The Story of 6-Year-Old Ali: A Rising Qarabag Fan from Russia to Azerbaijan

Rovshan Movsumov, the father of 6-year-old Ali—who has become a social media sensation for his passionate support of Qarabag FK—gave an exclusive interview to Offsideplus.az about his son's love for football and the club.

– Where are you originally from?

– We are from Russia, but we have been living in Azerbaijan for a year and a half now. Ali is half-Azerbaijani and half-Yakut.

– When did Ali first show an interest in football?

– He is 6 years old. I was the one who introduced him to the sport, but his deep passion and extra motivation for football grew thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.

– How did his love and fandom for Qarabag begin?

– That also started through me. Although I am Azerbaijani, I grew up in Russia and never lived in Azerbaijan before. For me, Qarabag FK has always been the personification of the Motherland; my heart has always beaten for this club. I passed this love on to my son, Ali.

– Who are his favorite local and foreign players in the team?

– From Qarabağ, he particularly likes two players: Elvin Jafarguliyev and Camilo Duran. Internationally, his favorites are, of course, Ronaldo, Messi, Dembele, and Mohamed Salah.

– Which other teams does he support?

– Ali supports Al-Nassr because Ronaldo plays there, and he is also a fan of FC Barcelona.

– There are videos of him training on social media. Does he play for an academy?

– Ali isn't a member of a professional club yet, but he attends training sessions at the "Ulduz" club. Since the groups are small, they play freely without fixed positions. In the future, we want him to join the academy of either Qarabag or Sabah FK. Also, if a Barcelona academy ever opens in Baku, we would love for him to be admitted there.

– Which club does he dream of playing for in the future?

– Regardless of which club he plays for, my biggest wish is for Ali to represent Azerbaijan and defend the honor of our national team in international tournaments.

– How do you evaluate Qarabag’s performance in the Champions League this season?

– Ali was very upset and even cried when they lost to Liverpool because he had high hopes for a win. Now, he is fully confident that Qarabağ will defeat Newcastle. Seeing Qarabağ qualify for the Champions League and perform so brilliantly is a source of great pride for the whole country.

As for the upcoming Newcastle match, unfortunately, we won't be able to watch it at the stadium because I couldn't secure tickets in time. Overall, I love how Qarabag is playing in the Champions League. Camilo Duran has especially stood out to me. I also notice people from other countries on social media admiring Qarabag’s playstyle, which makes me very proud. I believe that in the match against Newcastle on the 18th, Qarabag will emerge victorious after a tough battle.