I Am the Main Culprit, While the Players Gave Their All: Petrakov on the Defeat

The head coach of the Armenian national football team, Alexander Petrakov, believes that he is primarily to blame for the defeat against Turkey. He made this statement during a press conference after the Armenia-Turkey match.

“If you want to blame me, go ahead, but our players played with complete dedication. There were tactical mistakes, but overall I am satisfied with the performance of our team. We changed our game system during the match, but the opponent did the same. It is difficult to properly familiarize oneself with the players and their capabilities in just one week,” said Petrakov.

He also addressed the performance of newcomers Nair Tiknizyan, Uguchukwu Iwu, and Georgi Harutyunyan. “Although these players were wearing the Armenian national team's jersey for the first time, I am pleased with their play. As for the competitiveness on the field, I need to sleep, relax, and then watch the game again to understand everything. In any case, the team lost, and I am first and foremost to blame,” emphasized Petrakov.

The head coach noted that he will be looking for and inviting new players to the national team in the near future.

It is worth noting that in the opening match of the Euro 2024 qualifying round, the Armenian team hosted the Turkish team and suffered a painful defeat with a score of 1:2. On March 28, the Armenian national team will play a friendly match against the national team of Cyprus. Armenia competes in Group D, where its opponents include Croatia, Turkey, Wales, and Latvia.