Since 2014
PFC Zira is a relatively new club which was established in 2014 and immediately began playing in the Azeri top flight. The team which finished last season 3rd in the league table of Azerbaijan, 22 points behind champions Qarabag and a goal tally of 33-27.
Zira played one campaign in Europe during the 2017/18 season where they advanced past Luxembourg outfit Differdange 03 in the Europa League 1st qualifying round but were knocked out in the next stage by Astra Giurgiu.
This season Zira host Maccabi for the first leg at the Dalga Arena in Baku which has a capacity of 6500 fans.
An Azeri legend on the touchlines
Just like Maccabi, Zira have yet to begin their domestic campaign as they are coached by Rashad Farhad oglu Sadigov. Fourty-year-old Sadigov is a legend in Azerbaijan having represented his country in 111 international matches. He spent most of his playing career in Azerbaijan as well as enjoying stints in Iran and Turkey. After two years as the Youth team coach of Qarabag (2016-2018), Sadigov coached Azerbaijan’s U-21’s for 2 years before being appointed as the Head Coach of Zira in 2020.
Zira’s key players
Despite the fact that Azeri clubs do not have a limit on the number of foreign players, most of Zira’s players are local. As well as several players who received Azeri citizenship, they have six foreign players in their squad.
Upfront Zira have two forwards in Dutch winger Mohamed Mo Hamdaoui and Belgian striker Loris Brogno.
A key player who left Zira is Georgian striker Davit Volkovi who scored last season a third of his team’s tally (11). Frenchman midfielder Hamidou Keyta who sometimes plays upfront and scored 5 goals in 14 league matches last season will try and fill his shoes.
At the back Zira has two foreigners which worth a mention in 27-yeaer-old Greek central defender Dimitrios Chantakias and his Serbian defensive partner Nemanja Andjelkovic. Last season however and despite his young age, Jalal Huseynov (19) made 26 appearances at the heart of Zira’s defence allowing Andjelkovic to play at right back.
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