Khazar to quit Azeri league
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Article summary
FC Khazar University look set to withdraw from the Azeri first division.
Article body
FC Khazar University president Gamlet Isahanly has told national association officials he is ready to pull his club out of the Azeri first division.
Injury-time penalty
The announcement came after the appeals committee of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) refused Khazar University a replay of their recent league game against FC Shafa. The committee ruled that the controversial injury-time penalty with which FC Shafa defeated Khazar 1-0 in a recent league match was awarded within the allotted injury time, despite Isahanly's insistence to the contrary.
'We have no choice'
Isahanly timed the decision as coming eight minutes after the end of normal time. On learning of the decision, Isahanly told the AFFA his club would withdraw from the Yuksek Deste. "Our referees are professional, but sometimes they hide it well," he said. "We want to play football, not the game we are invited to play at the moment. In these conditions, we have no other choice but to suspend our participation in the league."
Ten clubs left
Khazar's withdrawal would leave the league with only ten clubs, after FC Araz also pulled out in March. Khazar are currently fifth in the top group of the league, with one point from three games and seven games to go until the finish. The Azeri league splits in two six-team groups in the closing stages of the season.
