The Azerbaijani football league system is a series of partially unconnected leagues for Azerbaijani football clubs. Unlike in many other nations, Azerbaijan runs separate concurrent leagues for professional football and amateur football, with no regular promotion or relegation between the professional and amateur leagues.
, Qarabağ are the current record holders with 12 titles.
Current system Professional football
The current system has been in place since the creation of the Azerbaijan Premier League at the start of the 2001–02 season. For each division, its official name, sponsored name, and number of clubs are given:
LevelLeague(s) / Division(s)Professional Leagues1Premyer Liqa12 clubs ↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation play-off spot2I Liqa10 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot + 1 promotion play-off spot ↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation play-off spotSemi-Professional League3II Liqa12 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot + 1 promotion play-off spot ↓ 1 relegation spot + 2 relegation play-off spotNon-Professional Leagues4Region LiqasıTBD clubs participate from 4 zones16 club promotion to the final stage↑ 1 promotion spot + 2 promotion play-off spotCapital and Northern Zone ↑ 4 promotion to the final stageSouthern Zone ↑ 4 promotion to the final stageCenter Zone ↑ 4 promotion to the final stageNorth West and West Zone ↑ 4 promotion to the final stage
Level League(s) 1Azerbaijani Women's Football Championship Irregular, currently defunct
Amateur football Completely independent from the professional pyramid, there also exists an amateur league system. Azerbaijan's Amateur League is divided into four regions, which include Baku, North, West, and Central Region.
Level League/Division 1 Azərbaycan Həvəskarlar Liqası36 clubs
Cup eligibility Domestic cups All Azerbaijan Premier League and Azerbaijan First Division clubs directly enter the Azerbaijan Cup.
European cups From season 2008-09, the top side in the Azerbaijan Premier League qualifies for the second qualifying stage of the Champions League, while the second and third-placed teams qualify for the first qualifying stage of UEFA Europa League. The winners of the Azerbaijan Cup also qualify for the Europa League's second qualifying stage.
While Azeri clubs initially entered the UEFA Women's Champions League from 2003, the removal of the senior league has meant that no Azeri team has competed since 2007.
See also League system List of football clubs in Azerbaijan
References
External links Azerbaijan Football Association Professional Football League of Azerbaijan