Sadygov confirmed as Azeri coach
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Article summary
Vagif Sadygov has been made permanent coach of the Azerbaijan national side.
Article body
Nine days before the opening EURO 2004™ qualifier against Italy, Vagif Sadygov was officially confirmed as head coach of the Azerbaijan national side today.
Undefeated run
During his spell as caretaker coach, Sadygov led Azerbaijan on a four-game undefeated run in international friendlies, persuading the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) to make the appointment permanent. It will be the 43-year-old Sadygov's second spell with the national side, after previously holding the post between October 1996 and February 1999.
'Responsible for the result'
Since leaving the job in 1999, Sadygov has been with Azerbaijani club side FC Shafa, but will now focus all his energies on the national team. "A national side should have an official head coach, who is responsible for the result," he said. "In this case, if we lose and fans throw bottles at me from the stands, I am aware of my direct responsibility for the result."
Italy game
Asked about the upcoming encounter with Italy, Sadygov said: "If we speak about the game with Italy, we will not see new faces. Our team at the moment is the best Azerbaijan can offer, but we will call on youth in the future."
