Ruan Renato could benefit the Azerbaijani national team.

Axar.az reports that “Zira” head coach Rashad Sadygov said this while commenting on reports about the possible inclusion of the Brazilian-born player in the Azerbaijan national team.

He stated that the 31-year-old footballer should make his own decision:

“There’s a difference between one foreign player and another. In Renato, you can see Azerbaijani traits — his character and sense of patriotism. If there’s a need for a player in a certain position, someone like him can be naturalized. But it’s not up to me — he must decide for himself. As Zira’s coach, I’m not exactly happy about it; it doesn’t benefit me if he goes back and forth to the national team. However, if he’s naturalized, he could be useful — it would create competition in that position.”

It should be noted that Ruan Renato played for “Gabala” from 2021 to 2023 and has been representing “Zira” since 2023.