As the Misli Premier League enters its final third, Neftchi Baku, once a dominant force in Azerbaijani football with nine national titles, finds itself facing a tough season.
Despite ambitious moves in the pre-season, including the hiring of coach Roman Hryhorchuk, the club's results have been far from ideal, accumulating just 9 points in 12 matches, a level unseen since the 2016/17 season, as Idman.biz reports.
Coaching shifts and low points
The season has seen Neftchi already changing head coaches, with Samir Abasov replacing Hryhorchuk after a disappointing start. Yet, even under new leadership, the team continues to struggle, with their average of 0.75 points per match falling well below expectations.
Repeating History
Neftchi’s current tally matches a disappointing record from eight years ago, when the club also managed just 9 points after 12 matches. This poor start marks only the sixth time in Neftchi’s 33 seasons that it has failed to reach at least 20 points after 12 rounds. For comparison, the club had 18 points at this stage last season—double their current count.
Past glory vs. present struggles
Historically, Neftchi often opened seasons strong, with record-breaking starts like the iconic 1992 campaign, where they won 12 consecutive matches under coach Ahmed Alaskarov. This season, however, has brought a stark contrast, underscoring the significant decline since the club's golden years.
Comparison of first 12 matches across seasons
Here’s a look at how Neftchi’s points tally after the first 12 games has varied over the years:
1992: 36 points
1993: 23 points
1993/94: 23 points
1994/95: 32 points
1995/96: 27 points
1996/97: 31 points
1997/98: 20 points
1998/99: 21 points
1999/2000: 26 points
2000/01: 32 points
2001/02: 26 points
2003/04: 29 points
2004/05: 26 points
2005/06: 21 points
2006/07: 21 points
2007/08: 24 points
2008/09: 13 points
2009/10: 20 points
2010/11: 27 points
2011/12: 25 points
2012/13: 21 points
2013/14: 25 points
2014/15: 22 points
2015/16: 13 points
2016/17: 9 points
2017/18: 13 points
2018/19: 29 points
2019/20: 21 points
2020/21: 21 points
2021/22: 20 points
2022/23: 25 points
2023/24: 18 points
2024/25: 9 points
Idman.biz
