Sport24.az
Azerbaijan's champion "Qarabag" is very close to starting the UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign for the second consecutive season from the second qualifying round. Spor24.az reports that if the winner of the current tournament secures participation in the UCL through their own national championship, then the Aghdam representative will join the competition from the second qualifying round.
In the semi-finals of the continent's number one club tournament, Italy's "Inter" club faces Spain's "Barcelona", and France's PSG faces England's "Arsenal".
Three of these clubs ("Inter", "Barcelona" and PSG) have already qualified for the Champions League. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether "Arsenal" will be in the top four in the Premier League. With three rounds remaining, the "Gunners" are in second place with 67 points, four points ahead of "Chelsea" in fifth place.
If "Arsenal" wins the Champions League but finishes outside the top 4 in the Premier League, the Azerbaijani champion will have to start from the first qualifying round. However, the probability of this happening is very low.
The draw for the second qualifying round will take place on June 18. "Qarabag" will be in the seeded pot. This round's matches will take place on July 22-23 and July 29-30.
It should be noted that the "Steeds", who started last season from the second qualifying round, rose to the play-off stage. At that time, the Aghdam team lost to Croatia's "Dinamo" (Zagreb) and continued their journey in the main stage of the Europa League, where they finished 36th.
