“This is our second training camp of the year. The first one took place last month.”
That’s what Agil Nabiyev, head coach of Azerbaijan’s U17 national football team (players born in 2009), told following their first match at the UEFA Development Tournament in Chișinău, Moldova — a narrow 0:1 loss against the hosts, Idman.biz reports.
In a statement to AFFA’s press service, Nabiyev emphasized the purpose behind the tournament:
“This time, we’ve invited 10 new players to the squad. The UEFA Development Tournament is a great opportunity for young footballers. The result isn’t the most important thing here — what matters is that all players get a chance to play. Our main goal is to support their development. Of course, we still have some challenges when it comes to fitness and technical skills. In yesterday’s game against Moldova, our biggest shortcomings were the final passes and finishing touches. I’m confident we’ll improve these areas step by step.”
The team is scheduled to play three matches over six days, and Nabiyev noted how they’re managing the squad during this intensive period:
“We’re using the two-day breaks between matches for player recovery and preparation. The qualifiers will take place in October, and we’ll use the time until then to build a cohesive squad. We’ll do our best to perform well in the qualifiers.”
The next matches at the UEFA Development Tournament will be held on April 16 against Georgia and April 19 against Estonia.
Idman.biz
