In the Azerbaijani Premier League, teams and individual players stand out not only for their technical skills but also for their level of physicality on the pitch.
Idman.biz has analyzed this season’s foul statistics to see which teams and players are the most aggressive in their style of play.
The most foul-prone team in the league is Araz-Nakhchivan, averaging 16.6 fouls per match. Close behind is Sabah, with an average of 15.8 fouls per game, making them one of the league’s roughest teams. Other teams in the top five for fouls include Zira (13.9), Neftçi (13.7), and Sumgayit (13.6). Following them are Sabail (13.0), Qarabag (12.6), and Turan Tovuz (12.6). The most disciplined teams in the league in terms of fouls are Shamakhi and Kapaz.
On an individual level, Pavol Šafranko (Sabah) leads the league with 45 fouls committed. He is followed closely by Wanderson Melo (Araz-Nakhchivan) and Belajdi Pusi (Shamakhi) with 43 fouls each, and Felipe Santos (Araz-Nakhchivan) with 42. Completing the top five is Urfan Abbasov (Araz-Nakhchivan), the most foul-prone Azerbaijani player, with 40 fouls.
Despite being the league leaders, Qarabag’s most aggressive player, Julio Romao, has committed only 27 fouls, placing him 27th overall. With Romao’s recent departure, his teammate Yassine Benzia (26 fouls) is the most likely candidate to take over as the team’s most physical player.
At the receiving end of these aggressive plays, Jordán Rezabala, formerly of Sumgayit, has been fouled the most this season with 57 fouls suffered. Vítor Braga (Kapaz) follows with 50, while Cristian (Turan Tovuz) and Giorgi Kantaria (Shamakhi) have each been fouled 45 times. Among local players, Rufat Abdullazada (Sabail) with 42 fouls suffered and Emin Mahmudov (Neftchi) with 40 are the most targeted.
Interestingly, Zira does not have a single player in the league’s top 20 for most fouled players. The most fouled player on their squad, Ceyhun Nuriyev (31 fouls suffered), ranks 22nd overall.
One of the most fouled players in all European club competitions this season is Marko Janković (Qarabag). In just 8 matches, he has been fouled 33 times, making him the most fouled player in UEFA competitions. However, in the Azerbaijani league, he faces less physicality, with 31 fouls suffered in 13 matches, placing him at the bottom of the league’s top 20.
Vugar Mammadov
Idman.biz
