It Was a Draw Against Turkey: Petrakov

The head coach of the Armenian national football team, Ukrainian Aleksandr Petrakov, answered journalists' questions at a press conference ahead of a friendly match against the Cyprus team. He also commented on the 1-2 home loss to Turkey in the first round of the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament.

“Yesterday we worked in two groups. The players who participated in the match against Turkey had a recovery training, while the substitutes trained fully. Today, during training, we will determine the physical condition of the players with indicators.

“Cyprus is a good mid-level European team. I watched their match against Scotland. They did not look bad. They played defensively. The team is well-coached by Georgian head coach Ketsbaia. When talking about the match against Turkey, it must be noted that every player from the Turkish national team excels individually over the players from Armenia in their positions. They play in leading leagues in Europe. Our players managed to reduce that difference due to their strong desire. That loss affected me because I have lost very few times in my life. It was a draw game. I was surprised that a penalty was not awarded in the episode with Taron Voskanyan's injury, but it is a European trend. Referees tend to rule in favor of stronger teams in controversial situations. The referee did not even resort to VAR's help. Our players also made some childish mistakes.

“Tomorrow, we will have the opportunity for 6 changes in the friendly match against Cyprus. To play with short and medium passes, the right type of players need to be in the team and have the appropriate playing level. We are not ready for that. I also like to play with short passes and control the ball. But that requires time, and we do not have it.

“We expect experiments with the starting lineup and substitutions. I don't know how they will cope psychologically. There will be changes. The most important thing is for the players to trust the coach, listen, and understand.”

Petrakov expressed satisfaction with the game discipline of the players in the match against Turkey. “The entire coaching staff worked with the players. They didn't play poorly for the first game. I am pleased with the boys' attitude towards work and football. Tomorrow's match has a different nature. I hope there will be a serious approach.”

“Ararat Monroy has not declined, but he noted that it is a tough period for him, as he wants to become established in the club. I told him that he might not be here next time. Shagoyan and Serobyan were not on the roster. I had a good conversation with them. I told them that they are the future of the national team. Babayan has returned to Denmark because his wife is about to give birth,” mentioned Aleksandr Petrakov.

The Armenia-Cyprus friendly match will take place on March 28 and will start at 19:00. In the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament, the Cyprus team is in Group A along with Spain, Norway, Scotland, and Georgia. In the first round, the Cyprus team lost to Scotland with a score of 0-3.