Sabah Football Club Announces Initiative to Establish the Sabah Football Academy Future Talents Programme

Dear football fans,

As you know, by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Ilham Aliyev, dated 27 August 2026, financial support of AZN 5 million was allocated to Sabah Football Club in recognition of its qualification for the League Phase of the UEFA Champions League.

The attention and confidence shown by the President towards our club and Azerbaijani football inspired us to consider directing the opportunity created by this support towards a broader and more enduring purpose. We want this historic achievement and the support provided to benefit not only Sabah today, but also the future of Azerbaijani football.

For this reason, Sabah Football Club has decided to allocate an additional AZN 5 million from the revenue generated through its participation in the UEFA Champions League towards the sustainable development of youth football and to establish the “Sabah Football Academy Future Talents” programme.

The programme’s initial capital is therefore planned to be formed on the following basis: AZN 5 million in support from the President, together with AZN 5 million from Sabah, creating a total fund of AZN 10 million.

The fundamental principle of the fund is not to spend this AZN 10 million, but to preserve and grow it. The funds will be professionally managed to generate income.

A proportion of the revenue generated from ticket sales for this season’s UEFA Champions League matches will also be directed to the programme.

In this way, the initial capital will become a permanent source of funding that will support the development of young footballers for many years to come.

The club’s objective is to transform the historic success of a single season into long-term opportunities: to develop players who will represent future generations, to establish a leading football academy in Azerbaijan and, in time, across our wider region, and to create a lasting legacy of the President’s attention and support for our club and Azerbaijani football.

The primary objective of the “Sabah Football Academy Future Talents” programme is to support the sustainable development of youth football, engage interested stakeholders in this process and contribute to the establishment of a long-term and sustainable development model.

The club attaches particular importance to ensuring that this initiative aligns with the work carried out by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) to develop youth football in the country, while also creating opportunities for cooperation and the exchange of expertise.

The project is intended to contribute to the improvement of football infrastructure, the identification and professional development of talented children, the implementation of modern coaching methods, and the enhancement of sports science, medical support, performance analysis, education and individual development programmes.

The club aims to further expand its nationwide talent identification system and create equal development opportunities for promising footballers, regardless of the region in which they live or their families’ financial circumstances.

In the long term, Sabah aims to expand cooperation with academies, football schools and clubs operating across the South Caucasus and Central Asia, with the ambition of transforming the Academy into one of the region’s leading football development centres.

Sabah FC will provide companies in Azerbaijan and international partners with the opportunity to join this initiative as “Founding Partners” and invites interested parties to consider supporting the programme.

Further detailed information regarding the operating principles, governance model, partnership mechanisms and future development priorities of the “Sabah Football Academy Future Talents” programme will be shared with the public.

One historic achievement. Another step towards the development of our football.