‘People would be following us’: How Joe Kendrick’s Azerbaijan move turned into a nightmare

Previous Drogheda gamer's transfer to Neftçi PFK rapidly transformed scary after arrival

When investigatory reporter Khadija Ismayilova began reporting on the family wealth of Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev -including his child's control of the building business that constructed a EUR115 million Eurovision auditorium where Jedward had a wet evening in 2012 - somebody burglarized her home and installed covert electronic cameras.

Taking into consideration the state phone company came out to connect the line for the gadgets that tape-recorded a sex tape of Ismayilova and her boyfriend, which was eventually released online when she refused to be blackmailed, the story of a Ballybrack child stranded in Baku seems tame in comparison.

But in 2009 life at Neftçi PFK became so intimidating that Joe Kendrick's wife Laura called Fifa. Secs after lodging an extensive grievance the phone rang in their apartment or condo as the young couple and also baby little girl Lana were plunged right into a scene from The Lives of Others.

" It was someone in broken English claiming 'you need to leave the country' as well as 'do not make phone calls like that once more,'" stated Kendrick.

Simply 2 months into a two-year contract, the Dubliner had been repeatedly informed to leave Baku by officials at Neftçi. Scare tactics became the norm. A drive residence from training cost $300 for a busted tail light. When pointing out that the light was fine the police officer wrecked it prior to their eyes. Pay the kickback or see what happens.

" We could not head out at night as individuals would be following us."

The former Ireland under-21 left-back can not confirm he was being followed. He was informed it was possible. So they stayed in as a precaution.

" It was horrible," stated Kendrick from his residence near Newcastle where he presently handles Prudhoe FC. "Simply horrible."

Nowhere to go

Honestly unwanted by the club from the minute German manager Hans-Jürgen Gede was sacked not long after his arrival, the 26-year-old had no place else to go, having uprooted his young family from Drogheda to Azerbaijan.

Kendrick claims that the brand-new manager, Boyukaga Aghayev, that continues to be a popular figure on the local club scene, strongly recommended he leave without pay prior to making clear his annoyance to the Azeri players when Kendrick declined.

Did Zaur Tagizade, the present Qarabag assistant instructor, punch you in the face?

" Yeah," Kendrick responded. "I was assaulted by him at training. He was generally informed to assault me and also hurt me."

Also after the supposed attack it became an impossible circumstance as to leave mid-season would certainly make his contract cancelled out. So he dug in, educated with the young people group and also started legal proceedings with Fifa using a German lawyer.

This was the experience of the only Irish professional footballer to sample life in Baku. The exact same oil abundant city in a poverty stricken nation where Ireland go in search of their initial competitive success under Stephen Kenny.

To comprehend how Kendrick ended up with The Neftciler (' the oil workers') we drop a messy roadway acquainted to most Irish teens who sign up with English clubs.

Four years at Newcastle United finished with a move to 1860 Munich only for a foot injury to ruin any kind of chance of a Bundesliga occupation. So began his descent into the reduced leagues in England prior to Drogheda United used him a short lived preference of Champions Organization football against Eager beaver Kiev.

Kendrick tries to obstruct a shot from Dynamo Kiev's Oleksandr Aliev. Photo: Kendrick tries to block a shot from Dynamo Kiev's Oleksandr Aliev. Image: Andrey Lukatsky/Inpho" At the exact same time the club went into examinership, so I was scrapping about, "Kendrick explained. "We had actually just had our infant woman, Lana. I liked Drogheda. We had a very good team, liked the followers, we were playing excellent football under Paul Doolin

, who was the manager who obtained the most effective out of me.

• instream)" > Declan Rice leads the way as West Ham defeated Fast Vienna "Then we went bust." Get in Dutch agent Rob Groener with an unusual yet rewarding possibility. "Baku? I had to look it up on the map. They had watched the Kiev video game as well as seen a few Drogheda players, so a few of us visited look around the area, see if we like it. We went over - John Tombouras, Adam Hughes and Eamon Zayed also - for a week of training."

  Kendrick and also Tombouras determined to remain.

  " The train was German (Gede) as well as I speak German as I invested a year playing over there so we jumped on truly well. And previous Dutch global Rob Reekers was the assistant supervisor. Two really good guys.

  " It is hard to explain what took place after that very first week. I signed a two-year agreement as well as returned to Ireland to evacuate the house, say me bye-byes yet when we went back to Azerbaijan it was a various story.

  " I did have 3 or four offers on the table from English clubs however economically it was an excellent offer. That was the important point."

  ' We do not desire you'When Gede

  left the wall surfaces began to close in.

  " They experience trainers every year. There was a large change quickly - you need to leave the club, they claimed, you need to leave the nation, we do not desire you any longer."

  All stated to your face?

  " When you most likely to gather your wage they would certainly take money out of it. They would fine me for missing out on training after offering me the wrong place. 'I've not done anything wrong!' Well, we are fining you."

  That were you handling?

  " An Azeri trainer [Aghayev] took over as well as he basically claimed - obviously you are a great player, we like you, but because of the contract you get on we wish to remove you. Incidentally, we are mosting likely to make life terrible for you for the direct future."

  So they attempted to intimidate you right into quitting?

  " Yeah, scare tactics. At training they encouraged the Azeri gamers to harm us. It had not been just me. It was John also and other international gamers at the club."

  

  Kendrick also played for Sligo Rovers. Picture: Cathal Noonan/Inpho When spoken to by The Irish Times John Tambouras validated that the duo experienced a "shambolic time" at Neftçi. Neftçi delivered on 6 foreign players prior to the 2009/10 period, consisting of Kendrick and also Tambouras, however they authorized 5 new immigrants, including Uruguayan demonstrator Walter Guglielmone - that is Edinson Cavani's bro and also existing agent - but he as well was gone by the following summer season.

  After 9 months they simply terminated Kendrick's contract.

  "I had already begun lawful proceedings with Fifa's resolution chamber. Fifa made a decision that the club remained in breach of contract so me as well as John earned money in the long run however it was horrendous."

  The visibility of Reekers, covered by the Netherlands following Euro 88, ensured that some specialist get in touches with were close to hand.

  "Fortunately, the manager got sacked but the assistant supervisor didn't. (Reekers) got eradicated to the young people group with me and John. He wasn't mentoring, it was the same scenario, they really did not intend to pay him. They do it each year when the manager leaves, they often tend to claim 'well, allow's do away with his gamers now.' They have actually had lots of situations versus them. When I spoke with the individuals in Fifa they stated 'we understand them extremely well.'"

  Also his separation was laden with troubles.

  "I feared for my safety and security. When we underwent the airport on the way out they experienced our bags and tried to charge us hundreds of pounds to leave the nation.

  "You would not believe it. At the time you are young as well as a little bit daft now, considering it, it was outright heck."

  Aliyev has actually ruled Azerbaijan given that 1993, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, while his father Heydar Aliyev was head of the KGB branch in the region and also in 1982 came to be the very first Azerbaijani advertised to the Soviet Politburo.

  "It's an outright tyranny," said Kendrick. "There are no human rights. They might act there is, yet there is none. It is a tyranny of the worst kind."

  Afraid

  Amnesty International as well as the International Consortium of Investigative Reporters lend weight to his point of view. In 2013 CNBC reported that the Central Political election Committee inadvertently announced that Head of state Aliyev had obtained 73 per cent of the vote prior to the polls had opened.

  "The people hesitate to state anything. There are images everywhere of the man who runs the nation."

  Come 2019 Aliyev offered Boyukagha Aghayev the title of Honoured Master of Sports.

  "Via the worldwide area, the oil workers, we fulfilled some actually buddies," stated Kendrick. "But it was extremely, really corrupt. A really unsafe place. Every little thing is bribes, which is a shame since there was some truly great Azeri individuals that we met yet they are always taking due to the fact that they obtained absolutely nothing."

  For the past years several media electrical outlets have framed Baku as the 'brand-new Dubai' for well-off visitors while sporting activities washing occasions like Formula 1 and also Euro 2020 have a bigger reach than current judgments by the European Court of Human Rights condemning the character assassination versus and jail time of Ismayilova.

  "I have actually obtained friends who are still there - not football friends, (actual) friends - and also the country is still the very same."