Baku, September 8, 2025
Azerbaijan’s national football federation has dismissed head coach Fernando Santos after a string of poor results, the body’s general secretary Jahangir Farajullayev announced at a press conference.
The Portuguese manager, who previously led Portugal to a European Championship title, left his post by mutual agreement with the Azerbaijan Football Federations Association (AFFA).
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More to read:
From Bozbash to Bureaucracy: How Azerbaijani Football Lost Its Way
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The under-21 national team coach, Ayhan Abbasov, will take charge of the senior side for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Baku on September 9.
Santos oversaw 11 matches in charge of Azerbaijan. The team failed to record a single victory under his leadership, losing nine times and drawing twice.
His departure comes as Azerbaijan struggles to improve its standing in European football and faces mounting pressure to deliver competitive results on the international stage.
