The press conference at the AFFA Headquarters featured the head coach of the Azerbaijan national team, Fernando Santos. During the conference, the Portuguese coach addressed questions from the media and announced the team for the upcoming matches against Estonia and Slovakia in the UEFA Nations League phase.
Santos expressed confidence in the team's ability to achieve a positive outcome in the upcoming games, stating: "We will be facing Slovakia once again. Our opponents are strong, but I have faith in my players. I believe they can perform even better. Our goal is to win every game, and that's why we step onto the field. We need to think and act as a cohesive team and be more assertive with the ball. We are aware of the changes we need to make and the steps we need to take. Our focus is on the future, not just one game. I have seen great enthusiasm from our players, and we need to maintain this spirit. I am confident that we will achieve our objectives."
The head coach emphasized that they are closely monitoring all the players: "No player should assume that their place in the starting lineup is guaranteed. Players should focus on representing the Azerbaijani national team. The decision of who will play and who will be on the bench is solely up to the coach. The selection of players for the national team is my responsibility. My assistants and I carefully observe almost all the games in the Azerbaijan championship, as well as those who play abroad and are televised. No player is selected for the national team based on personal connections. My phone is always off-limits. I have always operated in this manner, and it's my duty. You can be certain that there is no external influence in my decisions; it's impossible."
It's worth mentioning that Azerbaijan will play against Estonia in Tallinn on October 11, and Slovakia in Baku on October 14.