UEFA to investigate Qarabag ‘hate’ post targeting Armenians

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Europa League – Round of 16 draw – Nyon, Switzerland – February 28, 2020 General view of the UEFA logo at UEFA Headquarters before the draw REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

UEFA has launched an investigation amid calls for sanctions against Azerbaijani club Qarabag after one of its staff apparently posted a hate message targeting Armenians, European football’s governing body said on Monday.

“An Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed today to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding the statements made on social media by a Qarabag FK official,” UEFA said.

“Information in regards to this investigation will be made available in due course.”

The social media post in question came amid the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.

At the weekend the Armenian Football Federation (FFA) complained about a post on social media by “Nurlan Ibrahimov, a PR and media manager of Qarabag FK…calling to kill all the Armenians, old and young, without distinction”.

The FFA added that “he also justified the fact of Armenian genocide committed by Turkey” in 1915 and 1916. The posts were later deleted.

Qarabag were founded in 1951 in the city of Aghdam, located in Nagorno-Karabakh and today abandoned.

Following the takeover of the region by Armenia in 1993, Qarabag moved to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

They have gone on to become the country’s leading club and appeared in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2017-18.

After losing in the third qualifying round of this season’s competition, Qarabag dropped into the Europa League, in which they are due to play the Turks of Sivasspor away on Thursday.