I Cannot Be Happy or Calm That Ronaldo Is Not There, Says Yeghishe Melikyan

The head coach of the Armenian national football team, Yeghishe Melikyan, addressed journalists during a pre-match press conference before the last round of Group F in the European qualification for the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Portugal.

“You say there is no pressure, but I feel that the team carries responsibility. When there is responsibility, you also feel pressure because we must represent our country and our football. Yes, you are right that this is a serious opponent for us. Today, we cannot achieve an outcome that would allow us to be at ease against this team. However, this match can benefit our young players, which is our goal, as we are in a phase of constructive work. This team will put us under serious pressure, and under pressure, I need to understand what level our collective and individual work is at. I'm also curious to see how we have changed in the last two to three months, considering our unsuccessful first match and the poor performance and score,” he said.

“This is a good test. We are ready. True, we have many losses, but we are ready to fight, and as a coach, I will work to get the most out of our team. The game between Portugal and Ireland showed that anything is possible in football, but theoretically, the gap between our national team and Portugal's is very large. Regarding Ronaldo, I must say that the Portuguese national team has so many resources and players in their country that they always gather the best. I am convinced that there can be a very good player in place of Ronaldo, and I cannot be happy or calm that Ronaldo is not there. There is a very strong Portuguese national team, and we are working to be able to compete against this team.”