From the publisher:
On 23 July 1993, under the rain of artillery fire from the army of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, the city of Agdam was levelled to the ground. The population fled to other villages or to the capital of Baku, while 60,000 of Agdam's inhabitants - their homes reduced to rubble - were forced to become refugees in their own country. The last standard-bearer of the once-bustling and historically important city of Agdam was its football team.
Qarabag instantly became the embodiment of this obsolete city, and took on the role of keeping it alive for a population that had lost everything - a beacon of light in the darkest of times. The team, led by coach Gurban Gurbanov, would amaze the whole of Europe, first reaching the Europa League groups and then the Champions League group stage. This book tells the story of that incredible sporting feat and how the club's two-horse logo has become the emblem of an entire people, of a nation that struggles, suffers and holds tight to the dream of one day returning home.
The author:
Emanuele Giulianelli is a freelance writer and journalist and the Italy correspondent of Four Four Two magazine. He has published six previous books, including the novel Notturno jugoslavo (Yugoslavian Nocturne), written with Paolo Frusca, and two children's books. He has written for The Guardian, The Independent, Corriere della Sera, La Gazzetta dello Sport and many other publications and websites.
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