Yeghishe Melikyan appointed head coach of the Armenian national team

Today, the Executive Committee of the Football Federation of Armenia approved the candidacy of 46-year-old Yeghishe Melikyan as head coach of the national team. The agreement with the new coach runs until November 2026.

In his first statement after the appointment, Melikyan emphasized the significance of the moment:

"It is a great honor for me to lead the Armenian national team. I understand the responsibility that lies ahead, and I am ready to walk this path with full dedication. All decisions will be made solely in the interests of the team and Armenian football. Now it is important to unite our efforts, and I call on everyone who loves football to rally around the national team."

FFA President Armen Melikbekyan noted that this decision is linked to a new course in the development of the national team:

"We are grateful to John van’t Schip for the work he has done, but the time has come to entrust the team to an Armenian specialist who perfectly understands the inner workings of our football. Yeghishe Melikyan has gone from being a national team player to becoming a two-time national champion as a coach."

From 2021 to 2025, Melikyan coached Pyunik, leading the club to two Armenian Premier League titles and, for the first time in its history, into the group stage of the UEFA Conference League. He previously worked with Alashkert and the Ukrainian clubs Lviv and Stal.

As a player, Melikyan made 30 appearances for the Armenian national team, playing as a left-back.

The previous head coach, Dutchman John van’t Schip, managed the national team for four matches before being dismissed on August 4.

Melikyan’s first match in charge will be against Portugal in the opening round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — on September 6 in Yerevan.