Mkhitaryan, to put it mildly, doesn’t care about the national team, says AFF official

The president of the Armenian Football Federation's Internal Audit and Compliance Committee, Mesrop Arakelyan, who is also an advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia, believes that serious changes are needed in Armenian football. He made this statement on his Facebook page.

According to him, there is even a need to change the captain. He believes that captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan does not care about the team.

“The tragedy of Armenian football has decades of foundation. Local, short-term successes have pushed back long-term goals. Every time we are a little short of reaching the finals of the World or European Championships. If we had won this, if he had played, if... If... We have not had and do not have the goal and plans to become a football country. We must understand that it will be a very long time before we qualify for the finals of the World or European Championships. Such ambitions crush everyone, leaving the last player just to play with the ball,” he wrote.

“To become a football country we need:

• Football infrastructure—lots of stadiums and small fields, a fantastic national stadium,
• Popularization of youth football—implementation of the previous Leather Ball format,
• Gradual introduction of a limit on legionnaires in the Armenian premier league—only 2 Armenians are among the top 20 scorers,
• Implementation of state comprehensive programs supporting football investments,
• A sharp change in the atmosphere of the national team—even a change of captain, who today, to put it mildly, doesn’t care about the national team,
• Prompt resolution of the issue of EAEU legionnaires.

Above all, football remains a game where nothing is guaranteed,” he wrote.

The Armenian national football team recently concluded its performance in the Euro 2020 qualifying round, where it ranked second to last with only 10 points. In its last match, it suffered a humiliating defeat on the opponent's field, losing 9-1 to Italy. This was a negative record; it was the first time in history that Armenia lost by an 8-goal difference.