"We want to prepare well and win."
This was stated by the head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team, Fernando Santos, at a press conference held today, Idman.biz reports.
The Portuguese specialist emphasized that they will face strong opponents:
“I called up everyone I wanted. Some players weren’t invited due to injury. Ramil Sheydayev and Ozan Can Kokcu were called up for the previous training camp, but they haven’t been playing regularly. If they get consistent playing time in the future, they will get another chance.”
– Media reports suggest that if the next two matches are lost, you might be dismissed.
– That’s not my concern. Just rumors. AFFA leadership knows better.
– Expectations are high. Do you think there’s been development in the team?
– I’ve said in past conferences: we are continuing on our path.
– On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the Premier League?
– We know Qarabag plays at a high level, but overall I’d rate the league a 5 out of 10. Realistically, only 3 or 4 out of 10 teams compete for the title.
– How will you handle motivation?
– Training starts May 27. Players involved in the cup final will join us later, with a 3-day break. If a player truly has national pride, they will join with motivation. I’ve seen this everywhere I’ve worked.
– You keep calling up different players. When will a final squad be formed?
– We can call 25 players, not 55. Vusal Isgandarli, for example, is being monitored as a right-back. My staff and I closely follow Azerbaijani players. We only call the best.
– With the foreign player limit lifted, will you consider calling up players who don’t get game time at their clubs?
– Playing at least 10–15 minutes is one thing, but sitting on the bench entirely is another. Every coach has their strategy, but for me, players in the national team must be playing regularly. Unfortunately, we don’t have a huge pool of players. I hope more Azerbaijani players get minutes next season, especially with new teams joining the league.
– Most of the 25-man squad has familiar names. Public expectations are high; do you feel pressure?
– Friendlies are for testing players. Then we enter the qualifiers. We must call up new names during these camps so they can experience playing for the national team. Some of the current stars of Portugal and Greece were called by me at age 19.
– Many of your selected players are older, especially goalkeepers.
– Goalkeeping is a very specific role with limited rotation. When Shahruddin was injured, we invited Mushtabazade. Both he and Rza are quality. But Shahruddin has more experience.
Idman.biz
Azerbaijan will play two international friendlies — against Latvia on June 7 at Skonto Stadium in Riga, and against Hungary on June 10 at Liv Bona Dea Arena in Baku.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
