Latvia will wrap up their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday with an away match against Serbia – the national team’s final game of the year. Before the match Vladislavs Gutkovskis and manager Paolo Nicolato answered to the journalist questions in a pre-match press conference.
Forward Vladislavs Gutkovskis emphasized that, despite the match having no impact on the standings, the team’s attitude won’t change. “Every appearance for the national team is important. Many players have already finished their club seasons, but we still have to push ourselves to the limit. We want to close the year on a good note, and we’re aiming to win,” he said. “The first meeting between the teams doesn’t matter now – each match begins at 0:0. We had opportunities to level the score in Riga, but luck didn’t favour us. Hopefully tomorrow we can finally turn those chances into a result.”
Gutkovskis also acknowledged Serbia’s strength: “They have top-level players. We may have to defend for long stretches, but we must be ready to use any chances we get.”
Head coach Paolo Nicolato offered his assessment of the qualifying cycle, noting that the team has made progress compared to the previous campaign.
“Last qualifying cycle we lost nine games and won only one. This year the picture is better – just four defeats, including two against England. Overall, I’m pleased with our progress,” he said. Nicolato also stressed that the team has dealt with significant absences all year, with players like Tobers, Uldriķis, Šits, Varslavāns and Jaunzems missing for stretches, and now Cigaņiks, Černomordijs and Balodis also unavailable for the Serbia match. “We’re missing eight players who could easily be starters. Even so, the team has consistently shown character.”
After two years in charge, Nicolato believes he has a clear understanding of where Latvian football stands: “We need to raise individual quality, give players more international experience, and expand the pool of players ready for the national team. Right now, the national team’s level is a reflection of our football system.”
Regarding Serbia’s recent coaching change, he noted that their style has shifted somewhat, but insisted Latvia’s focus must remain on its own performance: “We know the difference in experience and quality, but we’ve shown we can compete.”
Source: https://lff.lv/zinas/18647/v-gutkovskis-gribam-pabeigt-gadu-laba-noskanojuma/
