Ayxan Abbasov, head coach of the "Shamakhi" club and the U-21 national team, is being appointed as the head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team.
According to the information, an agreement has already been reached between Ayxan Abbasov and the Azerbaijan Football Federations Association (AFFA) regarding this matter. The decision on appointing Ayxan Abbasov as the head coach of the Azerbaijan national team is expected to be announced in the coming hours.
Medianews.az reports that Ayxan Farzukh oglu Abbasov was born in 1981 in Baku.
He started playing football at the age of 7 in the settlement of Buzovna, at the current Khazar district's "SDYUSHOR" Sports School. His first coach was Boyukaga Abbasov.
After playing for Azerbaijan's youth and junior (under 17 and under 19) national teams, Ayxan Abbasov stepped into senior football with the "Khazri Buzovna" club. In the 1997/98 season, he played in the main league with the U18 team.
He then spent six years at the "Shefa" club (in 2002, he was on loan with the Central Army Sports Club).
He played for "Turan" from 2004 to 2005 and for "Inter" from 2006 to 2007.
He started the 2007/08 season with Imishli's "MKT-Araz" club. He appeared in both UEFA Cup matches against Poland's "Grotlin" club with this team. After the Imishli team was eliminated from the tournament following a defeat, the club president disbanded the team, and Ayxan Abbasov then transferred to Agdam's "Qarabag" club. He played for "Qarabag" for four years.
He played for "Turan" in the 2011/12 season.
During his coaching career, Ayxan Abbasov has taken the helm at clubs such as "Zire", "Sumgayit", and "Turan". In June 2024, he signed a one-year contract with the "Shamakhi" club and began serving as their head coach.
Since March 2025, he was also appointed head coach of the Azerbaijan U-21 national football team, signing a two-year contract with AFFA.
Medianews.az recalls that the Azerbaijan national team has so far been coached by Alekber Mammadov, Agaselim Mirjavadov, Kazbek Tuayev, Vagif Sadigov, Ahmad Alesgerov, Igor Ponomaryov, Asgar Abdullayev, Carlos Alberto Torres, Shahin Diniyev, Berti Vogts, Robert Prosinecki, Qurban Qurbanov, Nikola Yurchevich, Gianni De Biasi, and Fernando Santos.
Portuguese Fernando Santos was dismissed following a 0–5 away defeat to Iceland on September 5, 2025, by decision of the AFFA Executive Committee on September 8.
The Azerbaijan national team ranks 122nd among 210 teams in the FIFA ranking.
Having participated in international tournaments since 1994, the national team finished last in the group stage in four European Championships qualifiers and second to last in four others.
In four World Cup qualifying campaigns, the team finished last in their group in one, second to last in two, and third to last in one.
At some point, the national team was the runner-up in Group D of the UEFA Nations League, once placed third in League C, once second, and once fourth (last).
Toğrul Ali,
Medianews.az
