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The Latvian national team faced problems before the European Championship. The main Latvian center-back was "banished" to the second Moscow team. This year, the senior army coach Artur Jorge never once released Laizana into the main team lineup.
The Latvian defensive midfielder, who is one of the main "culprits" for the country's qualification for the European Championship, failed to find a common language with the new "red-and-blue" coach Artur Jorge. Even in pre-season friendly matches, Jorge would release Laizana, as they say, "just in case", in the second army lineup. This raised suspicions for the player, but he hoped that in official matches everything would be different, as it was under Gazzaev. However, the player's hopes were not fulfilled.
Sometimes it happens: no matter how well you play, how well you perform your functions on the field, or how much work you do, the coach won't let you on the field. Why? Valeriy Lobanovsky, the legend of Kyiv, explained that the player does not fit the playing model that the team's coach is trying to implement. Perhaps Laizana is the player who does not fit into the style of the Portuguese specialist's team.
The powerful Latvian (186 cm, 76 kg), who knows how to fight in the air and in defense and offense like no one else, fit well into Valery Gazzaev's "vertical" style of play. But for Jorge's team, which strives to play possession football, passing the ball on the ground and avoiding pressure, the not very technical Laizana seemed unnecessary.
One can argue about the decision of the Portuguese specialist (Laizana's determination and hard work would not disrupt the army's defensive line), but these disputes will not help the Latvian national team, preparing for Euro 2004. Alexander Starkovas, the Latvian national team coach, would like to see his main defensive midfielder actively involved in the game on the football field, not sitting on the bench.
Perhaps for this reason, Laizana was sent to the "CSKA" reserve team, where he not only maintains his physical fitness but also scores goals to prove to Jorge his right to a place in the main lineup. In one of the reserve team matches, Laizana scored two goals against the "Rostov-D" team (3-0). The player, whose fate is being worried about by Latvian fans, shared his emotions with journalists: "It's nice to score two goals. The truth is, it's a local achievement. It was difficult to play and even disgusting - the field was just terrible. But we dealt with this 'opponent'."
When asked if the head coach, Artur Jorge, plans to transfer him to the main "CSKA" lineup, Laizana replied: "In any case, I definitely won't play."
Of course, participating in reserve team matches will help Juri Laizan conserve his physical condition until Euro 2004. But what will he be able to show on the excellent fields of Portugal after the "battles" he has to play now? It is unclear whether this will be beneficial for the national team.
