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Azerbaijan First League facts for kids

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Azerbaijan First League
Founded 1992; 33 years ago (1992)
Country  Azerbaijan
Number of teams 10
Level on pyramid 2
Promotion to Premier League
Relegation to Second League
Domestic cup(s) Azerbaijan Cup
Current champions Qabala (2nd title)
(2024–25)
TV partners CBC Sport
Website https://liqa1.pfl.az/

The Azerbaijan First League (Azerbaijani: I Liqa) is a professional football league in Azerbaijan. It's the second-highest league in the country. The AFFA runs this league. The team that wins the First League gets to move up to the Azerbaijan Premier League, which is the top football league in Azerbaijan.

How the League Started

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan became an independent country. This meant that all the Azerbaijani football clubs that used to play in the Soviet leagues came together. They formed a new top league called the Azerbaijan Premier League.

Because of this change, the new second-tier league, the First League, started differently. For the first two seasons, from 1992 to 1994, teams were divided into three regional groups. But by 1994, the league changed to a single table format, which is similar to how it works today.

How the Competition Works

The First League currently has 10 teams. Each team plays against every other team three times during the season. This means there are many exciting matches throughout the year.

Teams in the 2024-25 Season

Here are the teams that played in the Azerbaijan First League during the 2024-25 season. The table lists them in alphabetical order.

Team Location Venue Capacity
Baku Sporting FK Baku Baku Sporting Arena 600
Cəbrayıl FK Jabrayil ASCO Arena 3,200
Difai Ağsu Agsu Agsu City Stadium 3,000
İmişli FK İmişli Heydar Aliyev Stadium 8,500
Karvan Yevlakh Yevlakh City Stadium 5,000
Qaradağ Lökbatan Baku Lökbatan Olympic Sport Complex Stadium 2,500
Qəbələ Gabala Gabala City Stadium 4,500
Mingəçevir Mingachevir Yashar Mammadzade Stadium 5,000
MOİK Baku Bine Stadium 600
Zaqatala Zaqatala Zaqatala City Stadium 3,500

Where to Watch the Games

CBC Sport is the official TV channel that broadcasts all the games from the First League. In Azerbaijan, you can watch the matches on CBC Sport. Many games are also available to watch on a special YouTube channel.

Past Winners of the League

This table shows the winners, runner-ups, and third-place teams for each season of the Azerbaijan First League.

Year Winner Runner-up Third place
1992 ANS Pivani Bakı FK Kür Samux Pambıqçı (Neftçala)
1993 Xəzri Buzovna Avtomobilçi Yevlax Polad Sumqayıt
1993–94 Zabrat, Azneftyağ FK Metallurq Sumgayit, OİK-Göyəzən (Qazax) OIK, Pambıqçı (Neftçala)
1994–95 Şəmkir OIK Kürmük (Qax)
1995–96 Xəzər Sumqayıt Çinar Polis Akademiyası Fərid
1996–97 Çinar (Göyçay) Araz FK Kürmük (Qax)
1997–98 Şahdağ Quba
1998–99 [Inter Baku]
1999–2000 Şahdağ Quba Şəfa-2 HHQ-Şahin (Bakı)
2000–01 OIK Ümid Bakı Şahdağ Qusar
2001–02 Lokomotiv İmişli Xəzər Sumqayıt Bakılı
2002–03 Due to conflict between almost all clubs and the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, no league championship was held.
2003–04 Gənclərbirliyi Göyəzən Qazax Karat Bakı
2004–05 AMMK Energetik FKXəzər-Lənkəran-2
2005–06 Gilan FKXəzər-Lənkəran-2 Simurq
2006–07 Masally Standard Baku Göyəzən Qazax
2007–08 Bakılı MOIK NBC Salyan
2008–09 ABN Bərdə Şahdağ Qusar Anşad-Petrol
2009–10 Gəncə MOIK Bakılı
2010–11 Abşeron Rəvan Bakılı
2011–12 Qaradağ Karvan Neftchala
2012–13 Ağsu Qaradağ Neftchala
2013–14 Araz Naxçıvan Neftchala Qaradağ
2014–15 Neftchala Ağsu Rəvan
2015–16 Neftchala Qaradağ Ağsu
2016–17 Turan Tovuz Səbail Ağsu
2017–18 Khazar Baku Qaradağ Lökbatan Shuvalan
2018–19 MOIK Baku Sumgayit-2 Neftçi-2
2019–20 Turan Tovuz Sabail-2 Zagatala
2020–21 Neftçi-2 Zagatala Turan Tovuz
2021–22 Qaradağ Lökbatan FK Shamakhi FK-2 Qarabağ FK-2
2022–23 Araz-Naxçıvan Neftçi-2 Turan-2
2023–24 Shamakhi Qaradağ Lökbatan MOIK Baku
2024–25 Gabala İmişli Karvan
2025–26

Club Achievements

This table shows which clubs have won, been runner-up, or finished third in the First League.

Club Winners Winning Years Runner-up Runner-up Years Third place Third place Years
MOIK
2
2000–01, 2018–19
3
1994–95, 2007–08, 2009–10
2
1993–94, 2023–24
Qaradağ Lökbatan
2
2011–12, 2021–22
4
2012–13, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2023–24
1
2013–14
Neftchala
2
2014–15, 2015–16
1
2013–14
5
1992, 1993–94, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13
Turan Tovuz
2
2016–17, 2019–20
1
2020–21
Araz Naxçıvan
2
2013–14, 2022-23
Xəzər Sumqayıt
1
1995–96
2
1993–94, 2001–02
1
1993
Bakılı
1
2007–08
1
1996–97
3
2001–02, 2009–10, 2010–11
Ağsu
1
2012–13
1
2014–15
2
2015–16, 2016–17
Şahdağ Qusar
1
1997–98
1
2008–09
1
2000–01
Neftçi-2
1
2020–21
1
2018–19
Shuvalan FK
1
2004–05
1
2017–18
Khazar Baku
1
2017–18
Nicat Maştağa
1
1992
Zabrat
1
1993–94
Shamkir
1
1994–95
Shahdagh Guba
1
1999–00
Lokomotiv Imishli
1
2001–02
Gənclərbirliyi
1
2003–04
Gilan
1
2005–06
ABN Bərdə
1
2008–09
Kapaz
1
2009–10
Masally
1
2006–07
Absheron
1
2010–11
Azneftyağ
1
1993–94
Xəzri Buzovna
1
1993
Çinar Göyçay
1
1996–97
Shamakhi
1
2023–24
Gabala
1
2024–25
Göyəzən Qazax FK
2
1993–94, 2003–04
1
2006–07
Zagatala
1
2020–21
1
2019–20
Xəzər-Lənkəran-2
1
2005–06
1
2004–05
Rəvan
1
2010–11
1
2014–15
Şamaxı-2
1
2021–22
Səbail
1
2016–17
Səbail-2
1
2019–20
Avtomobilçi Yevlax
1
1993
Çinar Polis Akademiyasi
1
1995–96
Kür Samux
1
1992
Şəfa-2
1
1999–00
Ümid Bakı
1
2000–01
Energetik
1
2004–05
Karvan
1
2011–12
Standard Baku
1
2006–07
Kürmük Qax
2
1994–95, 1996–97
Simurq
1
2005–06
Farid Baku
1
1995–96
Karat Bakı
1
2003–04
HHQ Şahin
1
1999–00
NBC Salyan
1
2007–08

League Records

Here are some interesting records from the Azerbaijan First League:

  • Most consecutive wins: Absheron holds the record with 23 wins in a row during the 2010-11 season.
  • Most points in a season: Absheron also holds this record with 72 points in the 2010-11 season.
  • Longest unbeaten run: Absheron went 26 games without a loss in the 2010-11 season.

More About Azerbaijani Football

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Primera División de Azerbaiyán para niños

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Azerbaijan First League Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.