Before the glamour of facing England in Riga next Tuesday, Latvia’s national football team must first deal with an equally important challenge – Andorra. Ahead of the World Cup qualifier at Daugava Stadium, head coach Paolo Nicolato and midfielder Renārs Varslavāns emphasized that all attention remains firmly on the next match, not the headlines to come.
Injuries have complicated Latvia’s preparations, with Jaunzems, Tobers, and Melnis all ruled out. Still, Nicolato insists the team will adapt.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he admitted. “We’ve lost key players, and not everyone is ready for 90 minutes, but that’s our reality. The important thing is that everyone available is motivated and ready to give what they can.”
Asked about the looming clash with England, Nicolato was quick to refocus the narrative.
“Right now, England doesn’t exist. Our only goal is to beat Andorra. It’s a different kind of game – we’ll need to attack more, control the ball, and find ways to break down a deep defense. That’s what we’ve been training for.”
Varslavāns echoed his coach’s words:
“We’ve talked only about Andorra. They defend well and can be dangerous if we switch off. It’ll be a real test of patience and precision.”
Using one of his trademark metaphors, Nicolato described the team’s progress with a smile:
“I told the players – I’ve given you the car, but you’re the ones who have to drive it. We started as a Fiat, but now we’re a team. Maybe not a big one yet, but we have direction and spirit. That makes us tough to beat.”
Varslavāns added his own twist:
“Against Andorra we might be driving a small BMW, but against England, we’ll need something stronger – like a Ford F-150,” he joked.
With several absences, fresh names are set to get their chance. Nicolato highlighted Ingars Pūlis, Danila Patijčuks, and Maksims Toņiševs as players ready to step up.
“Pūlis is a natural finisher – we don’t have many like him. Patijčuks brings technical quality, and Toņiševs has been training very well. This is their moment.”
Varslavāns, who played alongside Pūlis at Valmiera, was full of praise:
“He’s hungry to score and always finds space. You’d rather have him with you than against you.”
Latvian National team game against Andorra inside the BTA Daugava Stadium will start tomorrow at 4 PM local time.
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/latvijas_izlase/10102025-ar_bmw_pret_andoru_un_lielo_i_ford_i_pret
