The preliminary scheme for the 2026-2027 season of UEFA club tournaments has partially changed.
Medianews.az reports that since Russia, which has been under sanctions since 2022, is again excluded from competitions, it is planned to allow 83 teams into the Champions League, 45 into the Europa League, and 111 into the Conference League.
There are four qualifying rounds in each of the three tournaments. Teams eliminated in the first round of the Champions League will move to the Conference League, and those eliminated in the subsequent rounds will move to the Europa League. Teams eliminated in the Europa League qualifiers will advance to the Conference League.
In the 36-team league stages, the top 8 positions will proceed to the round of 16, while those who finish in places 9-24 will proceed to the round of 32.
The Azerbaijani champion will start from the first round of the Champions League.
The cup winner will start for three teams in the first round of the Europa League, the bronze medalist will start in the first round of the Conference League, and the silver medalist will start in the second round of the Conference League.
The winner of the 2025-2026 season in the top division of the national football championship has been determined early: "Sabah". These teams occupy the positions close to the gold medalist: "Qarabağ", "Turan Tovuz", "Zirə", and "Neftçi".
"Sabah" and "Zirə" have advanced to the final of the 2025-2026 season of the Azerbaijani Cup. If the champion "Sabah" also wins the cup, the silver medalist will represent the country in the Europa League. In this case, the team that finished fourth in the championship will, along with the bronze medalist, compete in the Conference League.