Europa League: FC Qaraba?'s midfielder nominated for best player of week

The Europa League has announced the candidates for the title of best footballer of the week after the first play-off matches.

Among the nominees is FC Qaraba?'s midfielder Abdellah Zoubir, who scored two goals and made one assist in the away match against Portuguese Braga, Azernews reports.

The candidate list also includes Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Milan), Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray), and Angel Di Maria (Benfica).

The winner will be determined by voting on the UEFA website.

Recall that FC Qaraba? defeated Braga in the first playoff match held on February 15 with a 4:2 score.

The UEFA Europa League is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs.

It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Qaraba? FC was a founding member of the Azerbaijan Premier League in 1992. One season later, it won their first league championship, becoming the first non-Baku-based club to win the Premier League title.

In 2017, Qaraba? FC became the first Azerbaijani club to qualify for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League after beating Danish club Copenhagen and drawing in Group C alongside Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, and Roma.