Azerbaijan Championship lost another high-level goalkeeper with the transfer of Qarabag player Andrey Lunev.
Idman.biz has compiled a rating table of the best international goalkeepers who played in our clubs.
Obviously, there is only one absolute quantity in football. It is also shown on the scoreboard as winner or loss, champion or outsider. Other notions, such as the best, strongest, and so on, are relative and subjective. For decades, the world could not answer the question "Pele or Diego Maradona," so it began to puzzle over the statement "Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo." The responses to the question "Who is the best in history" are grouped into four major categories, and other choices are discovered. In short, everybody has their own version.This is our - Idman.biz - version about the best internationals who played in Azerbaijan.
1. Asmir Begovic
The goalkeeper of the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team, who came to Qarabag from the world's strongest championship - the Premier League, played only half a season in the Aghdam club. The composure and self-confidence of the goalkeeper, who played in more than 200 matches in the English Premier League, which is not another planet, or even another galaxy, compared to our championship, played not in the current Chelsea, but in Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, clearly showed where he came from. The fact that he moved to Milan after Azerbaijan and returned to the Premier League is also a sign that he is "number 1" on the list. Although Asmir did not have time to endear himself to the fans because he played for Qarabag for a very short time, he managed to show his level.
2. Andrey Lunev
Like Begovic, the Russian who came directly from the "Big Five" also spent a short time in Qarabag. It is true that he sat in the reserve rather than playing in Germany. But absorbing the atmosphere of the Bundesliga is enough to have a great season in Azerbaijan. Andrey is one of the owners of the success of the team that reached the Europa League last-16.
3. Ibrahim Sehic
Another former member of Qarabag places in the top-3. The advantage of the goalkeepers of the Aghdam club is understandable. The historic achievements in Europe and the hegemony in the domestic arena, as well as the players of every position, the goalkeepers have had a big share. For most of the fans, Ibrahim Sehic is the more favorite goalkeeper. But the career of Sehic, who was Begovic's substitute in the national team of Bosnia-Herzegovina for many years and only later displaced his compatriot from the team, is not so rich. Although he is ahead of others with the benefit of playing more in Qarabag, winning 5 championships and 3 cups, he finds it difficult to keep up with Asmir and Andrey at the skill level.
4. Sasa Stamenkovic
If Qarabag is the only team that stood out in Europe, it was Neftchi that opened this path to the group stages. The services of the Serbian, who moved to the Baku club from Crvena Zvezda, are not few for the success in the Europa League. Sasha spent 5 years in the representative of the capital, where he won a double championship and a cup. The Serbian, who later returned to Azerbaijan and played for Sabah, is the foreign goalkeeper who played the most games in the Premier League.
5. Dmytro Bezotosnyi
Bezotosnyi has a special place among the goalkeepers who confidently guarded our teams in the group stage of the European Cup. The Ukrainian played a great role in Gabala falling into the group after passing four stages for two consecutive seasons. The goalkeeper, who won 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Premier League, participated in three finals of the cup and won one of them, kept the "red-black" goal in safe hands for 4.5 years. The brightest part of Dmytro's career was spent in our country.
6. Georgi Lomaia
If the first "five" have proven themselves in Europe and in the group stage, the Georgian has mainly proved himself in domestic competitions. The former glove owner of Spartak Moscow and the Georgian national team played for Inter (currently Shamakhi) for 7 years. The goalkeeper, who is one of the best of the Baku club, has won a championship. He took two silver and two bronze medals from our country and was also a cup finalist.
7. Kalidou Cissokho
The former Senegal goalkeeper spent the best years of his club career at FK Baku. During the 8 years he spent in Azerbaijan, he became the leading figure of "stripes". Cissokho has a share in all the titles in the history of FK Baku: he won the title of national champion twice and cup winner three times. He also has one silver and one bronze.
It is true that dozens of other international goalkeepers have played in Azerbaijan. Among them are Vladimir Micovic, Bojan Pavlovic, Miro Varvodic, Pavels Dorosevs who are more or less showing themselves, but they lag behind the "Top-7" of our ranking. Their success has mainly been limited to the local arena, the qualification stage of the maximum European cups.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
