The twentieth anniversary since Gurban Gurbanov sat on the bench of Qarabag is not far away, and what the former hero of Azerbaijan has done under Gorica since 2008 will be remembered as the most glorious period of football in that country.
The man who scored two goals in 2003 to give Azerbaijan a sensational point in Podgorica against Serbia and Montenegro, led Qarabag to the Champions League for the first time eight years ago, and this September he wrote new pages in history.
The team, in which our Marko Janković plays brilliantly, achieved its first ever victory in the European elite.
And in a similar way to how Gurbanov brought the aforementioned point 22 years ago - after the club from Agdam was losing 2:0 at "Da Luz". Janković also signed the 3:2 triumph with a great assist for Qarabag's second goal.
"This is a sensation, it wasn't the money that won, it was the team," Azerbaijani media extols Qarabag's success.
"David has brought down Goliath. The magnitude of this victory becomes even clearer when you look at the numbers. Benfica's market value is approximately 370 million euros, while Qarabag's team is worth around 15-16 million euros," writes the "Idman.biz" portal.
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The same media outlet reminds us that it is difficult to compare the giant from Lisbon in any way and a club that has only once failed to become the champion of Azerbaijan since 2014.
"Benfica is one of the richest and most prestigious clubs in Europe, competing in the Champions League every season. Qarabag, on the other hand, represents the Azerbaijani championship, which is not even among the top 20 on UEFA's list. And that's why the victory is a real miracle: it wasn't money and fame that won, but true team spirit."
The team from Agdam, which plays its home matches in Baku, continues to perform wonders in Europe, having reached the round of 16 of the Europa League two seasons ago and threatened to eliminate the then unstoppable Bayer Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso.
"We knew that the away game against Benfica would be very difficult. But I saw the confidence in the eyes of my players. There was no panic at 0:2, on the contrary, everyone believed that we had a chance. This victory does not only mean three points, it proves what Qarabag is ready for," said Gurbanov.
One of the key players in the victory in Lisbon was our Janković, who at the age of 30 deserved to appear under the stars of the Champions League, but also to play an excellent match on his debut.
He was on the field for 77 minutes before he had to leave due to injury. However, it seems that he is not waiting for a break.
"I don't think it's anything serious. He got hit in the leg, and since he was tired, the pain was felt a little more. It shouldn't be anything serious. He was just a little exhausted," Gurbanov explained upon his return to Baku.
Qarabag's next match in the Champions League is on October 1st when Copenhagen arrives in Azerbaijan.
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