Valeri Hajiyev was born in Baku on 9 August 1941. He began playing football in the Bakikhanov settlement, where he was born and raised. He was coached by the likes of Ivan Sherekhov and Vladimir Karmayev. Alongside football, Hajiyev continued his education and graduated from the Faculty of Philology at Baku State University.
Hajiyev made his debut for “Neftçi”’s first team in 1959. He made seven appearances that season and scored his first goal on 2 October 1960 against “Spartak” Vilnius, helping the Black and Whites secure a 2–1 victory.
Between 1961 and 1963, he played for Tbilisi Army Sports Club during his military service. Returning to “Neftçi” in 1964, Hajiyev quickly established himself as a key member of the first team and played a major role in the club’s greatest achievement in the USSR Championship in 1966, when the team won the bronze medal.
Valeri Hajiyev represented the USSR Olympic team in 1967 and 1968. In 1969, he joined “Dynamo” Moscow and even scored against “Neftçi” in the Round of 32 of the USSR Cup, as his side recorded a 2–0 victory.
In 1970, Hajiyev returned to his boyhood club and spent a further three years there before bringing his playing career to an end in 1972.
Known for his accurate penalty-taking, Hajiyev made 229 appearances and scored 26 goals for “Neftçi” over the course of 10 seasons.
As a coach, Valeri Hajiyev spent a period in charge of Azerbaijan’s youth national team. He passed away on 8 January 2016.