I believe that after Fernando Santos’s departure, our national team can reach a better level.
These words were spoken to AZƏRTAC by Aslan Karimov, head of AFFA’s Coaches’ Education Department, Idman.biz reports.
Commenting on Fernando Santos’s dismissal from the head coach position of the Azerbaijan national team, the expert said that this step was important for the team’s development: “During Santos’s tenure, our team could perform well only in certain parts of some matches. But overall, the results were very weak, and with each passing day, the team fell further behind. I believe that after his departure, our team can reach a higher level. Currently, temporarily assigning Aykhan Abbasov to lead the national team is the right decision. In general, it is more appropriate for a local specialist to head the team. However, when we approach the topic professionally, we see that a head coach’s tactical knowledge and training skills alone are not enough. A more important factor is establishing proper communication with the players, instilling confidence in them, and maintaining a high level of motivation. A player’s belief in the coach is a decisive factor in the team’s success.”
According to Aslan Karimov, in this regard, preference should primarily be given to local specialists: “Local coaches communicate more closely with the players and understand their psychology well. But this does not mean that a foreign coach cannot handle such a task. For example, Robert Prosinecki’s time with the national team is always fondly remembered. He built good relationships with the players and was able to instill self-confidence in them. Even those years are remembered as one of the best periods for our team. During Gurban Gurbanov’s short tenure, these qualities were also evident, but due to limited time, they were not fully realized. Therefore, I believe that the head coach of the national team must first and foremost maintain the highest level of communication with the players.”
Idman.biz
