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Santos: Games against Iceland and Ukraine will not be easy

29 August 2025 12:36 (UTC +04:00)

The head coach of the Azerbaijan national team, Fernando Santos, held a press conference ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iceland and Ukraine, Apasport.az reports.

Coach answered questions from the media:

– You were supposed to be the one most opposed to the abolition of the foreign player limit. Do you regret it now?
– First, I would like to congratulate Qarabağ. They have qualified for the league stage of the Champions League. I think this is a very important achievement for Qarabağ. I congratulate all the players of Qarabağ, especially Gurban Gurbanov. Of course, this success is a great achievement for Azerbaijan. For some time, Europe will be talking about Qarabağ and Azerbaijan. As for your question, this is not an issue that concerns me. I am simply the head coach, and I focus on my job. Decisions on such matters are made by the leaders of Azerbaijani football.

– Captain Badavi Huseynov is not here. Rza Jafarov and Aydın Bayramov haven’t played this season. Didn’t you have any other options?
– Of course, it can worry me if a player is not competing regularly. As a head coach, I want all players to have consistent match practice. But this is the current reality. We must continue and work under this scenario. We will try to prepare properly with the players at our disposal and achieve good results in the upcoming matches. I want everyone called up to the national team to play regularly for their clubs. We analyze, we follow matches. I really like Badavi and respect him a lot. He was not invited to this camp because he hasn’t played, but that does not mean I have written him off. We may see him in the upcoming matches.

– You are hoping for a good result. What does a good result mean for you in these two games?
– It’s football, any result is possible. But judging by the last friendlies and previous camps, I can say that the players are very motivated. They are training well. That gives me hope that we can achieve the results we want. I, the players, and the people of Azerbaijan — we are all expecting victories.

– Were you consulted on the abolition of the foreign player limit? What is your personal opinion?
– I already answered this earlier.

– Why was Mehdi Jannatov not invited to the national team?
– He could not be called up due to passport problems. Vusal Isgandarli has similar passport issues.

– At your first press conference, you said you wanted to do in Azerbaijan what you did in Greek football. But now you say you are just the coach and decisions are made by AFFA leadership…
– The foreign player limit is not my responsibility. This is an analysis. You cannot compare one country with another. In Portugal, there is no foreign player limit, 11 foreign players can play. But at the same time, many Portuguese players play abroad. Countries cannot be compared with one another. Each country must decide which step can best support its football.

– What do you think about Qarabağ reaching the main stage of the Champions League?
– Of course, it will not be easy. The opponents are clear. Qarabağ has reached this stage deservedly. They will do their best to represent the country in the best possible way. I cannot predict how many points they will get.

– Your thoughts on Iceland and Ukraine?
– These are not easy games. Iceland has been playing with the same players for a long time. All their players play abroad. They are very experienced and high-quality players. They are a team that builds attacks from the back very well and has well-organized offense. Without the ball, they play very aggressively and try to win it back immediately. Together with my assistants, we have watched and analyzed Iceland’s games. Their strengths are clear — they are strong in attack. We also know their weaknesses. We will prepare our team well for this match. Our opponent plays in a 4-2-3-1 system. When attacking, they shift to a 4-3-3. We have analyzed their playing dynamics. They are an intense team, but nevertheless, it will be a good game. We will prepare well. The Ukrainian national team is also a very strong opponent. Comparing Iceland and Ukraine, the Icelanders play in a 4-2-3-1 system, while Ukraine uses one defensive midfielder with two more attacking players in front. Our task is to analyze both teams thoroughly and convey this to our players. One of the matches is away, which will be a long trip. We have decided to travel to Iceland earlier, settle there, and adapt. A long trip can affect the players somehow. There is a four-hour time difference. General observations show that after such long trips, players need a day to recover. That’s why we decided to fly earlier. After that, we will play at home. We count on the support of the fans. We hope they will support us, which is an important factor. Regardless of whether the opponent is strong or weak, the team plays every match only for victory.

– There has been harsh criticism over the national team’s failures. How do you take this?
– I have been working as a head coach for 40 years (smiles).