Neftchi FC seeks foreign referees

Neftchi Football Club  have asked the Azerbaijani football authorities to bring in foreign referees for their matches.The current Azerbaijani champions made the statement following crowd trouble at their match away to Gabala on Sunday.

At the end of the game Gabala fans invaded the pitch and surrounded the referee to protest at the award of a last-minute penalty to Neftchi. The protest came despite Neftchi's Farid Guliyev failing to score from the spot.

Gabala officials and the police managed to calm the situation and referee Ramil Diniyev was able to leave the pitch. Gabala were fined 5,000 manat ($6,360) for the pitch invasion and Neftchi 2,000 manat ($2,540) because their supporters threw objects onto the pitch and one fan joined the pitch invasion.

"Some seek to belittle Neftchi's recent achievements," the club statement says. "They spread rumors that AFFA, the PFL and the Referees' Committee help Neftchi despite the fact that the referees make more mistakes in other matches. There have been numerous matches where referees made bad decisions not in our favour, but we do not dwell on this and just accept it as mistake, rather than bias. But when referees make a bad decision that goes Neftchi's way, tensions rise and unfair accusations are made.

"Neftchi is a team that has its own strategy, tactics and strength. Pressure on the club has a negative impact on our management, coaches, footballers and fans and has a generally negative affect on the development of football.

"We see the solution in inviting foreign referees to our matches. We make this request of AFFA and the PFL on behalf of the management, coaching staff and footballers of Neftchi."


/News.az/