Following the 2-1 loss to FK Tukums on Matchday 19, BFC Daugavpils‘ assistant coach fired off at the Latvian forward Valerijs Lizunovs, following his goal drought.
The 21-year-old has appeared in 16 games, of which 11 he has started, for Daugavpils so far this season, but is yet to score a single goal. The RFS loanee’s previous season at Tukums wasn’t the most convincing one either, as Lizunovs scored just three times in 21 appearances.
Daugavpils’ assistant coach Jurijs Sokolovs finally spoke out on his form in the press conference, even saying that these kinds of performances will result in him playing for a local amateur-level team:
“In my opinion, his next season will be in the [Daugavpils’] city’s championship in the ‘Victory’ team. I also don’t understand why he’s performing like this.
Lizunovs’ bad form wasn’t the case in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The young Latvian forward spent back-to-back seasons on loan at Daugavpils, scoring 19 goals across the two seasons and being one of the most effective Latvian players in the league at a young age.
The same hasn’t been for the last two seasons as he’s scored just three times in his last 37 games, compared to 19 goals in 61 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Jurijs Sokolovs added, saying:
“I know him as an effective player, who’s always dangerous. Unfortunately, this season he’s not like that.”
Lizunovs is still just 21 years old, and with the European qualifiers coming around the corner, he has time and a great opportunity to turn things around.
