As the Azerbaijan and Belarus national teams prepare to face off in a friendly match, Kapaz captain Egor Khvalko, a Belarusian defender, shared his thoughts with his home country's media.
Idman.biz reports that Khvalko evaluated the upcoming match and shared his perspective on Fernando Santos, the Portuguese head coach of Azerbaijan's national team.
"The reason many people in Azerbaijan are skeptical about Santos is their general doubt about foreign coaches achieving success. They know that foreign professionals are paid significantly higher salaries. Many believe that a local coach should be given a chance to lead the national team to see if they can achieve better results. Over the last 20 years, Azerbaijan’s national team has rarely been coached by local managers, yet there have been no notable achievements either. That’s why many want a local coach to take charge."
"It’s hard to define what kind of football Santos wants to implement. In the UEFA Nations League, Azerbaijan performed poorly in six matches. There are new names in the squad, and some players might make their debut in this game. We’ll only be able to evaluate Santos’ tactical approach after the match against Belarus. When a team loses 0-6 to Sweden, it's difficult to understand what playing style the coach is trying to implement."
"There isn’t much debate about whether Belarus or Azerbaijan is stronger. Most people just say, ‘We need a win.’ The team has gone six matches in the Nations League without a victory, and beyond that, they struggle to score goals. That’s why everyone expects a positive result."
"From what I’ve seen, there was little interest in the game against Haiti. I’m not sure how many fans will show up for the Belarus match. The game will be played in Masazır, a small town. If we get around 6,000 spectators, that would be great."
Azerbaijan vs. Belarus
March 25, 2025
21:45 (Baku Time)
Bank Respublika Arena
Azerbaijan first lost to Haiti 0-3 on March 22. Belarus defeated Tajikistan 5-0 (March 22).
Idman.biz
