Squad registration rules behind Sabah FK against Borussia Dortmund

The fixture explained

Google search activity in Germany shows strong interest in Sabah FK against Borussia Dortmund as a Champions League fixture. Searches also mention BVB, the head coach Niko Kovač and the phrase "Champions League heute", German for "Champions League today". Sabah FK is a professional club based in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and plays in the Azerbaijani top division. Borussia Dortmund, often called BVB, is one of the best-known clubs in German football and won the European Cup in 1997. Kovač is the club's officially appointed head coach.

The two clubs come from leagues that differ greatly in income, broadcasting reach and transfer spending. That difference is why the fixture is useful for understanding squad building. Both clubs play under the same UEFA registration rules, but they start from very different positions in the market.

Where it came from

The meeting is possible because of the format UEFA introduced for the Champions League in the 2024–25 season. The old group stage of four-team pools was replaced by one league phase of 36 clubs. Each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. Opponents are drawn from seeded pots based on the UEFA club coefficient, so every club meets sides from across the strength range.

Clubs from associations with lower coefficients usually reach the competition through the qualifying rounds. Many league champions enter through a separate champions path, which guarantees that title winners from smaller national leagues compete with each other for a limited number of places. Clubs from the larger leagues often qualify directly through their domestic league position. This piece does not cover the route Sabah took to the league phase or Dortmund's qualification. Readers should check the UEFA entry lists for both.

This piece also does not cover any earlier meetings between the two clubs. A reader who wants the full head-to-head record should check UEFA's competition archive rather than assume either way.

How it works today

For the Transfers section, the main mechanism behind this fixture is squad registration. Before the league phase, each club sends UEFA a List A of no more than 25 players. At least eight of those places are reserved for locally trained players. Within that quota, a minimum number must have been trained at the club itself, and the rest may have been trained elsewhere in the same national association. If a club cannot fill the locally trained places, the size of its list shrinks. It cannot fill those places with other players.

Separately, a List B covers younger players who meet age and club-training conditions. Clubs can add them during the season under looser terms. This lets clubs use academy players in Europe without spending one of the 25 List A places.

These rules affect clubs differently. A club that relies on international recruitment may find the locally trained quota limits how many signings it can register. A club with a strong academy may find the quota easy to meet. Before signing anyone, a sporting director has to check whether the player can be registered for European competition as well as for the domestic league.

The registration windows matter too. After the league phase, clubs may register a limited number of new players for the knockout rounds, usually after the winter transfer window. UEFA has relaxed the old cup-tied principle, so a player who has already appeared for another club in the competition can, within the rules, be registered by a new club. Clubs planning a January signing therefore think about European eligibility as well as the transfer fee and contract.

Money is the other structural issue. UEFA pays every league-phase participant a fixed starting fee. It then adds performance-related payments for results and final position, and distributes further income through a value-based pillar linked partly to coefficients and market factors. For a club from a smaller football economy, league-phase participation can bring in money on a different scale from domestic revenue. That can change its wage budget, recruitment and ability to keep players. This piece does not attempt to give the sums involved for either club.

Under UEFA's financial sustainability regulations, clubs are also judged on how much of their revenue goes on squad costs. Extra European income therefore raises the amount a club can spend under those rules, as well as its spending power.

Common misconceptions

One common mistake is to treat the league phase as a group stage with new branding. In the new format, clubs do not all play the same opponents, so two clubs on equal points may have faced very different schedules. Final positions decide whether a club goes straight to the round of 16 or into a knockout play-off. Clubs at the bottom are eliminated.

A second mistake concerns "home-grown" players. UEFA's locally trained rule is about where a player was trained between certain ages, not nationality. A foreign player who came through a club's academy can count, while a national-team player signed from abroad as an adult may not.

A third mistake is to assume that a draw against a much richer club is purely a sporting matter. For clubs outside the biggest leagues, the fixture also shapes revenue, how visible their players are to scouts and how much bargaining power they have when contracts are renewed.

Finally, some readers assume new signings can be added to a European squad at any time. They cannot. Registration follows fixed deadlines, and a player bought outside those windows may be unavailable for European matches until the next opportunity.

Frequently asked questions

Who are Sabah FK?

Sabah FK is a professional football club based in Baku, Azerbaijan, and plays in the Azerbaijani top division. Google search activity in Germany links the club to a Champions League fixture against Borussia Dortmund. This article does not cover Sabah's qualification route or the club's sporting record. Readers should check UEFA's official entry lists and the Azerbaijani football federation for confirmed details.

How does the Champions League league phase work?

Since 2024–25, the Champions League has used one league phase of 36 clubs instead of eight groups. Each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away, drawn from seeded pots. The top eight go straight to the round of 16. The next sixteen enter a knockout play-off, and the bottom clubs are eliminated.

How many players can a club register for the Champions League?

A club can register up to 25 players on its List A. At least eight places are reserved for locally trained players, some of whom must have been trained at the club itself. If a club cannot meet the quota, its list becomes shorter. Younger players who meet UEFA's training and age conditions can be added separately on List B.

Can a club sign new players during the Champions League?

Yes, within limits. After the league phase, clubs may register a small number of new eligible players for the knockout rounds, usually after the winter transfer window. UEFA no longer strictly applies the old cup-tied rule, so a player who has appeared for another club in the competition can still be registered, provided the club follows the regulations and deadlines.

Why does Champions League qualification matter so much for smaller clubs?

Every club in the league phase receives a fixed starting fee from UEFA, plus performance payments and money from a value-based pillar. For clubs from smaller football economies, this can far exceed normal domestic income. It affects wage budgets, recruitment and the ability to keep key players. Under UEFA's financial rules, higher revenue also allows higher permitted squad spending.

Sources and further reading

• UEFA Champions League regulations: squad registration, List A and List B, and knockout-stage registrations
• UEFA club coefficient rankings and revenue distribution documents: seeding and payments
• Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan: domestic competition and licensing rules
• Deutsche Fußball Liga: Bundesliga licensing and registration framework