Neftchi PFK Neftçi PFK ranks among the most successful and historical football clubs in Azerbaijan. Established on March 18, 1937, in Baku by oil industry workers, the club adopted black and white as its traditional colors to represent "black gold", gaining the enduring nickname of the Oil Workers. Originally named Neftyanik, the team played its first official match in the USSR Cup in May 1937. The club was officially renamed Neftçi in 1968.
During the Soviet era, the club spent 27 seasons in the Soviet Top League. Its crowning achievement from that era came in 1966, when the Baku side secured the bronze medal in the USSR Championship. The cornerstone of that iconic squad was striker Anatoliy Banishevskiy, a star for both his club and the Soviet national team. He played alongside prominent teammates such as Kazbek Tuayev and goalkeeper Sergey Kramarenko. Following Azerbaijan's independence, Neftçi solidified its position as a dominant domestic force, accumulating 9 Azerbaijan Premier League titles, 6 Azerbaijan Cups, and 2 Supercups.
The club also holds a historic place in European competition. In the 2012–13 season, Neftçi became the first club from Azerbaijan to reach the group stage of a major UEFA tournament by qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. After defeating Partizan of Serbia in the play-off round, the team competed in a group featuring Inter Milan. The team plays its home matches at the Neftçi Arena in Baku.
