2025-2026 season: Number of teams, format and play-off rules of the Second League announced

The number of clubs that will participate in the 2025-2026 football season in the Second League has been determined. Sport24.az reports that the press service of the PFL has released information about this.

The tournament will be held with the participation of 12 teams. Considering that the "Qusar" team did not confirm its participation in the 2025/26 football season despite the official application and repeated reminders, and at the same time, considering the repeated negative cases in the team's games in the 2024-2025 season of the Second League (systematic violation of the requirements of the Statute), guided by sports principles, this team will be replaced in the Second League by the "Aghstafa Gencleri" team, which took 3rd place in the Regional League last year.

After consultations with AFFA, the Professional Football League has changed the format of the tournament, taking into account the potential of the Regional League, as well as the interest of the teams in the Second League. Thus, in the 2025/26 season, the winner of the competition in the Second League will directly advance to the First League, and the owner of the 2nd place will face the team that took the 9th place in the First League in a play-off game consisting of 1 game. There will be a chance for 3 teams from the Regional League to advance to the Second League. Thus, the owner of the 1st place in the Regional League will directly qualify for the Second League, and the owners of the 2nd and 3rd places will play a play-off game consisting of 1 game with the teams that took the 11th and 10th places in the Second League, respectively.

In the 2025-2026 season, the tournament in the Second League will consist of 27 rounds. The teams will initially compete in 22 rounds consisting of 2 rounds, and then in a group of six system consisting of 5 rounds.

For information, let us state that the funds allocated for the Second League will be divided equally among 12 clubs.

It should be noted that the 2025-2026 season in the Second League will start on September 6.