Idman.biz
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has presented the list reflecting the stage from which the clubs of national associations will start fighting in the European Cups in the 2026/2027 season.
Idman.Biz reports that, according to the updated information, Azerbaijan has lost one of the advantages that allowed local clubs to start from easier stages in the European Cups in the recent past.
The reason for the changes is related to the country's position in the UEFA coefficient table. This rating is formed based on the performance of clubs in European Cups over the last five seasons.
At the end of the period for the 2020/2021–2024/2025 seasons, Azerbaijan was ranked 30th with 19.625 points. This position directly affects the stage from which clubs will start in the European Cups a year later. The distribution system is traditionally based on the results in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, and the overall decline is immediately reflected in the starting conditions.
According to the initial distribution, in the 2026/2027 season, the champion of Azerbaijan will start from the first round of the Champions League qualifying stage. If "Qarabag" becomes the champion, the Aghdam club will be able to join the fight from the second qualifying stage thanks to its high individual rating.
The winner of the national cup will also start in the Europa League from the first qualifying round. The situation seems more complicated in the Conference League. Thus, two representatives of Azerbaijan will start the tournament from different stages. The second team of the championship will join the fight from the second qualifying stage, and the owner of the third place will have to start from the first stage. This means an additional obstacle and another "all or nothing" round at the beginning of the summer season.
Which team will be in a more unfavorable position will depend on the final results of the championship and the national cup. If the cup is won by a club in the top three of the Premier League, the distribution for European Cups will change and another team will have a chance to go to the tournament. Currently, the competition in the championship is quite intense: "Sabah" is the leader with 37 points, followed by "Qarabag" with 36 points, and then "Zira" with 29 points and "Turan Tovuz" with 27 points.
It should be noted that the current decline in the Conference League is temporary. During the current season, Azerbaijan has made significant progress in UEFA coefficients. "Qarabag"'s victory over "Eintracht" allowed the country to rise to 27th place in the ranking, and the total indicator reached 22.750 points. If this trend continues, the starting positions of Azerbaijani clubs in the next European seasons may become more favorable again.
