The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), as the supreme governing body of football in the country, carries out its activities in accordance with international standards, in particular the principles of UEFA and FIFA. AFFA's main priorities are fair play, transparent governance, equal treatment and maintaining the trust of the football community.
Recent reforms in AFFA Referees Committee and AFFA Referees Department are aimed at further strengthening these principles. Referee appointments, evaluation and VAR procedures are carried out in accordance with international guidelines and the processes continue to be improved on an institutional basis.
At the same time, we would like to inform you that, according to a decision made at the end of last year, each club has the right to formally request VAR reviews of controversial game episodes three times during the season. This mechanism aims to increase transparency and answer questions in an institutional manner.
In addition, in recent days, Neftchi PFC has been publicly issuing statements of protest regarding refereeing decisions in the 2025/2026 Misli Premier League. To prevent the dissemination of speculative information, manipulation of public opinion, and distortion of rules due to personal interests in the evaluation of match moments, we would like to inform you that AFFA Referees Committee is ready to discuss all controversial match moments presented by the club in a professional, objective and legal framework.
For this purpose, we invite official representatives of Neftchi PFC to AFFA and propose a detailed analysis of the presented match moments and answers to existing questions.
As AFFA, we call on all clubs to refrain from unilateral statements, to prefer institutional dialogue instead of emotional rhetoric, and to adhere to the principles of mutual respect and cooperation for the sake of maintaining a healthy environment in Azerbaijani football.
