Despite seeing the skills of our coaches and understanding the potential of the players, what more can truly be done? After the departure of Italian head coach Gianni De Biasi, there was widespread discussion in both the media and on social platforms that appointing a local expert to lead the Azerbaijani national team would be more logical. Yet, AFFA chose to ignore this. Of course, we don’t expect miracles from Azerbaijani coaches, but the truth is simple: achieving more with the current lineup of players is unrealistic.
So, what is the point of persistently hiring highly-paid, retirement-aged foreign coaches? Is it to defy football enthusiasts, or is there another reason?
As reported by Idman.biz, since the appointment of Brazilian Carlos Alberto Torres in 2004, the Azerbaijani national football team has been managed by six foreign coaches (excluding interim appointments). Twenty years ago, we ranked 116th in FIFA rankings; today, we’re at 118th. Has anything improved? At best, the team placed 4th in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers – hardly an achievement worth celebrating.
The track record of our foreign hires?
• Berti Vogts: over six years.
• Gianni De Biasi: more than three years.
• Robert Prosinečki: nearly three years.
Yet, the only local coach, Gurban Gurbanov, who brought Azerbaijan international recognition with Qarabag FK in Europe, was dismissed after less than a year for not taking the team to the UEFA Nations League playoffs.
Berti Vogts was a European champion with Germany, but what did he achieve in Azerbaijan? Now we have Fernando Santos, another continental champion, who seems more focused on spending his earned reputation here. His appetite for a prolonged stay is evident—he wants another 3–4 years on the job.
His words: “We must take lessons from this and work harder.”
But Mr. Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos, what lessons exactly? We've seen your abilities; we know the limits of our players. What else do you plan to achieve? Statements like “I believe things can change” and unrealistic optimism only delay the inevitable failure.
You might win a European title with a squad featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, but with our players, the reality remains: The D League of football’s smallest nations.
If a coach feels “proud to be head coach of the Azerbaijani national team” after a humiliating 0-6 defeat, instead of considering resignation, one conclusion comes to mind: the paycheck outweighs the prestige.
Santos claims, “This game must serve as a lesson for both myself and my team.” But it is AFFA that needs to learn the lessons here. Unfortunately, they continue to dismiss the criticism of the football community.
Rasim
Idman.biz
