 | |||
| Full name | Gabala Sports Club Qəbələ İdman Klubu | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Radarlar (The Radars) Qırmızı-qaralar (The Red-blacks) | ||
| Founded | 4 May 2005; 19 years ago (2005-05-04), asQabala | ||
| Ground | Gabala City Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 4,500 | ||
| Chairman | Fariz Najafov | ||
| Manager | Kakhaber Tskhadadze | ||
| League | Azerbaijan First Division | ||
| 2023–24 | Azerbaijan Premier League, 10 th of 10 (relegated) | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Gabala SC (Azerbaijani:Qəbələ İK,pronounced[ɡæbæˈlæ]),[1][2] also spelledQabala, is anAzerbaijani professionalfootball club based inQabala, which have competed in theAzerbaijan Premier League since 2006. They will be an Azerbaijan First Division club in the 2024/25 Season following their relegation from the Azerbaijani Premier Division. Gabala has been the runner up in the Premier League three times and has won thenational cup twice, in 2019 and 2023.Gabala is one of the 2 teams that started the first qualifying round of theUEFA Europa League for 2 seasons and managed to move on to the group stage.[3][4]
The club was founded under the name ofGoy Gol on 3 July 1995, based inGoy Gol. On 1 September 2005, Goy Gol was registered in Gabala by the Ministry of Justice, before theAFFA registered the team as professional on 5 September of the same year. In the summer of 2006, the team moved fromGoygol toQabala, before the club changed its name toGilan PFK. Later, the club changed its name toQəbələ PFK on 31 August 2007.[5][6]
On 10 May 2010, formerArsenal defenderTony Adams was appointed as new manager after signing a £1 million per year deal with the club.[7][8] In his first season in charge Gabala finished at 7th place inAzerbaijan Premier League.[9][10] In November 2011, Adams resigned from being Gabala's coach due to family problems.[11][12]
Despite the appointment of managers like Fatih Kavlak andRamiz Mammadov, the club could not reach a satisfactory position in the league and was struggling in the middle of the table for many years.[13][14] On 29 May 2013,Yuri Semin was appointed as new manager after signing a £1 million per year deal with the club.[15][16] In the same year, the club qualified for European cups for the first time in their history but lost toNeftchi Baku on penalties in the final of theAzerbaijan Cup.[17][18]
In the 2015–16 season of the Europa League, they became the 3rd club from Azerbaijan to qualify for the group stage afterQarabağ FK andNeftçi Baku. They eliminated Dinamo Tbilisi, Čukarički, Apollon Limassol and surprisinglyPanathinaikos. They came 4th in their tough group ofBorussia Dortmund, PAOK andFC Krasnodar. They got two points both from 0–0 draws againstPAOK.
Following their defeat toKeşla in the2017–18 Azerbaijan Cup Final,Roman Hryhorchuk left Gabala after his contract was not extended.[19] On 30 May 2018, Gabala announced thatSanan Gurbanov had been appointed as the club's new manager on a two-year contract.[20] On 31 August 2019, Gurbanov resigned as manager following Gabala's 4–0 defeat at home toKeşla.[21] On 2 September 2019,Elmar Bakhshiyev was appointed as Gabala's manager.[22]
On 24 February 2024,Elmar Bakhshiyev resigned as Head Coach, withKakhaber Tskhadadze being appointed the following day.[23][24] On 27 May 2024, at the end of the 2023-24 season, Gabala extended their contract with Tskhadadze for an additional three-seasons.[25]
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Europa League | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 36 | 55 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Total | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 42 | 67 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Široki Brijeg | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 |
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Dinamo Tbilisi | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| 2Q |  Čukarički | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 3Q |  Apollon Limassol | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| PO |  Panathinaikos | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 (a) | ||
| Group C |  Borussia Dortmund | 1–3 | 0–4 | 4th | ||
| PAOK | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||
 Krasnodar | 0–3 | 1–2 | ||||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Samtredia | 5–1 | 1–2 | 6–3 |
| 2Q |  MTK Budapest | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | ||
| 3Q |  Lille | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| PO |  Maribor | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Group C |  Anderlecht | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4th | ||
| Saint-Étienne | 1–2 | 0–1 | ||||
| Mainz 05 | 2–3 | 0–2 | ||||
| 2017–18 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  Jagiellonia Białystok | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| 3Q | Panathinaikos | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Progrès Niederkorn | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q | Dinamo Tbilisi | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q | Fehérvár | 2–1 | 1–4 | 3–5 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q | Omonia | 2–3 | 1–4 | 3–7 |
The club's crest includesCaucasus Mountains with a black crescent and red eight-pointed star, similar toAzerbaijani flag. It also includes 2005 which signifies the club's formation year.
Gabala's traditional kit is composed of red shirts, black shorts and red socks. The club's first kit manufacturer wasErreà, until a two-year deal was agreed withJoma in 2013.[26][27]
In August 2012, Gabala signed a one-year deal with the American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturerPepsi, which will replaceHyundai as the shirt sponsor from the 2013–14 season.[28]
In September 2015, Gabala signed a one-year deal with QafqaZ Hotels and Resorts.[29]
On 31 January 2020, Gabala announced that dairy brand Milla would be the club's new title sponsor until the end of 2021.[30]
On 4 July 2023, Gabala announcedCapelli Sport as their new kit supplier on a three-year contract.[31]
| Years | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 | Adidas |  Hyundai |
| 2010–2011 |  Lotto | |
| 2011–2012 | Erreà | |
| 2012–2013 |  Pepsi | |
| 2013–2015 |  Joma | |
| 2015–2020 |  QafqaZ Hotels | |
| 2020–2021 | Milla | |
| 2021–2022 | Jale | |
| 2022–2023 | Gilan Knauf | |
| 2023–present | Capelli Sport |
The club play their home matches at theGabala City Stadium, an all-seater football stadium situated inQabala.
As of 2007, predominantly due to UEFA requirements, the club proposed an extensive renovation of the stadium, which has since been in constant process of redevelopment.[32] AFL Architects were appointed to design a new 15,000 capacity stadium and training facility in December 2008 after winning a limited design competition. Accommodation within the stadium will include hotel and conferencing facilities, as well as retail and corporate hospitality space, and a dramatic viewing deck at the top of the entrance tower.[33] It is expected that the stadium was scheduled to open in 2014.[34]
Gabala has a large fanbase in relation to its comparative lack of success on the pitch. Gabala's fan base has fluctuated over the years with high crowds coinciding with the club's success in the Premier League so that the club now averages in the top four best home attendances in the country. One of the main supporters group name is Red Black Army.[35]
Azerbaijani teams are limited to nine players without Azerbaijani citizenship. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player, several non-European players on the squad have dual citizenship with an EU country.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Fariz Najafov |
| General manager | Sabuhi Safiyarli[37] |
| Team manager | Mahammad Azizli |
| Press secretary | Asef Zeynalov |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Kakhaber Tskhadadze[38] |
| Assistant coach | Giorgi Chikhradze |
| Fitness coach |  Chaglar Volga[39] |
| Video analysis coach | Rakif Aliyev |
| Goalkeeper coach | Vugar Mammadov |
| Under-19 head coach | Famil Khalilov |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Doctor | Fikrat Nabiyev |
| Assistant doctor | Movsum Huseynov |
| Assistant doctor | Farman Mammadov |
Information correct as of match played 28 March 2025. Only competitive matches are counted.
| Name | Nat. | From | To | P | W | D | L | GS | GA | %W | Honours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faig Jabbarov | Azerbaijan | 2005 | 2006 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 073.33 | Azerbaijan First Division (1) | [40] |
| Ramiz Mammadov | Azerbaijan | 2006 | May 2010 | 118 | 38 | 27 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 032.20 | [41] | |
| Tony Adams |  England | 12 May 2010 | 16 Nov 2011 | 44 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 45 | 35 | 038.64 | [42] | |
| Fatih Kavlak | Turkey | 18 Nov 2011 | Sept 27, 2012 | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 27 | 048.28 | [41] | |
| Ramiz Mammadov | Azerbaijan | Sept 24, 2012 | 2 April 2013 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 22 | 038.10 | [41] | |
| Luis Aragon(Interim) | Spain | April 2013 | May 2013 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 012.50 | [43] | |
| Yuri Semin | Russia | 28 May 2013 | 23 May 2014 | 41 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 56 | 38 | 051.22 | [44] | |
| Dorinel Munteanu |  Romania | 16 Jun 2014 | 8 Dec 2014 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 26 | 033.33 | [45] | |
| Sanan Gurbanov(Interim) | Azerbaijan | 8 December 2014 | 21 December 2014 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 033.33 | [46] | |
| Roman Hryhorchuk |  Ukraine | 21 December 2014 | 29 May 2018[19] | 159 | 75 | 41 | 43 | 238 | 150 | 047.17 | [47] | |
| Sanan Gurbanov | Azerbaijan | 30 May 2018[20] | 31 August 2019[21] | 40 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 37 | 52 | 035.00 | Azerbaijan Cup (1) | |
| Elmar Bakhshiyev | Azerbaijan | 2 September 2019[22] | 24 February 2024[23] | 155 | 52 | 41 | 62 | 187 | 228 | 033.55 | Azerbaijan Cup (1) | |
| Kakhaber Tskhadadze | Georgia | 25 February 2024[24] | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 55 | 33 | 052.78 |
P – Total of played matchesW – Won matchesD – Drawn matchesL – Lost matchesGS – Goal scoredGA – Goals against
%W – Percentage of matches won
Nationality is indicated by the correspondingFIFA country code(s).
Urfan Abbasov is Gabala's most capped player, with 305 appearances for the club. Players inbold signifies current Gabala player.
| Name | Years | League | Azerbaijan Cup | Europe | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Victor Mendy | 2011–2015 | 29 (112) | 4 (13) | 0 (2) | 33 (127) |
| 2 |  Dodô | 2011–2016 | 23 (131) | 3 (15) | 4 (15) | 30 (161) |
| 3 | Bagaliy Dabo | 2016–2018 | 20 (43) | 4 (6) | 3 (13) | 27 (62) |
| 4 |  Filip Ozobić | 2016–2018 | 16 (47) | 6 (9) | 3 (18) | 25 (74) |
| 5 |  Isnik Alimi | 2021–2023 | 17 (62) | 5 (10) | 0 (2) | 22 (74) |
| 6 | Javid Huseynov | 2014–2015, 2016–2019, 2020–2021 | 16 (109) | 2 (20) | 3 (11) | 21 (140) |
| 6 | Ulvi Isgandarov | 2017–2024 | 17 (118) | 4 (16) | 0 (6) | 21 (140) |
| 8 | Steeven Joseph-Monrose | 2017– 2019 | 15 (47) | 3 (9) | 2 (6) | 20 (62) |
| 9 |  Danijel Subotić | 2013–2014, 2017 | 15 (40) | 4 (8) | 0 (0) | 19 (48) |
| 10 | Kanan Karimov | 2008–2010 | 11 (46) | 7 (?) | 0 (0) | 18 (45+) |
| 10 | Oleksiy Gai | 2015–2016 | 14 (51) | 4 (6) | 0 (14) | 18 (71) |
| 10 |  James Adeniyi | 2018–2021 | 14 (48) | 4 (7) | 0 (2) | 18 (57) |
| 10 | Raphael Utzig | 2020–2023 | 15 (81) | 2 (11) | 1 (2) | 18 (94) |
| Name | Years | League | Azerbaijan Cup | Europe | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urfan Abbasov | 2011–2019, 2021–2024 | 248 (5) | 40 (1) | 17 (0) | 305 (6) |
| 2 | Asif Mammadov | 2006–2007, 2015–Present | 205 (13) | 31 (3) | 24 (1) | 260+ (17) |
| 3 | Dmytro Bezotosnyi | 2015–2019 | 117 (0) | 17 (0) | 32 (0) | 166 (0) |
| 4 | Dodô | 2011–2016 | 131 (23) | 15 (3) | 15 (4) | 161 (30) |
| 5 | Murad Musayev | 2013–2016, 2019–Present | 132 (7) | 19 (0) | 3 (0) | 154 (7) |
| 6 | Vojislav Stanković | 2015–2019 | 92 (1) | 21 (1) | 29 (1) | 142 (3) |
| 7 | Elvin Jamalov | 2013–2019 | 111 (0) | 18 (0) | 12 (0) | 141 (0) |
| 8 | Javid Huseynov | 2014–2015, 2016–2019, 2020–2021 | 109 (16) | 20 (2) | 11 (3) | 140 (21) |
| 8 | Ulvi Isgandarov | 2017–2024 | 118 (17) | 16 (4) | 6 (0) | 140 (21) |
| 10 | Victor Mendy | 2011–2015 | 112 (29) | 13 (4) | 2 (0) | 127 (33) |
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