Sabah's qualification for the UEFA Champions League league phase has guaranteed the Baku club at least around €20.18 million (approximately 39 million manats) in UEFA payments.
As reported by İdman.Biz, under the revenue distribution system for the 2026/27 European club competitions, each of the 36 teams participating in the Champions League league phase receives a fixed starting fee of €18.62 million.
This amount is supplemented by payments under the Value Pillar system — the value-based component of UEFA's distribution model, which takes into account factors including the value of a country's television market and a club's coefficient. Even with the minimum shares, Sabah can expect to receive €935,000 from the European part of the Value Pillar and €346,000 from its non-European component.
The club will also receive at least €275,000 as a bonus based on its final position in the league-phase standings. This is the amount allocated to the team finishing 36th.
As a result, Sabah's minimum projected UEFA income stands at approximately €20.176 million even before the results of their eight league-phase matches are taken into account. UEFA pays €2.1 million for each victory and €700,000 for each draw.
Sabah will not receive additional payments for progressing through the Champions League qualifying rounds. Under UEFA's distribution rules, clubs that reach the Champions League play-offs do not receive the standard qualifying-round payments because they move into the revenue distribution system for the centralised stages.
The winner of the play-off tie also does not receive a separate €4.29 million payment. That amount is allocated to clubs eliminated at the play-off stage.
For comparison, Qarabağ found themselves in an almost identical financial position after qualifying for the Champions League league phase in the 2025/26 season.
The fixed payment for reaching the main stage was also €18.62 million, while the minimum Value Pillar shares amounted to €935,000 and €346,000. The minimum league-ranking bonus was €275,000. This produced the same minimum projected total of €20.176 million.
Therefore, the basic payments have remained unchanged compared with last season. By achieving their historic qualification for the Champions League league phase, Sabah have guaranteed themselves approximately the same financial minimum as Qarabağ did a year earlier.
Sabah's final earnings, however, could rise significantly depending on their results in the eight league-phase matches and their final position in the 36-team standings.
Sabah reached the league phase after eliminating Israel's Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Champions League play-off round. After losing the first leg 2-1 away from home, Valdas Dambrauskas' side produced a dramatic comeback in Baku, winning the return match 5-2 and securing a place in the main stage of Europe's premier club competition.
