MEANWHILE IN …
...Martuni, war between Armenia and Azerbaijan has brought fixtures to a halt – probably for quite some time
1COLLATERAL DAMAGE
In 2019, the Avakyan Arena hosted the CONIFA European Cup, welcoming stateless teams from far and wide. Now, it’s firmly out of action.
The stadium is situated in the town of Martuni, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region – or Artsakh, as it’s called by Armenians. The region is claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan – as a result, the Artsakh Football League has never been recognised by UEFA. Martuni team Avo finished third in 2019.
Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have simmered since the first Nagorno-Karabakh War between 1988 and 1994, when Azeri club Qarabag fled to Baku after their hometown of Agdam was captured by Armenians. The displaced team reached the Champions League group stage four years ago. In 2020, war erupted again in Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan recaptured Agdam, also bombing Martuni and other Armenian-controlled territory.