Former Azerbaijani national team defender Sasha Yunisoglu gave an interview to Sportal.az:
– Once again, Azerbaijan lost, this time to Hungary. Do you think we could’ve gotten a positive result in that match? Or is it fair to say we’re now at a level where even beating San Marino would be hard?
– I don’t believe we would lose to San Marino, that’s too much. Looking at our last two matches, I think the players looked tired after a long and demanding season. Some of them played nearly 50 games this year. It’s hard to find energy or motivation for such insignificant friendlies. Everyone wants to rest, especially considering pre-season training starts in just 10-15 days. Hungary has a strong squad with players from high-level clubs. They can still play quality football even at the end of a season.
– So, could we have earned a better result in that match?
– It was clear that Hungary wasn’t even using their full strength. Latvia, on the other hand, played at home and were preparing for their EURO qualifiers against Albania. They took the match seriously. As a result, we couldn’t win those games.
– Many experts in Azerbaijan say our national team lacks fighting spirit. Do you agree?
– I don’t think the players go out on the pitch without understanding their responsibility. That’s impossible. I wouldn’t say we suffer from a lack of national spirit. The issue is with our level. The players are giving their best, but we have a quality problem.
– Should we build the squad from scratch then?
– Currently, about 95% of the players in the national team are the best we have in Azerbaijan. Almost all of them play in the domestic league, except for Mahir Emreli and Renat Dadasov. I don’t even count Turkey’s First League or Albania’s top division because they’re not stronger than our Premier League. But let’s be honest, our own league isn’t strong either. The players who shine here get completely outclassed in Europe in every department. It’s not about spirit – there just aren’t any better players left to build a new team from.
– So where exactly is the main problem – with the head coach or the players? We’re set to face France next, and some expect another disaster like the one in Auxerre. Do you think so too?
– Everyone knows what the problems in our football and national team are. It’s neither the players nor the coach. We need to raise the overall level of our football. But how do we do that? If even Premier League clubs can’t find proper training pitches, imagine the state of youth football. Infrastructure is key. If you don’t have a good factory, how can you produce quality cars?
Our national team is made up of Azerbaijanis, but we have major issues with player development because the infrastructure doesn’t exist. The pitches children play on are in terrible condition. On top of that, to have a good national team, you need at least 15–20 Azerbaijani players competing in good foreign leagues so the head coach has a real selection pool – but we don’t have that either.
On the bright side, AFFA management has slowly started to address these issues. We’ve taken some right steps toward progress. But we’re very late, and modern football moves fast. Fernando Santos is a very experienced coach who could be beneficial for us, but I don’t think he can help us at this stage of development.
Let me put it like this: if our national team is like a Lada 07, there’s no point in calling Schumacher to drive it. It’s not Formula 1. We already have our own “drivers.” We’ve got enough capable local specialists who are passionate and ready to lead the national team.
As for the upcoming game against France, it’s hard to say anything definite. Of course, France is one of the world’s best teams. But this is football – anything can happen. Personally, I expect our team to put up a good, respectable fight.
Anyone expecting a “disaster” against France is an enemy of our football. I wish our national team the best of luck.
Idman.biz
