UEFA excludes Turan Tovuz from the 2026-27 Conference League

UEFA has officially barred the Azerbaijani club Turan Tovuz from participating in the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League. The decision stems from the club's involvement in a match-fixing scandal dating back to 2019. In that incident, seven players were given lifetime bans for their participation in manipulated games. UEFA applied its regulatory framework which prohibits teams with direct or indirect links to match-fixing from competing in European tournaments. Turan Tovuz, which finished third in the Azerbaijan league, had earned a qualification spot through their athletic performance. The club has officially announced its intention to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). They remain committed to their original preparation schedule as if they were still slated to participate in the competition. This ruling impacts the potential qualifying match-ups for teams including AEK and Apollon.