🇦🇿 How war turned Qarabag into Azerbaijan’s biggest propaganda tool

Qarabag gave Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen a scare in the Europa League!

Not many teams have given Bayer Leverkusen a scare this season, but Qarabag certainly did.

The Azerbaijan champions were 2-0 up against Xabi Alonso’s side in last week’s Europa League round of 16 first leg. Ultimately, they were pegged back to a 2-2 draw, but Qarabag still caught the eye with their performance.

Qarabag - FK Qarabag, to give the club its first name - is Azerbaijan’s team on the European stage.

They became the first Azerbaijani club to reach the Champions League group stage in 2017/18. This season, they are into the last 16 of a continental competition for the first time.

Three decades ago, though, Qarabag found itself at the centre of a bloody war that destroyed the club’s stadium. Before one match, the players had to fill a bomb crater in the pitch before they could play.

Due to these times of war, Qarabag is much more than a football club. ‘The Barcelona of the Caucasus,’ as they are called, have become a symbol of Azerbaijani pride - and propaganda.