Latvia head coach Paolo Nicolato insisted his side’s fourth-place finish at the Baltic Cup should not overshadow the progress made by a number of younger players, despite Tuesday’s 0-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands in Rīga.
The Italian admitted the result was disappointing, but felt his team performed many aspects of the game well and were unfortunate not to take more from the match.
“It is difficult to comment on this game because overall we did many things very well,” Nicolato said after the final whistle. “Of course, we also made some mistakes, but at this moment I think the players did everything they could because we were a little tired. We tried to dominate the game and at certain moments we succeeded.”
Latvia enjoyed more possession for long spells but once again struggled to convert control into clear chances, something Nicolato identified as the team’s biggest issue.
“In the final third we were not ready enough to finish our attacks,” he said. “We lacked determination. I don’t know if we deserved to lose, but we have to accept it because we allowed the opponent two or three very dangerous opportunities.”
The Latvian coach believes the answer lies not in tactics but in improving the quality and efficiency of his players in attacking areas.
“We need more quality in the final third,” Nicolato explained. “Especially when opponents defend very close to their own goal, it becomes difficult because we don’t have many options. We don’t have a player who regularly scores goals. We need to get into the penalty area through combinations and be more active there.”
One recurring theme during Nicolato Latvia’s era has been stronger second-half performances, something that was again visible against both Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. Nicolato acknowledged the pattern but admitted he does not yet have a complete explanation.
“I don’t know,” he said when asked why Latvia often improve after the break. “It is true that our style of play is based on possession. In the first half it is probably easier for opponents to deal with that. In the second half they become tired because they have to run a lot. But it is also true that we need to start games better than we have been doing. We ourselves want better starts.”
Despite the disappointing finish to the tournament, Nicolato highlighted several younger players who benefited from valuable international experience. Among them was Kristaps Grabovskis, who started both matches and earned praise from the coach.
“We need to give players experience,” Nicolato said. “That is why players like Grabovskis and Vapne are playing. We take a certain risk because we want to develop their quality and experience.”
The coach described the 20-year-old winger as one of the most promising players in the squad but pointed to physical development as the next step.
“In my opinion, he is one of the most interesting players from this camp. He is very good with the ball and I like him a lot. But he definitely needs more physical strength. If he already had that, perhaps he would be playing at a higher level.”
Nicolato also praised Eduards Emsis, who returned to the national team after a lengthy absence. “I think he is a player who can operate very well in the centre of the pitch,” Nicolato said. “He understands football very well. He is not a player who will do something spectacular, but he is very useful for the team.”
The Latvia manager rejected suggestions that Frenks Dāvids Orols’ appearances in both Baltic Cup matches automatically make him the national team’s first-choice goalkeeper.
“We do not have one number one goalkeeper,” Nicolato explained. “We have three goalkeepers who can all be number one. Every time we will evaluate the situation and choose the player who is in the best condition. Honestly, the goalkeeper position is my smallest problem because they are all very strong.”
Reflecting on the wider picture, Nicolato believes Latvia are developing the correct football identity, even if results have not always reflected it.
“The conclusions are more or less the same,” he said. “The team now has the right attitude when playing with the ball. We need to improve how we control transitions from attack to defence and vice versa. I like the team’s attitude, but we need to learn to manage certain moments better.”
The Italian also delivered a passionate defence of the national team when asked about Latvia’s modest attendance figures and whether supporters were becoming frustrated with results.
“If people only come because of results, then they do not love the team,” Nicolato said. “If you love your team, your national team, you come when it wins and when it loses. I want to thank the spectators who came, but there were not many of them. It is difficult for me to understand that attitude. Maybe my culture is different. We do not support a team because it wins. We support it because it is our team, part of our heart.”
The 58-year-old also addressed questions regarding striker Raimonds Krollis, confirming that the forward had been called up but declined the invitation due to medical reasons.
“We called him up, but he decided not to come,” Nicolato said. “We invited him to the last four camps and every time there was some issue. We cannot force a player to come.”
While leaving the door open for a future return, Nicolato made it clear that commitment remains a key requirement for selection.
“Of course he is a player who can help the national team, but we need players who are fully motivated to be here. For me, the national team is a privilege. I am not going to beg anyone to come.”
Despite Latvia ending the Baltic Cup in fourth place, Nicolato believes the June camp provided useful answers ahead of September’s UEFA Nations League campaign. “We found some good players,” he concluded. “Some of them can be very useful for us in the future.”
Nicolato ended the press conference by addressing speculation surrounding when his contract ended. He revealed that after his contract expired in November, he personally proposed a short-term extension through the March matches against Gibraltar rather than immediately accepting a longer agreement.
The Italian also disclosed that he received serious offers from both a club and another national team earlier this year but chose to remain with Latvia.
“In January I had very serious offers, from a club and also from another national team,” Nicolato revealed. “But I wanted to stay because the players, the federation and my staff wanted me to stay. I was happy here.”
He rejected suggestions that Latvia had been without a coach during the spring while contract negotiations continued.
“Formally we did not have a contract, but in reality we continued working every day. We simply needed time to agree on the details.”
