Allahverdi Bagirov

Allahverdi Teymur oghlu Baghirov (Allahverdi Teymur oğlu Bağırov; April 22, 1946 – June 14, 1992) was an Azerbaijani officer, former leader of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party of Agdam, head coach of Qarabağ FK and National Hero of Azerbaijan.

Seven daughters were born before his birth in his family, and his parents gave a name to him "Allahverdi" (meaning "God given").

Allahverdi Baghirov's brother Eldar Baghirov (1951-1991) also played for Qarabagh FK and was a defender.

Allahverdi Baghirov was born in Aghdam and finished Aghdam school city number one in 1965.

After graduating from school, he started working at Qarabagh FK as a head coach.

Since childhood Allahverdi was fond of football, athletics and volleyball.

He had an important role in victory of Aghdam in various sports interregional competitions during school years and later.

He played for Aghdam "Karabakh" (then the team was called "Mehsul"), where he played as a striker under number "5".

From 1966 to 1983 Baghirov was the coach of the Agdam Children and Youth Sports School and worked for the "Qarabagh" football club.

In 1970, Allahverdi Baghirov was captain of Aghdam - Jabrayil match for the "Golden Spike" Cup in Fuzuli.

In 1976, he was appointed the head coach of the club and Azerbaijan took the fourth place with his help in the same year, on the World Unity Championship.

In 1988, he voluntarily enlisted in the Azerbaijani Army in the war against Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In 1988, when the guard post was created between Askeran and Aghdam without awarding of the government, his brother-Eldar Baghirov was first volunteer who went there when outposts were created in all villages bordering with Armenians.

In 1990, Baghirov created his own battalion and rescued many Azerbaijani citizens from Khojaly, while exchanging dead bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers with Armenian soldiers.

Baghirov had helped with financial assistance provided by the people of Agdam and by his private money to the small self-defense groups created in the villages of Garabagh.

He fought in all battles of the Aghdam region.

During the war, he was elected chairman of the Popular Front of Agdam.

The flag of Independent Azerbaijan for the first time was raised by Allahverdi Baghirov in Aghdam.

In 1991 he took part in match between professional footballers of Qarabagh FK and "Neftchi".

The match ended with a score of 1:1, The goal scored in the game belonged to Allahverdi.

Former soccer player Mushfig Huseynov recalled Allahverdi Baghirov:"My first coach was the late National Hero Allahverdi Baghirov. Allahverdi muallim [teacher] taught us more about being honest than about football. He did a great job of preparing us for independent life. He really was a good example for the players. "According to Zahid Garayev, a former Karabakh player and later Baghirov's comrade-in-arms, Allahverdi was both a very strict and very caring coach.

Before every match Baghirov told the players: "Let's play in the morning and win!".

He took care of his players, made sure they got everything they needed (food, water, etc.) on time.

During away games, Baghirov would check each player's room before going to bed, making sure they were in place and everything was in order.

But if any player was late for practice in the morning, Baghirov, according to Garaev, would punish the player and not allow him

In August 1991, Allahverdi was shot in the leg by his childhood associate and childhood friend Jafar Imamaliyev as a result of the conflict, when Baghirov sided with Rahim Gaziyev, the future minister of defense republic.

On October 1, 1991, under the command of Allahverdi Baghirov and his brother Eldar Baghirov, military units of the National Army of Azerbaijan were formed in Agdam.

Eldar Baghirov was appointed commander of the Agdam Territorial Self-Defense Battalion No. 845.

The battalion of 760 men was called "Sons of the Fatherland."

Eldar Baghirov, a member of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan who signed the Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the same year, was mysteriously killed in front of his sister's house in the 4th district of Baku when he was returning from a meeting of the Supreme Council.

After Eldar Baghirov's death, the battalion was given his name, and the battalion commander became Allahverdi Baghırov.

Also after the death of Eldar, Allahverdi Baghirov stopped shaving beard.

During the war Baghirov had the nickname Goja Gartal ( azerb. Qoca Qartal—Old Eagle).

In January 1992, all the forces and techniques of the Armenians in Naxchivanli village was destroyed by Azerbaijani military units under the command of Allahverdi Baghirov, then progressed to the Askeran fortress with 150 warriors, created the opposite position with the village of Ketuk.

It took just two hours for Allahverdi Baghirov's soldiers to complete the operation and replace Armenian flags with Azerbaijani flags.

Allahverdi Baghirov was awarded the title of "General Mohammed Asadov" for this operation.

During the Khojaly massacre, the battalion of Allahverdi Baghirov near Askeran managed to save hundreds of residents of the city.

Baghirov made a great contribution to the removal of the bodies of those killed during the Khojaly massacre from the battlefield and the release of Azerbaijani prisoners in exchange for the bodies and captives of Armenian soldiers.

Allahverdi Baghirov, through Vitaly Balasanyan, commander of the Armenian battalion in Askeran, saved more than 1003 residents of Khojaly from captivity in three days.

According to Balasanyan, he handed over 1250 people to the Azerbaijanis.