# 2022–23 Azerbaijan Premier League

The 2022–23 Azerbaijan Premier League was the 31st season of the Azerbaijan Premier League, the highest tier football league of Azerbaijan. The season begun on 6 August 2022 and ended 28 May 2023.

## Teams
### Stadia and locations

    Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Year Established | Location | Venue | Capacity |
| Gabala | 1995 | Qabala | Gabala City Stadium | 4,500 |
| Kapaz | 1959 | Ganja | Ganja City Stadium | 27,000 |
| Neftchi | 1937 | Baku | Bakcell Arena | 11,000 |
| Qarabağ | 1951 | Aghdam | Azersun Arena | 5,200 |
| Sabah | 2017 | Absheron, Baku | Bank Respublika Arena | 13,000 |
| Sabail | 2016 | Sabail, Baku | Bayil Arena | 3,200 |
| Shamakhi | 1997 | Shamakhi | Shamakhi City Stadium | 2,200 |
| Sumgayit | 2010 | Sumgait | Kapital Bank Arena | 1,400 |
| Turan Tovuz | 1992 | Tovuz | Tovuz City Stadium | 6,800 |
| Zira | 2014 | Zira, Baku | Zira Olympic Sport Complex Stadium | 1,300 |

### Stadiums

| Gabala | Kapaz | Qarabağ | Neftçi | Sabah |
| Gabala City Stadium | Ganja City Stadium | Azersun Arena | Bakcell Arena | Bank Respublika Arena |
| Capacity: 4,500 | Capacity: 27,000 | Capacity: 5,200 | Capacity: 10,200 | Capacity: 13,000 |
| Sabail | Shamakhi | Sumgayit | Turan Tovuz | Zira |
| ASCO Arena | Shamakhi City Stadium | Kapital Bank Arena | Tovuz City Stadium | Zira Olympic Sport Complex Stadium |
| Capacity: 3,200 | Capacity: 2,200 | Capacity: 1,400 | Capacity: 6,800 | Capacity: 1,300 |

### Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | President | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Gabala | Fariz Najafov | Elmar Bakhshiyev | Asif Mammadov | Joma | Gilan & Knauf |
| Kapaz | Ilgar Nadiri | Tarlan Ahmadov | Tural Akhundov | Joma | - |
| Neftçi | Kamran Guliyev | Laurențiu Reghecampf | Emin Mahmudov | Nike | Turkish Airlines |
| Qarabağ | Abdolbari Gozal | Gurban Gurbanov | Maksim Medvedev | Il’Azero | Azersun |
| Sabah | Magsud Adigozalov | Murad Musayev | Elvin Jamalov | Nike | Bank Respublika |
| Sabail | Abdulgani Nurmammadov | Shahin Diniyev | Rahid Amirguliyev | Jako | ASCO |
| Shamakhi | Elchin Usub | Vugar Asgarli | Elvin Mammadov | Joma | - |
| Sumgayit | Riad Rafiyev | Samir Abbasov | Vurğun Hüseynov | Jako | Pasha Insurance, Azərikimya |
| Turan Tovuz | Ogtay Abdullayev | Aykhan Abbasov | Şehriyar Aliyev | Jako | - |
| Zira | Taleh Nasibov | Rashad Sadygov | Qismət Alıyev | Joma | Nar, Azfargroup |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Sabail | Aftandil Hacıyev | 23 May 2022 | Mutual termination | Pre-season | Mahmud Qurbanov | 26 May 2022 |
| Neftçi | Samir Abbasov | 10 June 2022 | End of contract | Pre-season | Laurențiu Reghecampf | 21 June 2022 |
| Sumgayit | Alyaksey Baha | 21 September 2022 | Mutual termination | 8th | Samir Abbasov | 26 September 2022 |
| Sabail | Mahmud Qurbanov | 28 December 2022 | Resigned | 10th | Shahin Diniyev | 29 December 2022 |

### Foreign players

Each team can use only seven foreign players on the field in each game.
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Player 6 | Player 7 | Player 8 | Player 9 | Player 10 | Player 11 | Player 12 | Player 13 | Left during the season |
| Gabala | Isnik Alimi | Ramon | Ruan | Felipe | Alemão | Christophe Atangana | Fares Abu Akel | Omar Hani | Yaovi Akakpo | Andriy Stryzhak | Ayyoub Allach | | | |
| Kapaz | Yegor Khvalko | Juninho Maranhense | Mario Mustapic | Salif Cissé | Giorgi Kantaria | Mate Kvirkvia | Ahmed Isaiah | Abdullahi Shuaibu | | | | | | Mikheil Ergemlidze Peyman Keshavarzi Rinat Guseynov |
| Neftçi | Yegor Bogomolsky | Saldanha | Ivan Brkić | Keelan Lebon | Vato Arveladze | Solomon Kvirkvelia | Ataa Jaber | César Meza | Azer Aliyev | Vojislav Stanković | Kenny Saief | | | Guilherme Pato Godsway Donyoh Yusuf Lawal Mamadou Mbodj |
| Qarabağ | Redon Xhixha | Yassine Benzia | Júlio Romão | Leandro Andrade | Kevin Medina | Adama Diakhaby | Abdellah Zoubir | Luka Gugeshashvili | Marko Janković | Marko Vešović | | | | Kady Owusu Kwabena Ibrahima Wadji |
| Sabah | Bojan Letić | Christian | Davit Volkovi | Joy-Lance Mickels | Emmanuel Apeh | Abdoulaye Ba | Cristian Ceballos | Jon Irazabal | Zurab Ochihava | Oleksiy Kashchuk | | | | Alyaksandr Nyachayew Tiemoko Fofana |
| Sabail | Franco Mazurek | Emil Martinov | França | David Gomis | Goba Zakpa | Matija Ljujić | Luwagga Kizito | Maksym Chekh | Petro Stasyuk | | | | | Facundo Cardozo |
| Shamakhi | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sumgayit | Diego Carioca | Steven Pereira | Karim Abubakar | Ilnur Valiev | Masaki Murata | Terrence Tisdell | Todor Todoroski | Alya Toure | | | | | | Almir Aganspahić Rifat Nurmugamet Filipe Chaby Damjan Daničić Richard Gadze Ouro-Nile Toure |
| Turan Tovuz | Belajdi Pusi | Ben Aziz Dao | Rooney Eva Wankewai | Piruz Marakvelidze | Denis Marandici | Nathan Oduwa | Henry Okebugwu | Roderick Miller | Aykhan Guseynov | Siyanda Xulu | Divine Naah | | | Imeda Ashortia |
| Zira | Loris Brogno | Moïse Adiléhou | Filipe Pachtmann | Hamidou Keyta | Dimitrios Chantakias | Toni Gomes | Wilde-Donald Guerrier | Mo Hamdaoui | Issa Djibrilla | Abbas Ibrahim | Andrija Luković | Vladyslav Kulach | Eldar Kuliyev | Nemanja Anđelković |
In bold: Players that have been capped for their national team.

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Qarabağ (C) | 36 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 91 | 25 | +66 | 90 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Sabah | 36 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 75 | 24 | +51 | 81 | Qualification to Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Neftçi | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 63 | 38 | +25 | 68 | Qualification to Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 4 | Gabala | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 50 | Qualification to Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 5 | Zira | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 45 | 46 | −1 | 50 | |
| 6 | Turan Tovuz | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 36 | 49 | −13 | 39 | |
| 7 | Sumgayit | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 26 | 70 | −44 | 31 | |
| 8 | Kapaz | 36 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 34 | 62 | −28 | 31 | |
| 9 | Sabail | 36 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 32 | 62 | −30 | 29 | |
| 10 | Shamakhi (R) | 36 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 52 | −26 | 25 | Relegation to Azerbaijan First Division |

## Fixtures and results

Clubs played each other four times for a total of 36 matches each.

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of match played 28 May 2023
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ramil Sheydayev | Qarabağ | 22 |
| 2 | Musa Gurbanli | Qarabağ | 21 |
| 3 | Joy-Lance Mickels | Sabah | 17 |
| 3 | Emin Mahmudov | Neftçi | 17 |
| 5 | Oleksiy Kashchuk | Sabah | 16 |
| 5 | Rooney Eva | Turan Tovuz | 16 |
| 7 | Abdullahi Shuaibu | Kapaz | 11 |
| 8 | Davit Volkovi | Sabah | 10 |
| 9 | Isnik Alimi | Gabala | 9 |
| 10 | Hamidou Keyta | Zira | 8 |
| 10 | Abdellah Zoubir | Qarabağ | 8 |
| 10 | Emmanuel Apeh | Sabah | 8 |
| 10 | Ramon | Gabala | 8 |

### Hat-tricks

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
| Musa Gurbanlı$^4$ | Qarabağ | Zira | 1–7 | 18 September 2022 | |
| Rooney Eva | Turan Tovuz | Neftçi | 4–0 | 7 May 2023 | |
* $^4$ Player scored 4 goals

### Clean sheets

    As of matches played 28 May 2023
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
| 1 | Yusif Imanov | Sabah | 19 |
| 2 | Ivan Brkić | Neftçi | 13 |
| 3 | Tarlan Ahmadli | Turan Tovuz | 10 |
| 4 | Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev | Qarabağ | 9 |
| 4 | Luka Gugeshashvili | Qarabağ | 9 |