Eight years after being ridiculed on their Champions League debut, Qarabag FK are rewriting their European story — and this time, they’re matching giants like Chelsea stride for stride.
Back in the 2017–18 campaign, the Azerbaijani champions were humbled 6–0 at Stamford Bridge and 4–0 at home, collecting only two points in a group that also featured Atletico Madrid and Roma. The heavy defeats even earned them the unflattering nickname “carrier bag.”
Fast forward to 2025, and Qarabag are no longer a punchline. With six points from their first three league-phase matches, the same as Chelsea, Wednesday’s clash in Baku (KO 17:45) now feels like a genuine contest rather than a mismatch.
From Mockery to Momentum
After years of falling short in qualifying rounds, Qarabag made history this season with their first-ever win in the Champions League proper — a remarkable 3–2 comeback at Benfica after trailing by two goals. That victory prompted the Portuguese club to sack Bruno Lage and bring in Jose Mourinho.
Gurban Gurbanov’s side followed up with a 2–0 home win over Copenhagen, then pushed Athletic Club close before falling 3–1 in Spain. Their tally of goals this season already triples what they managed in their debut campaign, fueling belief that another upset could be brewing.
A win against Chelsea would be the club’s most famous triumph yet — and fittingly, it would arrive in their 200th European match.
Chelsea Braced for a Tough Trip
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca isn’t underestimating his opponents — or the challenge of a gruelling trip.
“To be honest, they are a very good team,” Maresca said. “They’re organised, intense, and have been working with the same manager for 17 years — that’s incredible. It’ll be tough, especially in their stadium. We’ll arrive back in London at 6am Thursday, then play again Saturday night — so we have to adapt.”
Despite Qarabag’s rise, history isn’t on their side. They’ve never taken a point against English opposition in Europe — seven straight defeats to Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, and Liverpool, scoring just once while conceding 21.
Even so, manager Gurban Gurbanov remains optimistic:
“We haven’t beaten English teams because the Premier League is the best in the world,” he told BBC Sport. “But we’ve developed a lot since we last faced Chelsea. The gap is still big, but we’ll fight, play our football, and make it a great match for our fans. Any win would mean a lot for us.”
A Remarkable Journey from a War-Torn Home
Founded in 1951, Qarabag hail from Agdam, a city devastated by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Displaced since 1993, the team have played all their home games elsewhere, earning the nickname “the refugee club.”
While a peace deal signed in August officially ended hostilities, the region remains unsafe and heavily mined — meaning a return home is still a distant dream.
Qarabag’s consistency in Azerbaijan’s Premier League has made them a fixture in UEFA competitions since 1996, with milestones including:
- First Europa League group-stage appearance in 2014–15
- Champions League debut in 2017–18, earning draws with Atletico Madrid
- First Europa League knockout qualification in 2023–24, after beating Braga
Competing on a Shoestring
Despite their success, Qarabag remain minnows in financial terms. Their entire squad is valued at under £22 million, with less than £7 million spent on transfers since 2020 — an astonishing contrast to Chelsea’s £1.5 billion outlay over the past three years.
Manager Gurbanov, capped 68 times for Azerbaijan, shrugs off the disparity:
“I never focus on budgets. We just adapt and do our best to achieve our goals.”
After 17 years in charge, Gurbanov is now the longest-serving manager in Champions League history, and arguably Azerbaijan’s most influential football figure. Under his guidance, Qarabag have dominated domestically — winning 11 of the past 12 league titles — and earned the nickname “the Barcelona of the Caucasus.”
In Europe, however, they’re known more for discipline than flair. This season, they rank second for ball recoveries and second for clearances, maintaining a modest 46.7% average possession.
Their star performers include winger Leandro Andrade (three goals), creative midfielder Marko Jankovic, and forward Abdellah Zoubir.
A 32,000-strong crowd is expected at the historic Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, named after the linesman who awarded Geoff Hurst’s controversial goal in the 1966 World Cup final. A win would earn the players hero status — and mark Qarabag’s first-ever consecutive home victories in major European competition.
Qualification Hopes
With six points already secured, Qarabag need just three or four more to reach the play-off round, or possibly qualify directly for the knockouts if results go their way.
A shock win over Chelsea could make that dream a reality — though with Napoli, Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Liverpool still to come, their path remains challenging.
Regardless of what happens next, Qarabag’s story — from a displaced club to genuine European contenders — continues to inspire both fans and neutrals alike.
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