BAKU, August 15 — The third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League has once again exposed a familiar reality for Azerbaijani football: all hopes now rest on Qarabağ.
“Sabah” fell 0–2 at home to Bulgaria’s Levski, while “Araz-Nakhchivan” suffered a crushing 0–5 defeat to Omonia in Cyprus, ending their European campaigns. Qarabağ remains the only Azerbaijani club still in continental competition, set to face Hungarian champions Ferencváros in the UEFA Champions League play-off.
For more than a decade, Qarabağ’s consistent performance — built on stable management, a clear playing style, and strategic transfers — has kept Azerbaijan visible in Europe, while other clubs struggle with weak infrastructure, short-term planning, lack of international experience, and inefficient use of resources.
Analysts say Azerbaijani football needs long-term strategies, stronger academies, higher domestic league competitiveness, and professional club management to ensure that European success is not the work of a single team. Until then, Qarabağ will remain both the nation’s pride and a reminder of its broader football shortcomings.
