- David Friel
ARMENIA boss Joaquin Caparros has slammed Uefa’s Nations League scheduling as BARBARIC.
The Spaniard hit out last night after they were forced to play four games in ten days — with a long-distance trip to Scotland in the middle.
Joaquin Caparros is unhappy with UEFA's Nations League fixture schedule
Armenia beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Yerevan on Saturday but Caparros admits that his players are already shattered ahead of Wednesday’s Hampden visit.
He said: “Playing four matches in ten days is barbaric. We must try to recover from the Ireland game and then travel to Scotland.
“The problem is with the players’ recovery process, as we are the team that must be 100 per cent committed.
“We will use all of the available means to rehabilitate the players in time for Wednesday.
“But there will be rotation in my team — I need to think of the condition of the squad.”
Armenia were beaten 9-0 by Norway in March but stunned Ireland with a 1-0 victory.
Stephen Kenny’s men toiled in the suffocating heat of Yerevan and Caparros hailed his players for bouncing back from the previous humiliation.
They now head to Scotland for Wednesday’s match before a stop-off in Poland to play Ukraine on Saturday.
Armenia then finish off a four-game burst with the Scots’ visit on Tuesday, June 14.
Caparros said: “It was easy for the players to feel down mentally after the Norway game.
“But the boys have good character and they proved it.
“It’s one of the greatest victories of the Armenian football team because Ireland is a very good team.”
Meanwhile, Craig Gordon believes that Scotland can handle the heat — as they look to earn six points in the Armenia double-header.
Gordon reckons Armenia's victory at the weekend should act as a warning for the Scots.
Ahead of Steve Clarke’s side welcoming Armenia to Hampden on Wednesday and heading there a week later — with a match against Ireland in Dublin in between.
Those three games will shape the Nations League group — as Scotland look to earn top spot along with Ukraine.
Scotland No1 Gordon would love to see a repeat of his experience facing Armenian champions Alashkert.
Celtic beat them 3-0 home and away in Champions League qualifiers in 2018.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/8971742/armenia-caparros-barbaric-uefa-nations-league/