Emil Balayev

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Emil Balayev

| full_name = Emil Nazim oglu Balayev

| image = Emil Balayev 2013.jpg

| caption = Balayev with Araz-Naxçıvan in 2013

| height = 1.90 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1994|4|17}}

| birth_place = Volgograd, Russia

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Neftçi

| clubnumber = 1

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Neftçi

| years1 = 2011–2014

| clubs1 = Neftçi

| caps1 = 11

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2011–2012

| clubs2 = → Sumgayit (loan)

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2013–2014

| clubs3 = → Araz-Naxçıvan (loan)

| caps3 = 8

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2015–2016

| clubs4 = Eintracht Frankfurt

| caps4 = 15

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2016–2017

| clubs5 = Qarabağ

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2017–2018

| clubs6 = Sabail

| caps6 = 38

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2019

| clubs7 = Tobol

| caps7 = 31

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2020

| clubs8 = Zira

| caps8 = 1

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2020–2022

| clubs9 = Qarabağ

| caps9 = 17

| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2022

| clubs10 = Turan

| caps10 = 1

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2022–2023

| clubs11 = Sabail

| caps11 = 33

| goals11 = 0

| years12 = 2023–

| clubs12 = Neftçi

| caps12 = 4

| goals12 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2019–

| nationalteam1 = Azerbaijan

| nationalcaps1 = 13

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| pcupdate = 9 April 2025

| ntupdate = 20:27, 7 August 2021 (UTC)

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football}}

{{MedalCountry|{{fba|AZE}}}}

}}

Emil Nazim ogly Balayev ({{langx|az|Emil Nazim oğlu Balayev}}; {{langx|ru|Эмиль Назим оглы Балаев}}; born 17 April 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Neftçi. Born in Russia, he plays for the Azerbaijan national team.{{WorldFootball.net|emil-balayev}} He was selected as the footballer of the year in Azerbaijan in 2019.{{cite web|title=İlin futbolçusu Emil Balayev seçilib|url=https://report.az/futbol/i-lin-futbolcusu-emil-balayev-muqavilem-mesqci-ile-deyil-klubladir/|date=19 December 2019}}

Club career

As a youth player Balayev was a member of Neftçi youth system, before he was promoted to the first team in 2011. Balayev made his debut for Neftchi in an Azerbaijan Premier League match against Sumgayit in September 2012.[http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/09/24/azerbaijan/premyer-liqa/fk-khazar-sumgayet/fk-neftchi/1338603/ Sumqayit vs. Neftchi 3 - 2] In 2013 Balayev was sent on a season loan to Araz-Naxçıvan.[https://archive.today/20150118220834/http://korner.az/v3/xeber/13983/ “Neftçi”nin qapıçısı “Araz-Naxçıvan”da]

Balayev moved from Neftçi to Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2014.{{cite news|title=New Goalkeeper: Emil Balayev|url=http://www.eintracht.de/english/news/47966/|access-date=18 March 2014|newspaper=eintracht.de|date=17 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218064742/http://www.eintracht.de/english/news/47966/|archive-date=18 December 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Frankfurt verpflichtet Balayev - Yaffa soll folgen|trans-title=Frankfurt signs Balayev - Yaffa to follow|language=de|date=15 December 2014|access-date=3 January 2015|publisher=kicker|url=https://www.kicker.de/frankfurt-verpflichtet-balayev---yaffa-soll-folgen-617527/artikel}}[http://azerisport.com/football/20141213142940060.html Эмиль Балаев перешел в Айнтрахт]{{in lang|ru}} However, he failed to make an appearance for the club and was released in June 2016.{{Cite web|title=Wechselbörse|trans-title=Transfermarket|language=de|date=20 June 2016|access-date=29 June 2016|publisher=kicker|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/wechselboerse/2015-16/1/1-bundesliga/transfermarkt.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116125831/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/wechselboerse/2015-16/1/1-bundesliga/transfermarkt.html|archive-date=16 November 2016|url-status=dead}}

In January 2019, Balayev moved from Sabail to Kazakhstani club Tobol.{{cite web |script-title=ru:Эмиль Балаев – игрок Тобола |url=https://fctobol.kz/emil-balaev-igrok-tobola/ |website=fctobol.kz |publisher=FC Tobol |access-date=30 January 2019 |language=ru |date=30 January 2019 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519162837/https://fctobol.kz/emil-balaev-igrok-tobola/ |url-status=dead }} He made his professional debut for Tobol in the Kazakhstan Premier League on 9 March 2019, starting in the home match against Irtysh Pavlodar, which finished as a 3–0 win.{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/03/09/kazakhstan/premier-league/fc-tobyl-kostanai/fc-irtysh-pavlodar/2982909/ |title=Tobol vs. Irtysh - 9 March 2019 |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |date=9 March 2019 |access-date=24 March 2019}} On 31 January 2020, Balayev left Tobol by mutual consent.{{cite web |title=Спасибо, Эмиль! |url=https://fctobol.kz/spasibo-emil/ |website=fctobol.kz/ |publisher=FC Tobol |access-date=31 January 2020 |language=ru |date=31 January 2020 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519162835/https://fctobol.kz/spasibo-emil/ |url-status=dead }}

On 3 March 2020, Zira announced the signing of Balayev on a contract until the end of the 2019–20 season.{{cite web|title=Komandamız Emil Balayevlə anlaşıb|url=http://www.fczire.az/?options=news-view&id=532|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519162836/http://www.fczire.az/?options=news-view&id=532|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 May 2021|website=fczire.az|publisher=FK Zira|access-date=3 March 2020|date=3 March 2020|language=az}}

On 10 July 2020, Balayev signed a contract with Qarabağ FK.{{cite web|title=XOŞ GƏLDİN EMİL BALAYEV|url=https://www.facebook.com/FKQarabagh/photos/a.1458836974339404/2763129960576759/?type=3&source=48|website=www.facebook.com/FKQarabagh|publisher=Qarabağ FK|date=10 July 2020|language=az}} On 3 March 2022, Balayev left Qarabağ.{{cite web |title="QARABAĞ" FK-NIN MƏLUMATI |url=https://www.qarabagh.com/az/news/qarabag-fk-nin-melumati/12257 |website=qarabagh.com |publisher=Qarabağ FK |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=Azerbaijani |date=3 March 2022}}

On 4 March 2022, Kazakhstan Premier League club Turan announced the signing of Balayev.{{cite web |title=Эмиль Балаев – "Тұран" ойыншысы |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CareanVFhut/ |website=instagram.com |publisher=FC Turan Instagram |access-date=4 March 2022 |language=Kazakh |date=4 March 2022}} Balayev left Turan in June 2022.{{Cite web|url=http://kazfootball.kz/news/64855|title=Вратарь сборной Азербайджана покинул "Туран"|website=kazfootball.kz|date=2022-06-20}}

On 28 June 2023, Neftçi announced the return of Balayev on a two-year contract.{{cite web |title="Neftçi" ilk transferini rəsmiləşdirdi |url=https://neftchi.az/az/news/neftchi-news-2023-06-28-191138 |website=neftchi.az |publisher=Neftçi PFK |access-date=28 June 2023 |language=Azerbaijani |date=28 June 2023}}

International career

Balayev was called up to the Azerbaijan national team for the first time in September 2013 for a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Israel.[http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2013/09/07/europe/wc-qualifying-europe/israel/azerbaijan/1229668/ Israel vs. Azerbaijan 1 - 1] He made his International debut in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Croatia on 9 September 2019.

Balayev was included in the squad of hosts Azerbaijan's under-23 team at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku,{{cite web|title=Team roster|url=https://baku2017results.azureedge.net/2017/05/08/21/51/59/b8bd018e-8520-4d59-88c1-f9b1488a6c03/FBM400000_33%203.0.pdf|publisher=Baku 2017|access-date=16 May 2017}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} in which Azerbaijan went on to win the gold medal.

Balayev made his Azerbaijan debut in 2019 against Croatia in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.{{cite web|title=Azerbaijan-Croatia|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2026199--azerbaijan-vs-croatia/|website=UEFA|publisher=UEFA|language=en|date=9 September 2019}}