In 45 days, the first ever European Games will take place, with Azerbaijan's capital Baku the destination for competitors.

Ireland will be sending a team of 36 including the likes of Olympic boxing champion Katie Taylor.

But away from the sporting spectacle, there are concerns about the darker side represented by the country's regime. 

Owen Gibson of The Guardian, visited Baku in December, and told Off The Ball about the authoritarianism on display behind the scenes in Azerbaijan.

"Underneath the surface there is real fear of a clampdown that the authorities have made on free speech and any independent journalists, lots of independent blogger, NGOs. These people have been harassed and driven out of existence really, or thrown in prison. That's the flipside of this drive they've got to put themselves on the map through sport," he said, adding that the nation is hosting Euro 2020 matches and their first Grand Prix this season.

Gibson also explained that with oil prices dropping, some discontent towards the Aliyev regime from Azerbaijan's middle classes could become more apparent, but that the crackdown has limited any displays of this.