Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004

AFFA SENDS PROTEST LETTER TO UEFA
[November 29, 2004, 20:55:26]

Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Federation of Football
Associations /AFFA/ Fuad Asadov has sent a protest letter to UEFA
Chief Executive Lars-Christer Ollson, AFFA’s Department of
Information and PR told AzerTAj.

The letter says: Earlier, we informed you twice on the independent
football championship organized in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is an
integral part of Azerbaijan, as well as participation of the FC
Lernain Artsakh representing Azerbaijani city of Khankendi in the
first division of the Armenia’s football championship.

The Armenian Football Federation, however, refuted this fact in
response to UEFA’s relevant query. Moreover, Armen Minasyan assured
me during Secretary Generals’ meetings in Switzerland that it was not
truth and even impossible. The other day, the fact that the Armenian
Football Federation misinforms UEFA has been confirmed. The Russian
weekly newspaper `Futbol’ published in its 19-26 November issue No 47
(2317) the final points table of the Nagorno-Karabakh championship
that clearly shows that the FC Lernain Artsakh of Khankendi had been
qualified to participate next year in the first division of the
Armenia’s football championship.

AFFA hereby states that Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of the territory
of Azerbaijan and participation of its football club in the other
country’s championship contradicts the FIFA and UEFA principle as
well as international football law. Participation of the club
representing occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the Armenia’s
championship is inadmissible. In this connection, AFFA expresses its
resolute protest and requests of UEFA to investigate the fact
independently and prevent the FC Lernain Artsakh representing
Khankendi of Nagorno-Karabakh from participation in the Armenia’s
football championship.