June 4 – UEFA has barred Azerbaijani club Turan Tovuz from competing in next season’s UEFA Conference League following the club’s historical involvement in match-fixing.
Turan Tovuz had qualified for the competition courtesy of a third-place finish in the 2025/26 Azerbaijan Premier League, a result that would have marked only the club’s second appearance in continental competition and their first since 1994-95.
European football’s governing body confirmed the ban under Article 4.01(g) of the Conference League’s regulations, which renders a club ineligible based on “being directly and/or indirectly involved in activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level.”
The decision draws on a ruling by the Azerbaijan Football Federation’s (AFFA) Disciplinary Committee on December 13, 2019, in which seven Turan Tovuz players received lifetime bans from all football-related activities following an investigation into match-fixing.
Among 28 individuals banned in total, the Turan Tovuz contingent included Gojayev Sanan, Rustamov Misir, Baghirov Emin, Sadigov Ilkin, Mammadov Rufət, Taghiyev Eltay, and Guluzadeh Shahin, all sanctioned for their “involvement in the manipulation of games.”
Because this is the club’s first qualification for continental competition since the 2019 ruling, it is the first time the case has filtered into UEFA’s own jurisdiction. UEFA’s position is that the club themself carry institutional responsibility for the actions of their players, regardless of the time elapsed since the original sanctions.
Turan Tovuz have confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and have said preparations for the 2026/27 season, including a planned training camp in Turkey, will continue uninterrupted in the meantime.
The case is a pointed reminder that European football’s governing body is willing to hold clubs accountable for legacy match-fixing violations long after national federations have acted.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at [email protected]