Ganja Ganja City Stadium 25,000
Khazar Lankaran Lankaran City Stadium 15,000
Neftchi Baku Bakcell Arena 11,000
Qarabağ Baku Tofig Bahramov Stadium 31,200
Ravan Baku Baku Bayil Stadium 5,000
Simurq Zaqatala Zaqatala City Stadium 3,500
Sumgayit Sumqayit Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium 16,000
Turan Tovuz Tovuz City Stadium 6,800

Personnel and sponsoring

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team Manager Team captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
AZAL Azerbaijan Vagif Sadygov Azerbaijan Jahangir Hasanzade Umbro Silk Way
Baku Serbia Božidar Bandović Azerbaijan Elvin Mammadov Macron
Gabala Spain Luis Aragón (caretaker) Azerbaijan Vurğun Hüseynov Erreà Hyundai
Inter Baku Georgia (country) Kakhaber Tskhadadze Azerbaijan Vladimir Levin Umbro IBA
Kəpəz Azerbaijan Mahmud Gurbanov Azerbaijan Khayal Zeynalov Adidas Nakhchivan Car Factory
Khazar Wales John Toshack Azerbaijan Rahid Amirguliyev Puma Palmali
Neftchi Baku Azerbaijan Boyukagha Hajiyev Azerbaijan Rashad Sadigov Adidas SOCAR
Qarabağ Azerbaijan Gurban Gurbanov Azerbaijan Rashad Sadygov Adidas Azersun
Ravan Baku Azerbaijan Ramil Aliyev Azerbaijan Tural Akhundov Legea NBC Bank
Simurq Georgia (country) Giorgi Chikhradze Azerbaijan Rasim Ramaldanov Umbro
Sumgayit Germany Bernhard Raab Azerbaijan Samir Abbasov Umbro Azerkimya
Turan Azerbaijan Afghan Talybov Azerbaijan Hafiz Aliyev Umbro Bank of Azerbaijan

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Ravan Baku Azerbaijan Bahman Hasanov Sacked 8 June 2012[8] Pre-season Turkey Cevat Güler 12 July 2011[8]
Baku Azerbaijan Novruz Azimov 19 July 2012[9] Serbia Božidar Bandović 19 July 2012[9]
Kəpəz Azerbaijan Fuad Ismayilov Resigned 19 August 2012[10] 12th Azerbaijan Mahmud Gurbanov 19 August 2012[10]
Ravan Baku Turkey Cevat Güler Sacked 25 August 2012[11] 8th Azerbaijan Bahman Hasanov 25 August 2012
Ravan Baku Azerbaijan Bahman Hasanov End of tenure as caretaker 24 September 2012[12] 11th Bosnia and Herzegovina Kemal Alispahić 24 September 2012[12]
Gabala Turkey Fatih Kavlak Sacked 24 September 2012[13] 5th Azerbaijan Ramiz Mammadov 24 September 2012[14]
Turan Azerbaijan Asgar Abdullayev Resigned 12 October 2012[15] 10th Azerbaijan Afghan Talybov 12 October 2012[15]
Khazar Azerbaijan Yunis Huseynov 31 October 2012[16] 7th Spain Erik Roqueta Capilla (caretaker) 1 November 2012
Khazar Spain Erik Roqueta Capilla End of tenure as caretaker 14 November 2012 4th Spain Carles Martorell Baqués 14 November 2012[17]
Ravan Baku Bosnia and Herzegovina Kemal Alispahić Sacked 21 December 2012 11th Azerbaijan Ramil Aliyev 21 December 2012
Khazar Spain Carles Martorell Baqués Resigned 26 February 2013[18] 7th Wales John Toshack 8 March 2013[19]
Gabala Azerbaijan Ramiz Mammadov Sacked 2 April 2013[20] 6th Spain Luis Aragón (caretaker) 2 April 2013

First round

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Neftçi Baku 22 14 2 6 47 24 +23 44 Qualification for championship group
2 Inter Baku 22 11 8 3 24 12 +12 41
3 Qarabağ 22 10 9 3 30 19 +11 39
4 Simurq 22 9 9 4 25 15 +10 36
5 Gabala 22 9 5 8 26 27 −1 32
6 Baku 22 6 12 4 24 15 +9 30
7 AZAL 22 7 8 7 32 25 +7 29 Qualification for relegation group
8 Khazar Lankaran 22 7 7 8 32 27 +5 28
9 Turan 22 6 5 11 24 35 −11 23
10 Sumgayit 22 5 7 10 20 39 −19 22
11 Ravan Baku 22 6 4 12 23 36 −13 22
12 Kapaz 22 2 4 16 12 45 −33 10
Source: Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan and Soccerway.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

Home \ Away AZL BAK KAP INT KHA SIM NEF QAR GAB RAV SUM TUR
AZAL 2–1 3–0 0–0 0–2 1–1 1–2 6–2 6–1 3–1 1–1 0–0
Baku 2–0 3–1 0–0 2–0 0–0 1–2 0–0 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–1
Kapaz 0–2 0–0 0–2 0–1 1–1 0–3 0–0 1–0 0–2 0–0 1–2
Inter Baku 0–0 1–0 3–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 1–1 2–1 2–0 1–0 2–0
Khazar Lankaran 1–2 1–1 4–0 2–3 0–2 2–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 2–2 4–2
Simurq 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 2–2 0–2 0–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 3–0
Neftçi Baku 4–2 1–1 4–1 2–0 2–1 2–1 0–1 3–0 2–0 2–1 2–1
Qarabağ 2–0 1–1 3–1 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 3–0 1–1
Gabala 0–0 0–2 2–0 1–0 2–0 0–1 2–1 1–1 1–3 4–1 0–1
Ravan Baku 1–0 1–1 1–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–3 1–3 2–3 2–0
Sumgayit 2–2 1–0 2–1 0–0 1–1 0–1 3–2 1–6 0–1 0–1 0–1
Turan 1–0 0–4 5–1 2–3 2–1 1–1 2–3 0–1 0–2 2–2 0–1
Source: Soccerway: Azerbaijan Premier League Table
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second round

Championship group

The top six teams of the first phase participate in this group, which will decide which team will win the championship. Additionally, teams in this group compete for one 2013–14 Champions League and two Europa League spots.

The winners will qualify for the Champions League Second qualifying round, with the runners-up and third place team earning a spot in the Europa League first qualifying round.

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Neftçi Baku (C) 32 19 5 8 59 32 +27 62 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Qarabağ 32 16 11 5 43 26 +17 59 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
3 Inter Baku 32 16 9 7 38 22 +16 57
4 Simurq 32 12 12 8 32 26 +6 48
5 Baku 32 9 14 9 33 27 +6 41
6 Gabala 32 10 8 14 32 40 −8 38
Source: Soccerway.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Results

Home \ Away BAK GAB INT NEF QAR SIM
Baku 0–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–1
Gabala 1–1 1–2 1–1 0–2 1–1
Inter Baku 2–1 1–0 0–1 0–0 5–0
Neftçi Baku 0–1 2–1 2–0 1–2 1–1
Qarabağ 3–1 1–0 3–2 1–2 0–0
Simurq 0–1 2–0 1–0 0–1 1–0
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation group

The bottom six teams of the first phase will determine the teams to be relegated to the 2013–14 Azerbaijan First Division. The two teams who finish in 11th and 12th position will be relegated to the 2013–14 Azerbaijan First Division.[21]

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
7 AZAL 32 16 9 7 57 32 +25 57
8 Khazar Lankaran 32 10 10 12 40 37 +3 40 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round[a]
9 Ravan Baku 32 12 4 16 46 53 −7 40
10 Sumgayit 32 9 8 15 31 49 −18 35
11 Turan (R) 32 8 6 18 34 59 −25 30 Relegation to Azerbaijan First Division
12 Kapaz (R) 32 5 4 23 22 64 −42 19
Source: Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Khazar Lankaran qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League as winner of the 2012–13 Azerbaijan Cup.

Results

Home \ Away AZL KAP KHA RAV SUM TUR
AZAL 4–0 2–0 3–2 1–0 2–0
Kapaz 1–3 1–2 3–1 1–0 0–1
Khazar Lankaran 1–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 1–0
Ravan Baku 3–5 3–0 1–0 3–0 1–0
Sumgayit 0–2 1–0 1–0 4–1 4–0
Turan 0–2 3–5 2–2 2–6 2–1
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 14 May 2013
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Chile Nicolás Canales Neftchi Baku 26
2 Brazil Nildo AZAL 21
3 Argentina Juan Varea Ravan Baku 14
4 Brazil Richard Almeida Qarabağ 13
5 Mali Salif Ballo Turan 12
6 Azerbaijan Pardis Fardjad-Azad Sumgayit 9
7 Ukraine Yuriy Fomenko Kəpəz / Inter Baku 8
Georgia (country) Bachana Tskhadadze Inter Baku 8
Sierra Leone Julius Wobay Neftchi Baku 8
10 Morocco Zouhir Benouahi AZAL 7
11 Bosnia and Herzegovina Mario Božić Simurq 6
Brazil Flavinho Neftchi Baku 6
Romania Marius Pena Baku 6
Lithuania Mindaugas Kalonas Ravan Baku 6
Greece Dimitris Sialmas Khazar 6
Senegal Victor Mendy Gabala 6

Source: Azerbaijan Premier League

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date
Brazil Nildo4 AZAL Qarabağ 6–2[22] 16 September 2012
Chile Nicolás Canales4 Neftchi Baku Sumgayit 8–1[23] 17 November 2012
Mali Salif Ballo Turan Kəpəz 5–1[24] 2 December 2012
Azerbaijan Pardis Fardjad-Azad4 Sumgayit Turan 4–0[25] 11 March 2013
Argentina Juan Varea Ravan Baku Turan 6–2[26] 30 March 2013
  • 4 Player scored 4 goals

Scoring

Clean sheets

Discipline

References

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  2. ^ "18 turun azarkeş sayı – 214.470 nəfər". Fanat.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
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  14. ^ Мамедов временно заменит Кавлака на посту наставника Габалы. Azerisport.com (in Russian). Retrieved 24 September 2012.
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  17. ^ Стал известен новый главный тренер Хазар-Лянкярана. Azerisport.com (in Russian). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
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