“The Patriotic War, which began on September 27, ended 44 days later with a glorious Victory. Even now, I get emotional when I remember those days,” said Asif Mammadov, a coach and player for Gabala FC, who voluntarily joined the battles for Agdam during the 44-day war, in an interview with AZERTAC.
He stated that taking part in the war was a source of pride for him: “At that time, everyone was united and eager to go to the front. Where there is unity, there is always victory. Our people proved this to the world. We had martyrs and veterans — that’s part of war. We were defending our land. Of course, the presence of well-known athletes at the front gave extra motivation to the soldiers and young fighters.”
Originally from Abdal-Gulabli village of the Aghdam district, Mammadov said he eagerly awaits the day he can permanently return to his native land: “After the war, I visited my home and showed it to my family. Thanks to our President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, as well as our martyrs and veterans, people have returned to their homelands. Large-scale reconstruction is now underway there. We are proud of our state.”
It should be noted that the midfielder, who has been with Gabala since the summer of 2015, also played for the “red-blacks” during the second half of the 2006/2007 season. He has made one appearance for the Azerbaijan national team.
