Eldor Shomurodov’s success making it into one of Europe’s most important national football leagues has generated a fresh flurry of ambition among young Uzbek players.
Unlike the last time the two sides explored restoring ties, Azerbaijan doesn’t seem to be trying to play the spoiler. But questions remain about Russia’s involvement in the process.
Baku has been increasingly airing public criticisms of Moscow over the post-war order, which have been exacerbated by the lack of a formal mandate for the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.
EU officials responded by saying that Tbilisi hadn’t fulfilled the conditions to get the loan. “You can't decline what you were not eligible for,” one said.