The Azerbaijan national football team will play in Division D of the UEFA Nations League next season, where they will face teams from “dwarf” countries. Our team earned this spot not only through their results but also with their style of play. In fact, it’s not just our national team that deserves this, but the overall state of football in our country.
Idman.biz compares Azerbaijan to countries that are likely to be considered future rivals, yet their situation is significantly different in many aspects.
Who will we face in League D?
So far, three out of five potential opponents are known. These include the lowest division’s group last-place teams, Liechtenstein and Andorra, along with Lithuania, which joined the group as the weakest third-place team from League C. The other two possible teams are Gibraltar and Malta, as well as either Latvia or Luxembourg, who will be chosen from the teams aspiring to reach League D in the playoffs. Based on playoff results, two of these four teams will join the six-team League D, and out of the five teams, two will be our group rivals.
As seen, the countries mentioned are “dwarf” countries. While Latvia and Lithuania are much larger, they are still considered among the "dwarfs" of the former USSR. Their territories are only 75% of Azerbaijan’s 86.6 thousand km², and their populations—3 million in Lithuania and 5 million in Latvia—are significantly smaller than Azerbaijan’s 10.2 million.
Now, what about Andorra, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Malta, and Luxembourg? These countries are so small in both area and population that they could be compared to some of Azerbaijan’s districts or even villages. For example, San Marino, which rose to League C, and the Faroe Islands, who remained there, are now places we might look up to. The Faroe Islands (1,390 km²) are 62 times smaller than Azerbaijan, while San Marino (61 km²) is 1,400 times smaller. In terms of population, one has 54,500 and the other 33,600—both significantly smaller than our population.
Despite the geographic limitations, some of these countries have managed to produce footballers who thrive in bigger leagues. Take Georgia, for instance, which, despite not sharing borders with football powerhouses like Italy, Spain, or France, impressed in the European Championship and almost advanced from the B division of the Nations League.
Looking at teams like the Faroe Islands and San Marino, and comparing them to countries such as Gibraltar, Malta, Andorra, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, the size and population differences become even clearer. Gibraltar (6.5 km²), Malta (316 km²), Andorra (467 km²), Liechtenstein (160 km²), and Luxembourg (2,580 km²) are far smaller than Azerbaijan—by up to 100 times in some cases. We are 13,000 times larger than Gibraltar!
In terms of population, only Luxembourg (672,000) and Malta (553,000) exceed half a million. Andorra (81,500), Liechtenstein (38,900), and Gibraltar (29,500) are much smaller, with population differences ranging from 125 to 345 times.
It raises the question: If a country with only 30,000 people can produce national-level football players, why can’t a country with 10 million? The key lies in the passion and commitment to work—not just in the job, but for the country and the homeland, with honesty and love. If the current situation continues, even these "dwarfs" might not take us seriously.
Vugar Mammadov
Idman.biz
