In an interview with Idman.biz, Aslan Karimov, a former player of the Azerbaijan national football team, shared his thoughts on the current challenges facing the team.
- Today, Azerbaijan will play Sweden in the Nations League. What are your expectations?
- "We won’t be able to replicate the football we played against Estonia. We don't even know what lineup Sweden will have. They're playing at home, and while they may make changes, they won't replace all their players. However, one thing is certain—they won’t play as defensively as Estonia. They will be more attacking, and we will try to play on the counter. This doesn’t mean we’ll lose. I think we’ll have chances in counter-attacks if we stay focused defensively. The Estonians were sitting too deep, and it was easier to break through. Counter-attacks are based on speed, and players like Mahir Emreli, Musa Gurbanov, or Nariman Akhundzada can take advantage of these situations. So, we have a small chance. I would say a 30% chance of winning, but Sweden is of course the favorite."
- Given Sweden’s promotion to League B, do you think this could make them complacent?
- "Many European teams take every match seriously. They might rotate players, giving key players a rest. So, we still have a small chance for a draw or even a win."
- What tactical system would be best for Azerbaijan in this match?
- "It doesn’t matter much whether we play with 5 or 4 defenders. Personally, I’m not a fan of playing with 5 defenders. What matters is how much the forwards contribute to the defense. Or vice versa, how much we will attack when we have the ball. I think the 4-2-3-1 formation would be sufficient. The key is balancing attack and defense. The coach's instructions must be followed. There’s no point in playing with 5 defenders if the full-backs aren’t joining the attack. I’m confident that coach Fernando Santos has thought this through and will likely continue with the system he used against Estonia."
- Fernando Santos wants to build a future team by giving young players a chance. How realistic is this goal?
- "There are quite a few young players available. In national teams, older players retire, and younger ones rise. But the key is whether they are playing regularly in their club teams. No matter how much Santos gives Nariman Akhundzada or Musa Gurbanli chances, if these players are not starting regularly for Qarabag, the youth development will be meaningless. The player’s growth happens at the club, not in the national team. I don’t think it all depends on Santos. If he wants to achieve this, he must risk it and play the younger players. I didn’t see much of that in the Estonia match. He should have substituted Ramil Sheydayev and brought Nariman Akhundzada on earlier. If you want to develop young players, you need to take risks and give them playing time."
- It seems likely that Azerbaijan will be replaced by San Marino in League D. What do you think is the main issue leading to this situation?
- "The blame lies with all of us, the football community—from journalists to players. I don’t want to single anyone out as guilty. It happened because everyone failed to do their job properly. One of the biggest reasons is that we don't focus on youth teams enough. If we had beaten Estonia away, this issue wouldn’t have come up. Everyone would’ve said everything was fine. The problem has existed since we were in Division C, but it wasn’t visible. No one cares about youth football. When we talk about youth football, it’s not about national teams, it’s about clubs. The biggest issue is the lack of academies and infrastructure in the regions. All of this contributes to the result we have."
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
