Following the FFA President’s Statement
On October 21, Armen Melikbekyan made a statement, noting that the strategic programs of the FFA had not been fulfilled. The president addressed the main reasons:
Only two months after I was elected, the entire world came to a standstill for a long time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Then came the 44-day war with its gravest consequences for our country. In 2022, the conflict in Ukraine began, completely reshaping almost all global realities, making even the movement of teams a challenge in football. The transformation of the foreign exchange market also dealt a serious blow to financial stability, and during this time, Armenian football did not receive all the resources, the expected revenues, that would have ensured the implementation of most of the strategic points.
Following Armen Melikbekyan’s statement, it should be noted that during the coronavirus pandemic, the neighboring Georgian national team managed to secure a spot in the final phase of the European Championship through the Nations League. Georgia’s under-21 national team earned the right to participate in the playoffs for a spot in the final phase of the European Championship, while Armenia’s under-21 national team ranked 50th out of 52 countries in terms of points earned in that tournament and 51st in terms of goals scored.
The Russia-Ukraine war did not affect Ukrainian football either. The teams have participated and continue to participate in prestigious European tournaments. The Ukrainian national team also took part in the final phase of the European Championship.
When talking about domestic championship matches, attention should be given to the scheduling. On the day of the Conference League group stage match between “Noah” and “Mladá Boleslav,” the central match of the Fastex Armenian Premier League round was held.
Recently, the Armenian national team suffered a defeat from the North Macedonian national team (2-0) in the UEFA Nations League C division, Group D. After the match, the team’s head coach, Aleksandr Petrakov, was dismissed. FAF continues to demand the resignation of the FFA president.