Azerbaijan First League

Azerbaijan First League
Founded1992; 33 years ago (1992)
Country Azerbaijan
Number of clubs10
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toPremier League
Relegation toSecond League
Domestic cup(s)Azerbaijan Cup
Current championsAraz-Naxçıvan (2nd title)
(2022–23)
TV partnersCBC Sport
Websitewww.affa.az Edit this at Wikidata
Current: 2024–25 Azerbaijan First Division

The Azerbaijan First League (Azerbaijani: I Liqa) is the second highest professional division in Azerbaijani professional football. The league is run by AFFA. The winner promotes to Premier Division.

History

Due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, all Azerbaijan clubs of the former Soviet Premier Division and Soviet First Division conformed a single Azerbaijan Premier League, which meant that the new second tier of Azerbaijan football would remain regionalized. For the first two seasons three regional groups conformed the second tier, until in 1994 the single table in use today began to be used.

Competition format

The First League currently consists of 10 teams. All teams play each other three times. [1]

Members of the Azerbaijan First League (2023–24 season)

Stadia and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Venue Capacity[2]
Araz Saatlı Saatly Saatly Olympic Sport Complex 1,000
Difai Ağsu Agsu Agsu City Stadium 3,000
İmişli Imishli Heydar Aliyev Stadium 8,500
İrəvan Baku ASK Arena 8,125
Karvan Yevlakh Yevlakh City Stadium 5,000
Qaradağ Lökbatan Baku Lökbatan Olympic Sport Complex Stadium 2,500
Mingəçevir Mingachevir Yashar Mammadzade Stadium 5,000
MOİK Baku Bine Stadium 600
Şamaxı Shamakhi Shamakhi City Stadium 2,200
Zaqatala Zaqatala Zaqatala City Stadium 3,500

Media coverage

CBC Sport currently own all the rights to broadcast the season's games on terrestrial TV.[3][4][5] In Azerbaijan, the First League games is also available on CBC Sport and on special youtube channel.

Winners

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.[6]
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

Performance by club

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
1
 1993–94
Qaradağ Lökbatan
2
 2011–12, 2021–22
3
 2012–13, 2015–16, 2017–18
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
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

Records

Club records

As of 14 November 2013

See also

References

  1. ^ "I və II Liqada ilk turun püşkü atıldı" (in Azerbaijani). 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  2. ^ Azərbaycan Peşəkar Liqası (in Azerbaijani)
  3. ^ "Телехозяин" азербайджанского чемпионата Archived February 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  4. ^ Снова АзТВ (in Russian)
  5. ^ Заключено соглашение, дающее право эксклюзивного показа матчей чемпионата и Кубка Азербайджана по футболу (in Russian)
  6. ^ Azerbaijan 2002/03 Archived March 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c "Azərbaycan çempionunun rekordları". apasport.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.