Latvia head coach Paolo Nicolato discussed a wide range of topics after announcing his 26-man squad for the opening matches of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign. Speaking at the Latvian Football Federation’s new office next to Skonto Stadium, the Italian addressed Denniss Cirkins’ arrival, several new faces, Latvia’s goalkeeper and midfield situations, and the challenge of playing four competitive matches in only 11 days.
On Denniss Cirkins, his fitness and how he could fit alongside Andrejs Cigaņiks:
“He’s almost ready, not completely ready. First of all, we are very happy because he decided to come after he was with us in March. I think he appreciated our way of working and decided to join us. This is very important for us and for the whole environment.
“We achieved an agreement with his club that he can play two matches, the first two matches. I think it is the right solution and the right balance because we also need to protect the player. He started his season around five weeks ago, so for him four matches in a row would be too much.
“We also need to think about how to use him and Cigaņiks because, for sure, they have to play. In my opinion, the best players have to play. We need to find a solution to put both in the team. I prefer one good player in the wrong position than a worse player in the right position.”
On Markuss Strods, Alberts Aleksanjans and bringing young players into the senior team:
“It was my idea. I spoke with them and I was also in Ireland to see Strods play. We know these players because they have played with our youth national teams. In this moment we needed to refresh the squad a little bit. In my opinion, these are players who have a future with our team.
“Both are wingers, more or less one on the left and the other on the right, but they can also play in other positions. Strods can probably play as a full-back or second striker. Aleksanjans can also play as a striker. He is very tall and although he plays as a winger for his club, I think he can occupy other positions as well.
“Aleksanjans played a very good game recently with his team. His team is leading the second division in Sweden and they are dominating the league. Strods started playing with his team at the beginning of the season, then had some injury problems and struggled a little bit, but we know him very well from the youth national teams.
“When you are a national team, you cannot think about the past of the player, the name of the player or the club of the player. You have to think about the present. I think the present shows us that these players are almost ready to come with us.”
Nicolato was also asked about other U21 players who could be approaching the senior squad, including Mežsargs and Ivans Patrikejevs. He believes Strods and Aleksanjans are currently more prepared for the step up, although Patrikejevs remains among the players being monitored for future camps.
On Oskars Rubenis, defensive depth and the need to create more options:
“If I have to be honest, for me Rubenis’ best position is on the right. Taking into account his experience, he can also be useful on the left. But if I have to choose his best position, it is on the right.
“In this moment I don’t consider him as a forward player. Especially on the flanks, I think we have enough players. We have more problems at full-back, especially on the right, and we need to create some competition there.
“I don’t think it is possible for our players to play four matches in a row so close together. We always struggle when playing the second match, so you can imagine the third and fourth. I don’t know if all the other options are ready, but we cannot wait for ready players because we don’t have ready players in this moment. We need to give them experience and confidence, and we need to take some risks.”
Oskars Vientiess is another defender who could benefit from the demanding schedule. Nicolato praised the uncapped 23-year-old for his development in the Czech Republic and suggested that he is likely to receive an opportunity during the window.
“He is doing very well. I think he has improved a lot and I hope he can help us because the situation with defenders is also not so good. I think he will have some minutes because with four matches we need more players.”
On injuries and other players being monitored:
Raimonds Krollis and Dario Šits are among the players unavailable through injury, while Nicolato also highlighted the difficult season Kristers Penkevics has endured because of repeated physical problems.
“For Penkevics, this season has not been very lucky because he has had a lot of different injuries and has struggled a lot. But for me, he can be a good player for us in the future. We need to have more players. I cannot call up all the players at the same time, but we need to increase the number of players available to us.”
One notable omission is Marko Regža. Nicolato was reluctant to discuss players outside the squad in detail, stressing that he wanted to respect those who had been selected, but confirmed that leaving the striker out was a technical decision.
“We know Marko. In this moment I took this decision. There is a technical reason and it is my responsibility to choose another player. I have chosen him many times before and he was with us in almost every camp, more or less. But I prefer to speak about the players who are here.”
On Latvia’s shortage of midfielders and Deniss Meļņiks’ future position:
“The situation is not so good from my side, especially when we talk about midfielders. Try to imagine, in this moment we have five midfielders. We have one midfielder who is now playing as a full-back, one who is playing in the Norwegian second division, another one is playing for Jelgava, another for Super Nova, and Savaļjevs is not playing in Kyrgyzstan.
“I cannot say that I am happy about the situation of midfielders in this country in general. I have tried to find other solutions, but it is very difficult because, to be honest, in this moment we are not producing midfielders.”
Meļņiks can provide another option in the middle of the pitch, but Nicolato increasingly sees the Falkirk player as a defender.
“Meļņiks is playing for his club as a defender. Thinking about his future, I think he has to play as a defender in general. For sure, we can use him as an option in midfield as well, but to be honest, I prefer him as a defender.”
On the goalkeeper situation and whether Latvia have a clear number one:
“It’s not about the mistakes, but it is true that in this moment their performances are not so good. My expectations for the goalkeepers are higher because I think they have the ability to be better than this. I’m not talking only about mistakes. In this moment, I don’t feel the kind of confidence that a goalkeeper has to have.
“I didn’t change my general opinion during the summer. I think they are good, they have potential and their behaviour with us is perfect. But I also need to take their performances into account. Puriņš, in my opinion, has to be with us because he has performed better. The present is showing that these are the goalkeepers who deserve to stay with us.
“I think it is too early to decide who will play. I cannot hide that this choice is a little bit difficult for different reasons. I want to take my time and see them on the pitch. I don’t have a number one. My players are 26 and all the players are number one. If they show that they are the best player in this moment, they play. It doesn’t matter about age.”
On having only two natural centre-forwards and Eduards Dašķevičs’ role:
Nicolato acknowledged that Vladislavs Gutkovskis and Roberts Uldriķis are the squad’s two conventional centre-forwards, but believes there are enough alternatives to change the attacking structure. Aleksanjans can move centrally, while Jānis Ikaunieks and Kristaps Grabovskis are options as second strikers.
“If I want to play with two strikers, I prefer not to have two central strikers. I prefer one central striker plus one player who is able to play between the lines. For example, Ikaunieks or Grabovskis, this kind of player. I don’t like playing with two central strikers together.”
One player whose place appears increasingly secure is Auda captain Eduards Dašķevičs, who has been among the standout performers in the Virslīga this season.
“For us he is a very important player. I think he will play for sure, 100 percent. I cannot put all the players on the pitch at the same time and there are some strategies where we can use Dašķevičs and some where we can use other players. But for me, in this moment, Eduards has to play. This is my opinion. He has to play.”
Nicolato added that he currently sees Dašķevičs primarily as a winger.
On new assistant coach Gatis Kalniņš:
“I thought that we needed to have another guy in our team. I think he has the ability and knowledge to stay with us. I have known him for around two years and I think he is an interesting coach who is able to help us and share our concepts.
“For me, the level [Gatis Kalniņš is manager of the second division side Valmiera FC – author] where somebody works does not determine the level of the coach. It is about knowledge, attitude and the way they communicate. You can work in the third division and still have the same qualities as someone working in the first division.”
On the difficulties of a four-match international window:
“There is a big difference between two matches and four matches, especially for us because we don’t have a lot of players. The difference between my team in Italy and here is that in Italy you could change more or less 20 players and have more or less the same level. Here the difference between the first choices and second choices is bigger.
“We realised that we have basically only one proper training session to prepare for the first match. A lot of players play on Sunday, so on Monday we cannot do anything. Wednesday is a good day, then we have to travel and play on Friday. After that we travel again, recover and prepare for another match.
“This is why I’m trying to increase the number of players available to us. It’s not just about quality, it’s also about quantity because you need more players to play this kind of competition.”
On Latvia’s development and expanding the player pool:
“I think we have improved some things. Other things, no. But in terms of technical quality, I think now we are better than before. But we don’t have to lose our soul. That is probably the next step we need to take.
“We need to remember who we are and what our level is. We are Latvia. We need to fight every game and struggle every day. For sure, we will make mistakes every game. We need to accept these mistakes, react to them and find a way to win.
“Yes, I have a bigger list, but it is full of players who are not ready. When I say not ready, I mean not ready for international football and this level of football. But it is full of players who can become ready, and this is what we want to do. We need to work with these players.
“Especially inside the country, we need to improve the number of Latvian players in the Virslīga and the number of good Latvian players in the Virslīga.”
On Latvia’s Nations League target and his desire to win again:
“For me it is very difficult because I miss winning a lot. Just to be clear, I miss winning a lot. I was used to winning a lot before this last year and for me it is difficult.
“I want to win. It doesn’t matter about the opponent, I want to win. I’m a little bit fed up with this situation. I’m tired of losing or drawing. We need to find a way to win even when we play against a strong team.
“Every match has to be the same for us. Behind every match there can be an opportunity to win. Our attitude has to be very aggressive. Believe me, I’m very tired of this situation because I miss the feeling after you win a match.
“This is the moment where we also have to achieve something. It’s not enough to work a lot. We need to achieve something. We need to push much more than this.”
Latvia will start their National League campaign with away game against Armenia next Friday.
