The 2015–16 Azerbaijan Premier League was the 24th season of Azerbaijan Premier League, the top tier of Azerbaijani professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. Qarabağ were the defending champions, having won the 2014–15 season.
Teams Zira FK entered the Premier League one year after their formation, and Kapaz PFK returned to the top level after two years of absence. Zira and Kapaz came fifth and ninth, respectively, in the 2014–15 First Division. They replaced Araz-Naxçıvan PFK, which withdrew from the league in November 2014, and Baku FC, which was relegated at the end of the previous season.
On 21 June 2015 the Professional Football League of Azerbaijan announced that Simurq PIK had refused to play in the 2015–16 Premier League due to ongoing financial problems. They were replaced by Ravan Baku FK, which came third in the 2014–15 First Division after they were relegated from the Premier League one season earlier.
Stadia and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. TeamLocationVenueCapacityAzərbaycan Peşəkar Liqası AZALBakuAZAL Stadium5,000GabalaGabalaGabala City Stadium3,500Inter BakuBakuInter Arena8,500Khazar LankaranLankaranLankaran City Stadium15,000Neftchi BakuBakuBakcell Arena11,000QarabağAğdamKarabakh Stadium5,800RavanBakuBayil Stadium3,000SumgayitSumqayitKapital Bank Arena1,500ZiraBakuZira Olympic Sport Complex Stadium1,500KapazGanjaGanja City Stadium27,000
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. TeamManagerTeam captainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorAZAL Tarlan Ahmadov Seymur Asadov Umbro Silk WayGabala Roman Hryhorchuk Javid Huseynov Joma QafqaZ HotelsInter Baku Zaur Svanadze Giorgi Lomaia Joma IBAKhazar Lankaran Elbrus Mammadov Tural Jalilov Puma PalmaliNeftçi Baku Vali Gasimov Araz Abdullayev adidas SOCARQarabağ Gurban Gurbanov Rashad Sadygov adidas AzersunRavan Bahman Hasanov Ramazan Abbasov Umbro NissanSumgayit Samir Abbasov Vurğun Hüseynov Umbro AzerkimyaZira Adil Shukurov Rashad Abdullayev Kappa SantralKapaz Shahin Diniyev Tural Akhundov adidas Gəncə 4000
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Sumgayit Agil Mammadov Resigned 8 October 2015 8th Samir Abbasov 8 October 2015 Ravan Baku Emin Quliyev Resigned 17 October 2015 10th Bahman Hasanov 17 October 2015 Neftchi Baku Samir Aliyev Resigned 15 November 2015 6th Asgar Abdullayev 15 November 2015 Khazar Lankaran Yunis Hüseynov Resigned 13 January 2016 9th Elbrus Mammadov 18 January 2016 Neftchi Baku Asgar Abdullayev Resigned 5 March 2016 7th Vali Gasimov (caretaker) 6 March 2016
League table
Results
Games 1–18
Games 19–36
Season statistics
Scoring First goal of the season: Victor Igbekoi for Zira against AZAL (9 August 2015) Fastest goal of the season: 1st minute, Dodô for Gabala against Khazar Lankaran (4 October 2015) Latest goal of the season: 95th minute, Facundo Pereyra for Gabala against Ravan Baku (30 November 2015) Tural Akhundov for Kapaz against Sumgayit (7 December 2015) Largest winning margin: 6 goals Gabala 6-0 Khazar Lankaran (4 October 2015) Highest scoring game: 6 goals Gabala 6-0 Khazar Lankaran (4 October 2015) Sumgayit 3-3 Ravan (19 December 2015) Qarabağ 5-1 Ravan (30 March 2016) Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 6 goals Gabala 6-0 Khazar Lankaran (4 October 2015)
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Dani QuintanaQarabağ152 Nelson BonillaZirə143 Ruslan QurbanovNeftçi134 Amil YunanovSumqayıt125 Oleksiy GaiQəbələ106 RichardQarabağ9 Julien EbahKəpəz98 Samuel ArmenterosQarabağ7 Ermin ZecQəbələ7 Oleksiy AntonovQəbələ7 Nugzar KvirtiaAZAL7 Mahir MadatovQarabağ7
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date REF. Nelson Bonilla ZirəRavan Baku4-0
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 10 Ailton - Neftchi Baku Éric Ramos - Neftchi Baku Emin Mehdiyev - Sumgayit Most red cards: 2 Adrian Scarlatache - Khazar Lankaran Elshan Rzazadä - Khazar Lankaran Jairo - Neftchi Baku Ailton - Neftchi Baku Emin Mehdiyev - Sumgayit
Club Most yellow cards: 81 Neftchi Baku Most red cards: 7 Neftchi Baku
References
External links