"Fernando Santos is a coach with proven success in world football and extensive experience."
In an interview with AZERTAC, former Portugal national team striker Nuno Gomes shared his thoughts on his compatriot Fernando Santos and his work with the Azerbaijan national team, Idman.biz reports.
The former captain of Portugal's national team emphasized that the 70-year-old coach is skilled at instilling his experience and competitive mindset in the teams he leads: "He is trying to implement this system in Azerbaijan's national team. I believe that Santos's ability to maintain offensive efficiency while building a solid defensive structure could benefit Azerbaijan's squad. His excellent international experience will help develop both the players and the coaching staff, as well as create a disciplined team."
According to Gomes, Fernando Santos needs time to achieve results with the Azerbaijan national team: "As you remember, Portugal won the European Championship under his leadership in 2016. This shows how well the head coach prepares his team for crucial matches. Azerbaijan’s team is facing World Cup qualifiers ahead. Although qualification for the World Cup seems unlikely, they could prepare a strong team for the 2028 European Championship, which is the federation's goal. With Fernando Santos, Azerbaijan could become a more competitive team in international competitions."
Nuno Gomes had a distinguished career with top clubs such as Benfica in Portugal and Fiorentina in Italy. He scored 29 goals in 79 appearances for the Portugal national team, was part of the symbolic squad of UEFA Euro 2000, and won a silver medal at UEFA Euro 2024.
Idman.biz
