"Opponent's goalkeeper had an outstanding game. The first 20 minutes were evenly balanced," said Fernando Santos, head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team, following their 0:0 draw against Estonia in the UEFA Nations League.
Idman.biz's correspondent in Gabala reports his insights and reflections on the match and the team’s future.
- How would you assess today's match?
- "The opposing goalkeeper had an outstanding game. The first 20 minutes were evenly balanced. After that, my players dominated the attack and gave no opportunities to the opponent. They gave their all to win. We tried free kicks, strikes from outside and inside the box, but couldn’t score. The players showed a completely different attitude today. We are disappointed, but I cannot criticize their effort."
- How do you feel about relegation to League D?
- "Relegation to League D was not what we wanted, but it happened. Despite this, the team’s recent performances indicate we are on the right path. Our current situation is far from ideal."
- Why has the team struggled to secure points in five matches?
- "In the last three games, we’ve played better than our opponents. Earlier matches were lost due to defensive errors, which cost us goals. Today, the defense was flawless, but we lacked finishing. Previously, we scored but made mistakes. It’s about finding a balance."
- How would you evaluate Rza Jafarov's performance?
- "He performed well, and you’ll see him in the next match."
- Ramil didn’t seem to play well today. Will you consider replacing him?
- "That’s your opinion. I believe Ramil didn’t play poorly, but I respect your perspective."
- Do you have sufficient attacking resources to solve the goal drought?
- "Mahir Emreli will join us for the next match. Unfortunately, Renat Dadashov is injured and unable to help. These two players are crucial. Musa Gurbanli, despite his injury, showed promise today. Nariman Akhundzada is another option. While many attacking players in the local league are foreigners, we’ll focus on improving our striking capabilities. Confidence grows with goals."
- Do you think a foreign coach is the right choice for Azerbaijan?
- "I wasn’t brought here to avoid relegation but to build a team capable of competing in the 2028 European Championship. That’s the goal we’ve set. If the aim was different, I wouldn’t be here. This project is about long-term development."
- Why didn’t Badavi Huseynov enter the penalty area during corners?
- "That was a strategic decision. In our match against Sweden, they scored twice from three corner entries due to their height advantage. Today, we adopted a different approach."
- Fans often hear coaches offering hope, but results remain disappointing. What should they believe in?
- "I’m not offering hope - I’m executing a project. This involves building a competitive team over the next 4–5 years while nurturing young talents. The same approach has succeeded in countries like Portugal, France, and Georgia. We need patience and stability to achieve this. The alternative is to naturalize foreign players, but I believe in developing local talent and creating a unified team."
- Playing in League D means facing weaker teams. Will this hinder your project?
- "Every victory is significant, regardless of the opponent. Even if we face weaker teams in League D, the goal is to build momentum. In addition to such matches, we’ll face tougher opponents in World Cup and European Championship qualifiers. The key is consistency."
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
