VIDEO: The Armenian National Football Team Must Become a World or European Championship Awardee - Pashinyan

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, along with the head of the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan and other government members, attended an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Football Federation. The event also featured FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, as reported by the Armenian government.

During his speech, the Prime Minister congratulated the attendees and representatives of the football community on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian Football Federation. He stated, “In our strategy for transforming Armenia by 2050, we have set the following goal: the Armenian national football team must become an awardee in the World or European Championship. Generally, how realistic is it to solve this issue? Usually, we envision football and focus on the 90 minutes that occur live and are broadcasted. In reality, the victories on the field during those 90 minutes are not created; they are solely recorded. It is crucial to consider what happens before and after those 90 minutes. It is perhaps this work done in these two directions that determines the future of football.”

“But in these bitter days for football, I want to evaluate the state of our football. To accurately assess this, we must look at what happens beyond the 90 minutes. Today, this audience is a significant acknowledgment that the Republic of Armenia, represented by the presidents of FIFA and UEFA and their organizations, has acquired a very reliable partner. I want to especially welcome our partners—the presidents of FIFA and UEFA—who are present at this important event for us. But unlike live broadcasts, the expression of that friendship and reliable partnership is not limited to these, so to speak, 90 minutes; it encompasses what has occurred before that.”

“Over the past three years, with the support of FIFA, the Armenian Football Federation has created 90 new small playing fields in 7 regions of Armenia, where FIFA will support with around $2.5 million. This is a significant investment in the future of Armenian football because the fate of those future 90 minutes is determined in those rural fields, which should unite children and gather the adults around them, forging, fighting, and creating a team spirit that will lead our country and our football to victories.”

“I want to express my words of appreciation for the support provided by UEFA. In particular, tomorrow the Abovyan city stadium will be inaugurated, which has been renovated within the framework of UEFA’s hat-trick program. With the assistance of UEFA, the Vanadzor stadium is being constructed and reconstructed. Soon we will have a football school for one of our greatest players of our times, Khoren Hovhannisyan, which is also being built with the support of UEFA. Lighting systems will be installed at the Shengavit stadium, the Gyumri city stadium, and the total investments facilitated by UEFA will amount to around $5 million. FIFA’s president noted today that these 90 small fields will soon become 300 in the Republic of Armenia.”

“Today we discussed with the FIFA president, during our previous meeting also with the UEFA president, the possibility of constructing a new stadium in Armenia that meets contemporary standards from scratch. I am very pleased that on the path to achieving all our goals, we have reliable partners such as FIFA, represented by President Gianni Infantino, and UEFA, represented by President Aleksander Čeferin. I am confident that we will reach our goals on this path.”

“Dear colleagues, football holds great significance for us and has economic, athletic, socio-psychological, and political importance. The Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people have had great successes in the field of sports. Usually, when we discuss the successes of Armenian sports in intimate gatherings, nearly all circles and families reach the point that we are successful in individual sports and less successful in team sports. This is precisely the message we are conveying—because this has such political significance, as the spirit of teamwork and the logic of teamwork is a phenomenon that has significant potential for development in the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Armenia needs to develop that logic, and football holds exceptional importance in achieving this goal.”

“Modern football is an institutional phenomenon, and I hope that through the presented developments in football, institutional thinking will become a daily reality in the Republic of Armenia. Once again congratulating everyone on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Football Federation, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the development of Armenian football throughout this time, whether they are athletes, coaches, investors, organizers, or officials. I hope that by taking the contributions of these individuals into account, we will be able to elevate it to such heights that we will proudly remember the past, acknowledge it, and multiply our previous pride.”

I want to welcome all players of the Armenian national team from all times and say: know that in difficult times, we are always by your side. In good times, many will be by your side, but in difficult times, remember that we are always by your side and are ready to support you in any way we can. The next important nuance is that we should all stand by our national team and our football not only when they win but also when they face difficulties, because these are our difficulties; they are challenges we all face together, and we must overcome these together.”

“Once again, congratulations to all, and I thank you for your service.”