Shirak Explains Why It Withdrew from Armenia's Premier League

The football club Shirak from Gyumri has issued a statement explaining why it has withdrawn from participating in the next season of the Armenian Premier League.

“Shirak Football Club has not submitted an application to participate in the 2021-22 Armenian top division, but the club will continue its operations and our team will apply to participate in the First Division championship. Shirak's youth teams will also continue their performances in various age championships across Armenia, where they have recorded numerous successes in recent years.

Regarding the refusal to participate in the top division, this is due to the fact that the leadership of the Football Federation of Armenia, despite its pre-election promises, has not yet established a Professional League that would allow clubs to compete fairly, without external interference. Recent seasons in the Armenian top division have been accompanied by numerous controversial episodes, backstage intrigues, and murky stories that have significantly affected the standings of the league.

Shirak club is ready to begin negotiations for the establishment of a Professional League starting tomorrow. We apologize to our supporters and hope that they understand the situation. Rest assured that this decision has not come easily to us, but in the current circumstances, we had no other option,” the statement reads.