The chance of "Qarabag," the Azerbaijani representative in the 2025-2026 season of the UEFA Champions League, to pass the 1/16 finals is low, and this stage is officially recorded as the team's highest achievement in Europe.
Medianews.az reports that "Qarabag" has previously qualified for UEFA's main club tournaments 20 times.
In the 1996-1997 and 1998-1999 seasons, "Qarabag" was eliminated in the first qualifying round of the Cup Winners' Cup (held since 1960, abolished in 1999).
The team failed to pass the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup (the tournament held since 1971, called the Europa League since 2009) in the 1997-1998, 2004-2005, and 2006-2007 seasons.
In the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 seasons, "Qarabag" passed two qualifying rounds in the Europa League, and in the 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 seasons, it passed three qualifying rounds.
"Qarabag" started the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021 seasons in the Champions League (a tournament held since 1955, called the European Champion Clubs' Cup until 1992), advanced to the Europa League, and competed in the group stage.
In the 2017-2018 season, the team played in the Champions League group stage.
In the 2021-2022 season, which was the debut of the Conference League, "Qarabag" progressed to the 1/16 finals.
Having started the 2022-2023 season in the Champions League, "Qarabag" first moved to the Europa League, then was eliminated from the Conference League, and stopped at the 1/16 finals.
The team that started the 2023-2024 season in the Champions League moved to the Europa League and progressed up to the 1/8 finals.
It started the 2024-2025 season with the Champions League and finished at the league stage of the Europa League.
Established in 1951 in the city of Agdam, "Qarabag" (which has also been known by the names "Mahsul," "Shefaq," "Kooperator") has been the champion of the Azerbaijan SSR once and independent Azerbaijan 12 times, and has won the Azerbaijani Cup 8 times.
Since 2008, Qurban Qurbanov has been the head coach of "Qarabag." Born in 1972, Qurban Qurbanov was a forward for Azerbaijani clubs "Dashgin," "Turan," "Kur-Nur," "Neftchi," "Inter," Georgian clubs "Mertskhali," "Alazani," Russian clubs "Dinamo" (Stavropol), "Fakel," "Baltika," "Volgar," and also the Azerbaijan national team.
After ending his playing career in 2006, before joining "Qarabag," Qurban Qurbanov served as sports director at the Baku club "Inter," and as head coach and sports director at "Neftchi" (Baku). The expert also led the Azerbaijan national team from November 2017 to December 2018.
In 2022, he was awarded the "Shohrat" Order for his services to the development of Azerbaijani football.
Togrul Ali,
Medianews.az