BREAKING: A club has been removed by UEFA from European competition 2026/27

Although it secured third place in the national league, Turan Tovuz was disqualified by UEFA from the upcoming Conference League because of grave offenses concerning match-fixing.

Turan Tovuz just concluded the 2025/26 season in third place in the Azerbaijani Premier League, thereby earning the right to participate in the UEFA Conference League. This was considered a special milestone for the club as they had not appeared in European competition since the 1994/95 season.

However, just days after the historic ticket was confirmed, UEFA decided to exclude Turan Tovuz from next season's Conference League. According to European football's governing body, the Azerbaijani club violated Article 4.01(g) of the competition regulations, a clause concerning direct or indirect involvement in match-fixing or manipulating match results.

According to UEFA, such actions are not allowed to exist in professional football. Earlier, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had stated: "Match-fixing is a disease that attacks the core of football."

He also emphasized: "Match-fixing fraud cannot and will not be tolerated, and those found guilty must be banned from football."

Reacting to the penalty, Turan Tovuz argued that UEFA's decision stemmed from an incident that occurred seven years ago and is unrelated to the current squad. According to an official statement, the Azerbaijan Football Federation (AFFA) had permanently banned seven players of the club from all football activities due to match-fixing involvement.

In a statement to fans, representatives of Turan Tovuz asserted: "In the 2025/26 season, we finished in third place, abiding by all sporting principles and earning the right to participate in the Conference League, which we deserve."

The Azerbaijani club also announced that it will not accept this decision and will pursue the matter to the end. "We will take all necessary legal measures and appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the decision, while protecting the right to participate in the Conference League that we earned on the pitch."

Nevertheless, if the appeal fails, Turan Tovuz will be officially excluded from the 2026/27 Conference League. This would be a major shock for the Azerbaijani club, especially since they had to wait over three decades for a chance to return to the European stage.

UEFA's decision once again demonstrates that the body maintains a tough stance on match-fixing, regardless of whether the incident occurred years ago or the club has changed personnel. For Turan Tovuz, the European dream may have to be put on hold because of a past scandal.