"If I had known the result in advance, I would have made some changes to the lineup."
İdman.biz reports that Fernando Santos, head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team, shared his thoughts after their 0-3 loss to Haiti in a friendly match.
The Portuguese coach expressed his disappointment in the post-match press conference: "Everything went well during the training camp. However, I feel that today the team did not step onto the pitch with a winning mindset. Overall, I was dissatisfied with the performance. Although we started the second half more confidently, the team lost motivation after conceding the second goal."
- Yesterday, you mentioned that you had decided on the lineup. If you had foreseen this result, would you have made any changes?
- Absolutely. It felt like the players weren’t playing to win. We had some good moments in the first half but failed to capitalize on our chances. In the second half, we introduced new attacking players and aimed to use more wing play. The midfield changes were meant to increase intensity, but nothing worked as planned.
- How do you assess Elvin Cafarquliyev’s red card?
- I spoke with Elvin about it. I told him it was unacceptable. But we can’t completely condemn him for this.
- You previously stated that you're building a team for the future. However, there are three Russian and one Turkish player in the squad, three of whom are over 30. How do you plan to build a future team with this lineup?
- Ozancan Kokcu is 27, and Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev is 29. Experience is also necessary for development. Our squad includes young players as well. For instance, Bədavi Hüseynov and Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev are very experienced. Many national teams include naturalized players—Pepe played for Portugal until he was 40, despite being Brazilian. If a player is committed to the national team, there’s no issue.
- Will you make changes to the squad against Belarus? Can we expect to see Shahin Shahniyarov on the field?
-Yes, there will be changes against Belarus. If the match goes as planned, Şahin may get a chance. He is a talented player. However, tactical adjustments are my responsibility. We intended to play a 4-4-1-1 system against Haiti, but it didn’t work.
- After Haiti’s third goal, local fans applauded them. Could the same happen for our team in the future?
-Such moments happen in football. Fans expect victories. If we start winning consistently and play against opponents at our level, perhaps their fans will applaud us too.
- You've been coaching Azerbaijan for a year now. What changes have you made in the national team?
- I hope to bring change. Initially, I believed we could play attacking football based on our squad’s potential. However, I now think it’s better to focus on defense and counterattacks. We want to compete on equal footing with our opponents. I need to adjust my approach, and I plan to do so in the upcoming matches. We will prioritize defensive stability and counterattacks.
Azerbaijan’s next friendly match is set for March 25 against Belarus.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
