Two Liechtenstein players were unable to travel with the national team for the match against Azerbaijan due to work commitments.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Azerbaijan's opponents have found themselves in an unusual squad situation ahead of the UEFA Nations League match in Baku on October 1.
Forward Philipp Gassner and midfielder Jakob Lorenz are not taking part in the current away trip because of work commitments. Another player, Felix Oberwaditzer, was unable to fully join the team due to his studies.
Even before the start of the international camp, Liechtenstein head coach Konrad Funfstuck noted that a significant number of his players combine football with work or education, making an absence from home of almost two weeks an additional challenge.
Lorenz works for a Vaduz-based company specialising in corporate and management consulting. At the same time, he studies at the University of Liechtenstein. At club level, Lorenz represents Austrian side Blau-Weiss Feldkirch, who compete in the Vorarlberg Eliteliga, the fourth tier of the Austrian football system.
Reliable publicly available sources do not disclose the current primary occupation of 23-year-old Gassner, although local media have also reported that he is absent from the national team because of work commitments. The forward plays for Austrian club Hohenems in the Regionalliga West, the country's third tier.
Liechtenstein suffered another squad loss during the international window. Forward Ferhat Saglam featured in the 2-0 defeat to Lithuania on September 24 but subsequently left the national team camp for personal reasons and did not travel for the following match against Malta. William Pizzi was called up as his replacement.
The replacement itself was rather unusual. The 31-year-old Pizzi is not only a player for Balzers but also the club's player-coach. He took charge of the team in the summer while continuing his playing career.
Balzers compete in the 2. Liga interregional, the fifth tier of the Swiss football pyramid.
Saglam, meanwhile, was born in Vaduz and has Turkish roots. Football databases list him as a Liechtenstein-Turkish player. According to his official profile on the Liechtenstein Football Association's website, the 24-year-old is a student.
He also has experience outside football. In 2023 and 2024, Saglam worked part-time in the administration of the Liechtenstein Football Association.
Saglam currently plays for Ruggell. Like Balzers, the Liechtenstein club competes within the Swiss league system, playing in the fifth-tier 2. Liga interregional.
Liechtenstein also took an unusual route to Baku. The team hosted Lithuania in the Nations League on September 24 before travelling to Malta. On September 27, they played a friendly against the hosts and suffered a 2-0 defeat.
Instead of returning home, the Liechtenstein squad flew directly from Malta to Baku on a special charter flight during the night following the match. The team has therefore been in the Azerbaijani capital since September 28 and is preparing for the upcoming encounter.
The Azerbaijan-Liechtenstein match will take place at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium on October 1, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 Baku time.
Aykhan Abbasov's Azerbaijan side began the current Nations League campaign with a 1-1 away draw against Lithuania.
