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Azerbaijani Footballer Joins Poland’s Legia Warszawa

By Timucin Turksoy June 9, 2021

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Mahir Emreli (L) shows his Legia Warszawa jersey with the club official after signing a three-year contract. / Janusz Partyka / Legia Warszawa

Poland’s Legia Warszawa football (soccer) club signed Azerbaijani professional football player Mahir Emreli from Azerbaijan’s FC Qarabağ on a long-term contract.

The center forward of the Azerbaijan national football team inked a three-year contract with the Polish giants. Emreli, aged 23, will wear the number 11 jersey in his new team until June 30, 2024.

“There are many eyes on the Legia team. So, I can show my quality here,” he told journalists after signing the contract.

Emreli is a graduate of the former Baku Football Club, where he started his professional career in 2012. His debut in the Azerbaijan Premier League took place in 2014. A year later, Emreli transferred to one of Azerbaijan’s most prolific football clubs, the FC Qarabağ, where he rose through ranks both in the national league and in the European tournaments. Since 2017, he has been playing for the national men’s football team of Azerbaijan.

Legia Warszawa (in English known as Legia Warsaw) is Poland’s most successful football club with 13 national league titles and 19 Polish Cup trophies. Established 104 years ago, the team is considered one of the oldest of its kind in Polish history and the only team from the country to reach the Europa League knockout stage in the 2014/2015 season. It is currently on top of the Polish national football championship known as Ekstraklassa.

According to Transfermarkt, a German football portal about transfers, market values, rumors, and statistics about footballers, Emreli’s current market value is €1 million ($1.2 million). He has played 22 games with FC Qarabağ in the 2020/2021 Azerbaijani national league, scoring 18 goals and making four goal assists before joining Legia. In addition, Mahir has made a two-goal contribution to FC Qarabağ’s 2020/2021 Champions League campaign.