Gurban Gurbanov


Gurban Gurbanov is an Azerbaijani football manager and former footballer. He currently manages FK Qarabağ. He played as a forward. Starting out with local club Kur in 1988, Gurbanov had a decorated 18-year professional career. He scored 178 goals in 399 league matches. With 14 goals in 68 matches, he is also Azerbaijan's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches. In 2017-2018 he was the manager of Azerbaijan national football team.
Gurbanov has won a total of 14 trophies; 5 as a player and 9 as a manager.

Playing career

He started his career in Kur, and has since played for Mertskhali Ozurgeti, Daşqın Zaqatala, Alazani Gurjaani, Turan Tovuz, Neftchi Baku, Dinamo Stavropol, Baltika Kaliningrad, Fakel Voronezh and Volgar Gazprom. The last club he played for was Inter Baku. In the 1996–97 season, Gurbanov was the leading scorer in the Azerbaijan Premier League for Neftchi with 25 goals. The striker was named Azerbaijan's Player of the Year once, in 2003.

International career

He debuted for the national team in their very first match on 17 September 1992, and as of January 2006 he has scored 14 goals in 68 international matches, which is the national team goalscoring record.

International goals

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef
18.06.1993Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran1–03-31993 ECO Cup
28.06.1993Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran2–13-31993 ECO Cup
327.02.1996Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus3–03-0Friendly
427.05.1996City Stadium, Maladzyechna, Belarus1–12-2Friendly
522.03.1997Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan3–03-0Friendly
614.10.1998Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein1-21-2UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
76.03.1999Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus1–02-2Friendly
85.06.1999Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan1–04-0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
912.02.2003Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro1-22–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
1012.02.2003Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro2-22–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
1111.06.2003Shafa Stadion, Baku, Azerbaijan1–12-1UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
1231.03.2004Stadionul Republican, Chișinău, Moldova1-12-1Friendly
1328.05.2004Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan1–03-1Friendly
146.06.2004Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia2-12-2Friendly

Managerial career

After he had ended his football player's career, he became sport director of the club Inter. However, in summer 2006 he was appointed head coach of Neftchi Baku. Since the beginning of the season 2008/09 he has appointed as a head coach of FK Qarabağ to replace Rasim Kara.
In 2010, he became the most successful Azerbaijani manager in European competitions with 16 wins.
On May 2014, he guided Qarabağ to their second Azerbaijani league title after 21 years. In July 2014, he became the second Azerbaijani manager to reach the European Cups group stage, as Qarabağ qualified for the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League group stage, beating Twente and being the second Azerbaijani team to advance to this stage in a European competitions.
In 2017 FK Qarabağ, managed by Gurbanov, became the first Azerbaijani team to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
On 3 November 2017, Gurbanov was appointed as manager of Azerbaijan national football team. A year later, on 8 December 2018 he resigned.

Manager

Coaching record

Honours

Player

;Turan Tovuz
;Neftchi Baku

Qarabağ

In 2012, he campaigned to stop domestic violence.