Aberdeen must beware the slick passing game of a Qarabag team renowned as the ‘Barcelona of the Caucasus’.
Qarabag have adopted the Nou Camp side’s Tiki-taka philosophy but were unable to show it because of their shocking surface in Baku.
The pitch at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium was a disgrace but perhaps also hid just how cohesive and dangerous a passing unit the Azerbaijan side are.
Qarabag who hold a 1-0 first leg lead, and Aberdeen, will both have the surface to unveil their passing skills and speed – and it should make for a cracking encounter.
The rutted tattie field in Baku was not just a disgrace but also dangerous as Andy Considine sadly discovered when he was stretchered off with a knee injury having caught his studs in the uneven pitch.
UEFA and Qarabag should both be ashamed that a Europa Conference League play-off tie was played on such as sub standard surface.
This cannot be brushed under the carpet.
UEFA must take action now to ban Qarabag from playing Euro ties at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium until the pitch is up to standard.
If that means ripping it up and relaying a surface – then force them to.
Ideally Qarabag will have until next year to sort it out or face a ban – after Aberdeen have sent them crashing out of this season’s tournament.
Would that pitch have been sanctioned for a Champions League game? I doubt it.
Under Article 30.01, Pitches, of the Regulations of the UEFA Europa Conference League it states: “The UEFA administration or a third party mandated by UEFA may carry out pitch inspections at any time before and during the competition to check whether the pitch is in suitable conditions to host matches of the competition.”
Why was a game allowed to be played on this pitch when both the Qarabag and AEL Limassol managers voiced concerns about it in the previous round?
The terrible pitch made it nigh on impossible for Aberdeen to play their high tempo passing game as the run of the ball on the surface was too unpredictable.
However it worked both ways as the surface also denied Qarabag the ability to play a rapid passing game that manager Gurban Gurbanov has spent years constructing around the model Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola instilled at Barcelona.
Qarabag are known in Azerbaijan as ‘the Barcelona of the Caucasus’ but any chance to show why was snuffed out by the club’s inability to provide the necessary surface.
A long-time admirer of Guardiola in 2012 Gurbanov visited Barcelona to study and learn from him before vowing to implement the Catalan side’s ethos of producing a Tiki-taka style through all age levels up to the first team.
In backing Gurbanov’ to build a team in Barcelona’s image the Qarabag board have delivered a Rolls Royce of Azerbaijan football – only to burst all four wheels with the atrocious pitch.
Pittodrie will deliver a surface for Qarabag, and Aberdeen, to play their preferred game.
Remarkably on the official UEFA website that provided live updates on the first leg, conditions at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium were described as “31°. Clear night. The pitch is excellent’.
If that is ‘excellent’ what passes for good – the latter stags of a Tough Mudder course after 5,000 runners have crawled through six inches of mud?
At least UEFA’ thermometer was working though.
Pittodrie will be packed for what is not only the biggest Euro tie in more than a decade – but also the toughest.
Qarabag have qualified for the group stages of European football for each of the last seven years and are currently 86th in the UEFA rankings.
That is above clubs like HNK Rijeka, Apollon Limassol, NK Maribor and Kairat Almaty who have knocked the Dons out of Europe in recent years.
It will take a monumental effort from Aberdeen and the Red Army but the Dons have already shown this season they have the quality, and the fight, to see off Qarabag.
Securing group stage qualification would be a coming of age win for Stephen Glass’ rebuilt side.
Lewis Ferguson’s value ramped up
The value of Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson has ramped up further with his deserved, and long awaited, call up into the Scotland international squad.
It was a question of when, not if, Ferguson would break into the senior squad.
The call up should have come sooner after three seasons of excelling for Aberdeen since moving to Pittodrie from Hamilton.
In May this year Watford had a bid of under £2m rejected for Ferguson, who received the best birthday present with confirmation of his debut call up coming on his 22nd birthday.
That move by the English Premier League outfit was immediately kicked out by Aberdeen who slated the bid as ‘insulting’.
At the time any club would have to double that figure to have any chance of opening dialogue as to the possibility of landing Ferguson. Add an extra million or two to that now the Scotland call up has come.
The club is greatly disappointed to have received a written transfer request from midfielder Lewis Ferguson today.
This request was rejected immediately.
More details ⬇️
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 19, 2021
Following the rejection of the bid Ferguson put in a written transfer request.
However despite speculation over his future Ferguson’s levels have not dropped.
It is telling that the 2-1 League Cup clash at Raith Rovers recently was the first time in 144 games Ferguson had been on the bench as substitute – and they lost at Starks Park.
In all other 143 games he had been fit and available to play prior to that Ferguson had been in the starting line-up.
The transfer window closes at the end of the month and if Watford or any other club are serious about landing Ferguson they better dig deep.
Compassion of the boxing community
Aberdeen boxer Lee McAllister, former world champion Amir Khan and the British and Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA) should be commended for their attempts to offer safe haven to Afghanistan boxers and their families.
BIBA officials began trying to locate Afghan professional boxers licensed by the UK based commission through its partnership with the Afghanistan Professional Boxing Commission.
Khan has offered his Amir Khan Boxing Academy in Islamabad for the boxers and their families whilst arrangements are made for them to achieve refugee status and travel to the UK.
McAllister has offered to help set them up with accommodation in the Granite City as they bid to rebuild their lives.
The boxing community has come together and has shown compassion and empathy.
We can only pray for all those fearing for their safety under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.