Vagif Javadov: Fernando Santos is the main culprit for the defeat to Iceland

The main culprit for the Azerbaijan national team's 0:5 defeat to Iceland in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup is head coach Fernando Santos.

This was stated by the former football player of the national team Vagif Javadov in his statement to "Report".

The former striker emphasized that there is no mental adaptation in the team:

"We have been seeing consecutive defeats for more than a year. We even lost in friendly matches. In my opinion, there is no mental adaptation. It is obvious that the players do not understand the head coach. In the time of Carlos Alberto Torres and Berti Vogts, there were different requirements. Today, it is necessary to work more with the national team. Perhaps he could not convey his thoughts to the players. But this is the head coach's weakness, and he is the main culprit for the defeat."

The expert believes that the abolition of the legionnaire limit in the 2025/2026 season also played a role in this result:

"Looking at the situation of both the head coach and the players, such a result was expected. We have been moving towards this for several months. Also, the abolition of the limit leads to this. It is true that each of the players in the squad plays for their clubs. But the removal of the limit leads to a decrease in the head coach's choice. I think that with such continuity, it will get even worse."

It should be noted that the Iceland-Azerbaijan match held yesterday ended with a 5:0 victory for the home team. The team will play its next match in this stage against the Ukrainian national team in Baku on September 9.