In the 2025/2026 season, while three of Azerbaijan's four clubs managed to overcome the second qualifying round in European competitions, Zira had to end their campaign early.
This came as a surprise, considering the team had achieved the second-best result among Azerbaijani clubs after Qarabag last season, reaching the play-off stage of the Conference League. In the 2024/2025 season, the "Zira" had eliminated Croatian side Osijek in the third qualifying round (1:1, 2:2) via a 2:1 penalty shootout victory.
This time, however, another Croatian team, Hajduk, scored in extra time of both legs (1:1 in Baku and Split during regular time) to deny Zira progression.
In the home leg, Brahim Konate, who scored Zira's goal, was injured. He, along with Ange Mutsinzi, who failed to obtain a visa, missed the away game.
More significant losses occurred before the matches. Zira had sold one of their key attackers, Salifou Soumah, to Sweden’s Malmo. Raphael Utzig, who joined pre-season late, was demoted to the reserve team. As a result, Zira had to compete with a "toothless" attacking line.
Another notable point was head coach Rashad Sadygov starting Tiago Silva, who hadn’t featured in Premier League matches, in both legs against Hajduk.
"Zira should have settled it in Baku"
According to Idman.biz, Teleqraf reached out to veteran footballer Tarlan Ahmadov to assess the reasons behind Zira’s early elimination. The 54-year-old specialist stated that the Azerbaijani club should have resolved the tie in the first leg: “I also thought the opponent had a strong legacy and European experience. But we all saw that today’s Hajduk isn’t what it once was. Zira should have settled the tie in the first match. They had the chance.”
Ahmadov added that issues in the attacking line were clearly felt in both games: “Yes, Soumah was sold to Malmo for reportedly €1.3 million, which financially benefited the club. They can now buy a new player. As for Utzig, his situation is somewhat unclear. He was effective in the league, an important figure in attack. His goals, assists, and aggressive play greatly benefited the team. So it's puzzling why he would not want to stay. We don’t know the reason for his transfer listing despite the team’s good performance.”
He believes Utzig’s removal from the first team may have stemmed from internal disciplinary issues: “Such disciplinary actions have been taken by Gurban Gurbanov and foreign coaches as well. That’s natural. But when I did it, it was blown out of proportion. Zira didn’t play badly. They weren’t inferior to Hajduk. Rashad Sadygov said after the second leg, 'Although we lost, we feel like winners.' That’s his opinion. We’d all have been happy if they had advanced. I can’t say Zira would have surely progressed if Soumah and Utzig had played, but their chances of making a difference would’ve been higher. We saw their impact last season. They formed a strong attacking duo.”
"If Sadygov had done that, he'd lose respect among players"
The former coach supported the decision to punish Utzig: “Raphael didn’t participate in pre-season training. Reinserting him into the starting squad would have demoralized others. Sadygov would have lost respect and risked his career for one player. Then others would follow suit, saying 'I want to leave; I have an offer.' These things damage the coach. No one could confidently say Zira wouldn’t qualify. We all knew it wouldn’t be easy, but there was a chance.”
According to Ahmadov, team discipline comes before anything else: “A club's work doesn't end in a year, there must be internal order. If the coach isn’t strict, there’ll be no results. Why should others lose trust in the coach or think he’s afraid of players because of one person? If a player is at fault, he must face consequences.”
Ahmadov noted the problem isn’t limited to Utzig: “A new forward should have been sought during Utzig’s absence. It’s easy for us to say, but finding a quality striker is difficult. The matches showed that Zira could’ve advanced. The red card should’ve been avoided. Knowing he already had a yellow, Guima shouldn’t have committed another foul. The problem isn’t just Utzig. Without that red card, the game would’ve gone in Zira’s favor. Even with 10 men, Zira dominated. With equal numbers, they had a higher chance of advancing.”
"There’s no personal grudge involved"
Utzig’s removal from the first team has sparked speculation about a personal conflict with head coach Sadygov, especially since Utzig performed well last season. However, Ahmadov ruled out such motives: “We don’t know what’s happening internally. According to the press, there is an issue with Utzig. I doubt Rashad Sadygov is holding a personal grudge. He prioritizes team principles over personal or player interests. It seems Utzig acted inappropriately, prompting the coach’s decision. I don’t believe Sadygov would create a theater over personal differences.”
Ahmadov said the coach likely acted on club values: “Maybe Utzig’s approach to training was poor, or his performance and attitude didn’t meet expectations. Or maybe something else we don’t know happened. But it seems to be a decision based on club principles.”
Can the Brazilian forward be forgiven in the coming days? Ahmadov said everything will be clearer by August 15, when the Azerbaijan Premier League kicks off: “As far as I know, Utzig is currently training with the reserves. With Zira now out of the Conference League, they’ll focus on the league. In the next two weeks, the management will decide whether he returns. Even if he rejoins the first team, we won’t see him on the pitch right away. It’s also possible a new striker is brought in using the money from Suma’s sale, making Utzig unnecessary. It all depends on how things unfold. I doubt we’ll see the same Utzig again. If he realizes his mistake, maybe. But we don’t know the root cause. Whether he stays and contributes will be determined later.”
"Silva’s positioning was wrong on the second goal"
Ahmadov also commented on the surprising decision to start Tiago Silva, who hadn’t played in domestic league matches: “This question is best directed to Sadygov himself. But as far as I know, Silva played well in the Conference League last season, especially against Osijek where he saved penalties. So maybe Sadygov started him for his European experience. His limited appearances in the league might have been due to the foreign player limit.”
He added that Zira can’t be said to have lost solely because of the goalkeeper: “Yes, Silva’s positioning was wrong for the second goal in Croatia, which is why he couldn’t reach the ball after the free kick. But only Sadygov can explain why he played despite not featuring during the season. Coaches often take risks that sometimes pay off. Now that there’s no foreign player limit, any number of foreign players can be fielded.”
Qarabag has progressed to the Champions League third qualifying round, while Sabah and Araz-Nakhchivan have reached the same stage in the Conference League.
Idman.biz
