With the club season over, several players from the Azerbaijani national volleyball team have already started shaping their future plans.
Idman.biz reports that Polina Rahimova has announced her return from South America to Europe, while Ayshan Abdulazimova has revealed her departure from Vasas, where she won every title in Hungary. Without a doubt, other players will soon share their own plans.
Although many leagues are still officially wrapping up, the first transfers have already begun.
A prime example is Polina Rahimova, who made an early decision regarding her next move. Last season was a resounding success for the attacker at Osasco — she won the Paulista Cup, the Brazilian Cup, and capped it all with the national championship. Rahimova proved she remains one of the most valuable players in her position, capable of turning matches around. Even when she didn’t always make the starting lineup, she seized every opportunity to prove her worth, significantly contributing to Osasco’s success.
Rahimova will now continue her career at Panionios. The mid-table Greek club finished seventh in the regular season last year and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist PAOK. At the same time, Panionios earned the right to compete in the Challenge Cup and is now shaping its roster with European competitions in mind. Rahimova’s arrival is considered a major event and is already being described as one of the biggest transfers in Greek volleyball history. For Rahimova, it’s also a new challenge — despite her rich career, she has never played in Greece before.
Meanwhile, Ayshan Abdulazimova had been with “Vasas” since 2018, and the club had become like a second home to her. The middle blocker admitted that leaving the team was difficult. Over the years, she claimed five Hungarian league and cup titles, and in recent seasons, Vasas became a regular in the Champions League group stage. For the past three years, Abdulazimova was the team’s captain, a leading figure, and the backbone of its system.
Where Abdulazimova will continue her career remains unknown for now, but she likely has some ideas. Things will probably become clearer in the coming weeks.
Another standout this season was Yelyzaveta Ruban. Together with Olena Kharchenko, she helped Alba win the Romanian championship and cup, and reached the CEV Cup final. Ruban has remained one of the Romanian league’s most productive attackers over the past few seasons, including her time at Lugoj. Time will tell if she continues with Alba, but it’s safe to say the attacker won’t be short of offers.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
