Sporting Lisbon's unexpected elimination by Azerbaijan's Khilasedici in the second qualifying round of the men's CEV Champions League has sparked widespread disappointment in Portugal.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Portuguese sports media have closely examined the failure of the reigning national champions, while Sporting head coach João Coelho acknowledged the opposition's quality but also expressed frustration with the behavior of the Azerbaijani players.
Coelho's reaction was particularly emotional following the 3-2 home defeat and the loss of the decisive golden set. The Sporting coach lamented the absence of supporters at such a crucial match.
"It is very difficult to accept this elimination without the support of our fans. Our opponents would not have dared to behave so provocatively in front of our supporters," Coelho was quoted as saying by A Bola.
However, the Portuguese coach did not specify which actions by Khilasedici's players he considered provocative. Reports published by the Portuguese media also failed to identify any particular incidents that might have prompted his criticism.
At the same time, Coelho acknowledged that the Azerbaijani team deserved credit for its performance, particularly its serving. He emphasized that this aspect of Khilasedici's game caused serious problems for Sporting, whose players struggled with their own serves and failed to organize their blocking effectively.
"Our opponents served extremely well, and they deserve a lot of credit. We have to keep our heads up. This was a very heavy blow," Record quoted the coach as saying.
Coelho also stressed that he believed Sporting had a squad strong enough to overcome this qualifying round. In his view, the Portuguese champions possessed all the necessary qualities to continue their pursuit of a place in the Champions League main stage.
The absence of spectators became another major talking point following the defeat. The match at Lisbon's Pavilhão João Rocha was played behind closed doors due to severe weather conditions caused by Storm Charles. Portuguese media highlighted the fact that Sporting had been deprived of their usual home support in such an important encounter.
Record noted that the two-time defending Portuguese champions had been in a favorable position to advance after winning the first leg in Baku but failed to capitalize on their home advantage. The newspaper also identified Khilasedici's excellent serving as one of the decisive factors behind Sporting's elimination.
Meanwhile, A Bola published an article headlined "Sporting lose Champions League place after bitter defeat in sixth set." The newspaper emphasized the dramatic conclusion of the tie, which required an additional set to determine the winner.
Zerozero offered an even more emotional assessment, describing the defeat as difficult to digest and characterizing Sporting's performance in the closing stages as a "complete collapse." The outlet pointed out that the Lisbon side had taken the lead twice in sets but allowed their opponents to equalize on both occasions.
Bola na Rede, meanwhile, reported that Sporting had been eliminated from the Champions League following an exceptionally hard-fought encounter. The publication highlighted the closely contested nature of the match, with momentum repeatedly shifting between the two teams.
The first leg, played in Baku on November 3, ended in a 3-2 victory for Sporting. However, Khilasedici reversed the result in Lisbon on November 11, winning by the same scoreline (21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13).
The Azerbaijani side then secured a dramatic 15-13 victory in the golden set, booking their place in the third qualifying round.
Khilasedici, coached by Jalil Jalilov, will next face the winner of the tie between Slovenia's ACH Volley Ljubljana and the Netherlands' Orion Stars. The Slovenian club won the first leg 3-0 away from home, with the return match scheduled for November 12 in Ljubljana.
According to the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) calendar, the first legs of the third qualifying round are scheduled for November 17-19, while the return fixtures will take place on November 24-26. The exact dates of Khilasedici's matches have yet to be confirmed.
The winner of the tie will secure a place in the Champions League group stage.
It should also be noted that the 2026/27 season marks Khilasedici's debut appearance in the CEV Champions League.
