Masazır · Azerbaijan

SabahFutbol Klubu

Qara-çəhrayılar · “The Black-Pinks”

Founded 2017 · Masazır, Abşeron district (greater Baku)

Champions 2025/26
Double winners

Sabah play at Bank Respublika Arena, capacity 8,969, are coached by Valdas Dambrauskas and stand 2nd in the 2026/27 Misli Premyer Liqası on 15 points from 5 matches. Founded in 2017 in Masazır. 24 registered players.

Updated 17 Sept 2026

2026/27 season

MİSLİ PREMYER LİQASI

League position

2nd

Played 5

Points

5 won
0 drawn
0 lost

Registered players

for 2026/27

Ground capacity

8,969

Seats

Recent form

Won
Won
Lost
Won
Won

Most recent last

Home ground

Bank Respublika Arena

Masazır, Abşeron

8,969Capacity

Head coach

Valdas Dambrauskas

Management

President Magsud Adigozalov

Squad

Registered players, 2026/27

Club colours

Black & pink

Last season2025/26

1st of 12

78 points, champions

Honours

1League title

2Azerbaijan Cups

1Domestic double

League: 2025-26
Cup: 2024-25, 2025-26

Squad 2026/27 — 24 players

Squad taken from the Professional Football League's registration list for this club. Shirt numbers can change during a transfer window.

History

Founded on 8 September 2017 — one of the youngest clubs in any European top flight. Sabah finished only fifth in the 2017-18 First Division and were awarded a Premier League licence in May 2018 because clubs above them failed the criteria. Eight years later they are champions of Azerbaijan.

The 2025/26 season was close to perfect: 24 wins from 33, 78 points, a league-low 25 goals conceded, the title sealed with four rounds to spare, and the Azerbaijan Cup retained for a first domestic double. Valdas Dambrauskas — previously of Ludogorets, Hajduk Split and Omonia — delivered it in his first full season, having arrived in June 2025 on a three-year deal.

In Europe

Sabah reached the Conference League qualifying rounds in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 without going deep, eliminating RFS and Petrocub along the way and losing to Partizan, St Patrick's Athletic and Levski Sofia.

2026/27 is different: as champions they entered the Champions League for the first time in club history, beating Welsh champions The New Saints 4-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round and taking a 1-0 lead over KuPS Kuopio into the second-leg trip to Finland.

Stories & legends

Promoted on a technicality, champions eight years later

Sabah only entered the top flight in 2018 because higher-placed clubs failed their licences. In 2025/26 they broke Qarabağ's twelve-year grip on Azerbaijani football and won the double.

Champions League football in a suburban ground

The Bank Respublika Arena in Masazır seats fewer than 9,000 — smaller than many English fourth-tier stadiums — and hosted a Champions League qualifier win over Welsh champions TNS in July 2026.

One stadium, two names

UEFA bans sponsor names, so the ground is Bank Respublika Arena in the league and “Alinja Stadium” on uefa.com — the same building under two names in the same week.

Fixtures & results

Including UEFA Champions League.

Sabah

22 Aug

Sumqayıt

PostponedMatchday 2Bank Respublika Arena

Neftçİ