Santos: Everyone is very motivated – Ahead of the Latvia match

The head coach of the Azerbaijani national team, Fernando Santos, participated in a press conference held before the friendly match against Latvia tomorrow. Sport24.az reports that the midfielder said the following at the meeting with media representatives:

– From the beginning of the gathering until today, the players have managed to show themselves well. They understand what my requirements are for them. As Emin Mahmudov said, the team is well prepared and focused on the match. Of course, we know it will be a difficult game. Both teams will try to win. The Latvian national team also has good, quality players. During these days, I have given the team instructions and information about the opponent. I think everyone is sufficiently informed about the game. We will try to show our best in the field.

– Have you finalized the squad? To what extent will these matches help to determine the squad for the World Cup qualifying games?

– In the current situation, our focus is on the match with Latvia, and our squad will be adjusted accordingly. Every team has its own playing style. Whether it is Iceland, Ukraine, or France. Each of them has their own understanding of the game. Overall, about 30 players have been invited to the national team so far. There will be some changes, and new players may be involved. Anything can happen.

– It's the end of the season. The players have fatigue and psychological thoughts of rest. How much will this affect the tuning?

– Everyone is very eager. Some players have been satisfied with one training session. The overall situation is good. Those who joined the national team after the Cup final have not trained much. We have worked on tactical exercises. Yesterday we had a recovery workout. We will prepare for tomorrow's game with today's training. The players' fatigue should not affect the game. The players of the Latvian national team continue to play in local leagues. The children are very motivated for tomorrow's game.

– Mahir Emreli is looking for a club. As an experienced specialist, have you had any conversations with him?

– I also spoke with Mahir at the last gathering. He has shown himself well in recent matches and is eager. We have conversations with him. At the moment, it is important for him to find a good team. He has good potential.

– Badavi Huseynov was removed from the squad due to injury, but no one was invited to replace him. Was there no more qualified defender to replace him?

– Many players have been called to that position. Therefore, I did not see the need to invite someone later.

– Is the captain and penalty taker known?

– If Emin is in the starting lineup, he will be the captain and the penalty taker.