SABAH—THE NEW CHAMPION!

Azerbaijani football has a new champion. The long-standing leader of recent years, Garabagh, failed to secure first place this season in both the league and the national cup. The title of the Aghdam club, which had won the Azerbaijan championship four times in a row, has now passed to the capital team, Sabah.

The rise of the Owls

The Baku-based club Sabah, founded in 2017 and competing in the Premier League since the 2018/19 season, officially secured the Azerbaijan championship title for the first time in its history with four games remaining. Playing their home matches in Masazyr, the team ended Garabagh's dominance and became the ninth club to win the national championship.

It must be acknowledged that this was no accident. Despite some refereeing errors in certain matches, the capital club demonstrated consistent and confident play throughout the season. The team managed an unbeaten run of 28 games, developing a strong defensive line and an effective attack.

The Owls (the emblem of the club) showed a high level of play both offensively and defensively, proving they deserved the championship. Special mention should be made of the head coach's work. Lithuanian specialist Valdas Dambrauskas made Sabah a tactically flexible and disciplined team. Stability and psychological resilience stood out as key aspects of their playing style. The team leaders, especially those in attack and midfield, played important roles in crucial matches, including the away victory over their main rival, Garabagh (1–0).

Sabah's success ended Garabagh's four-year championship streak, indicating growing competition in the national league and rising ambitions among other clubs such as Zirya, Turan Tovuz, and others.

The main goal for Sabah

Winning the championship grants the club the right to represent Azerbaijan in next seasons UEFA Champions League. Their primary goal now is to perform well on the European stage. The Owls have injected new impulse and motivation into domestic football. However, this success should not be limited to the national championship alone.

In recent years, Azerbaijani fans have witnessed impressive results in European competitions thanks to Garabagh. Under Valdas Dambrauskass leadership, Sabah must at least qualify for the group stage of one of UEFAs tournaments next season. While achieving success in the Champions League in their first season will be very challenging, reaching the Conference League appears quite realistic.

It is also important to note that Sabah has relied heavily on foreign players. Following the removal of limits on foreign players in Azerbaijani football, the capital club took full advantage of this by strengthening their squad with expensive overseas footballers. In coming years, it would be beneficial to provide more opportunities for talented local players. Although lifting foreign player restrictions benefits clubs, it simultaneously poses a serious challenge to the national teams development.

The end of Garabagh's hegemony

Garabagh's failure to secure the championship is considered one of the biggest sporting surprises in recent years. The Aghdam club, which had dominated domestic football for many years, this time yielded to Sabah and saw their winning streak broken.

This season, under Gurban Gurbanov's management, Garabagh participated in the Champions League for the second time and succeeded in reaching the knock-out stage for the first time by advancing to the round of 32. In this new Champions League format, Garabagh faced top-tier opponents such as Benfica, Ajax, Napoli, and Liverpool.

However, their successful European campaign negatively affected their domestic performances. Faced with physical and psychological pressures, the club struggled to balance efforts between the league and Azerbaijan Cup competitions. Additionally, squad limitations and the removal of foreign player restrictions worked against Garabagh. When limits existed, top local players were concentrated at this club. After lifting these restrictions, rivals began actively recruiting foreign players at significant expense—competition to which Garabagh was unprepared. A dense schedule with matches every three days led to player fatigue and injuries to key squad members. Gurban Gurbanov admitted that the Champions League campaign exhausted the team and that most focus was placed on this tournament.

Another important factor was Garabagh's poor results against direct competitor Sabah. Moreover, they unexpectedly dropped points against teams such as Kapaz, Zirya, and Shamakhi. For Garabagh this season, European success took priority over winning the national league. Sabah's consistency combined with a demanding fixture list meant that for the first time in many years, Garabagh finished without a championship title. The team intends to learn from this setback and prepare better for next season.

Valdas Dambrauskas: “We aim to succeed in European competitions as well”

Valdas Dambrauskas, head coach of the Azerbaijan Premier League champions, described first place as a major achievement. In comments to the media, the Lithuanian specialist emphasised that his team will strive for strong results in European competitions: “Winning the Premier League is a great reward for us. For many years, Garabagh was champion. From the start of this season, we pursued our goal steadily. Intense matches and important victories played a large role in this success. Being champion is always a special feeling. But our work does not end here. This summer we will participate in the Champions League. We want to succeed in European competitions as well.”

Incidentally, four Azerbaijani teams will represent the country in next seasons European tournaments. Following the draw scheduled for June, Sabah will learn their first opponent on the European stage as national champions.