Azerbaijani club Turan Tovuz is preparing to play a friendly match against Turkish football giant Fenerbahce.

Axar.az reports that the club's board member, Nasimi Pashayev, said that the two sides have reached an agreement to hold the match.

Pashayev said the idea emerged after Turan Tovuz narrowly missed out on qualifying for European competitions.

"One of our main goals last season was to qualify for European tournaments. With that in mind, we began major renovation work at Tovuz City Stadium before the end of the season. Our aim was to host at least one European match in front of our home fans. Unfortunately, due to UEFA's decision, we were unable to do so. Nevertheless, we continued upgrading the stadium's infrastructure. We then decided that, even if we could not play in Europe, we would invite a club with a large fan base in Azerbaijan and a strong European pedigree to Tovuz, giving our supporters a true football celebration," he said.

Pashayev noted that Turan Tovuz's 1994 European encounter with Fenerbahce, along with the Turkish club's popularity in Azerbaijan, played a key role in the decision.

"Our club's management met several times with Aziz Yildirim and held negotiations. Eventually, we reached an agreement to organize the match. A businessman who has always supported Turan and has been a fan since the club's foundation also helped make it possible," he said.

Regarding the match date, Pashayev said the clubs are currently working on scheduling.

"As you know, Fenerbahce will compete in the UEFA Champions League, while our team will travel to Turkiye for its training camp. We need to find a suitable date to stage the match in Tovuz. If there are no changes, we plan to hold it in September during the international break. If that is not possible, we will do everything we can to organize it during the next break. We are continuing our preparations to give Turan supporters an unforgettable experience in Tovuz."