Yeghishe Melikyan: “Portugal crushed us with quality, but Armenia has a future”

On September 6, after Armenia’s heavy defeat to Portugal (0:5) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, head coach Yeghishe Melikyan held a press conference.

The new head coach of Armenia noted the high level of the opponent, admitted his team’s mistakes, but emphasized that young players had the chance to gain valuable experience. Melikyan also spoke about squad decisions, the team’s prospects, and the tasks ahead for the upcoming matches against Ireland and Hungary.

Yeghishe Melikyan’s press conference after the Armenia – Portugal match (0:5)

“It may seem that Armenian players fought poorly for the ball, but I’ll say this: against such a Portugal, it is incredibly difficult to win the ball back. I told my players not to get into physical duels, but to defend in other ways. The players did everything correctly, but Portugal crushed us with their quality.

On the other hand, I’m glad that we have such young players in our squad who, at such an early age, get the chance to gain this kind of experience against a strong team. This will help us build the national team I envision for the future. Of course, losing heavily at home, even to Portugal, is unpleasant, and I apologize for the result.

I don’t want to make excuses for such a score; we lost deservedly. But I know why I came here and what I will do. It’s important for us now not to get discouraged, not to lose hope, and to move forward together, supporting each other,” said Yeghishe Melikyan at the start.

— Why did you choose Tigran Barseghyan as captain?

— I chose Tigran only for this match. In the future, I will think more about it and analyze. That said, Barseghyan is a very experienced player, already a veteran, so the choice should not be surprising. In Armenia’s national team, we have a tradition that the captain should be one of the older players. Yes, Spertsyan is our leader, a current and future star, a player of European level. His time will also come to be captain — he already deserves it now, and I’m sure he will become captain in the future.

— Only three days remain before the match against Ireland. Will there be changes to the lineup?

— I cannot say yet. We need to analyze this match, understand if there are injuries or fatigue among the players.

— Portugal is one of the strongest teams in the world. How do you think it was possible to beat such a team? Which tactic could have worked — more attacking or defensive?

— During the match I noticed that when I asked the team to press, Portugal easily played out of the press, so our pressing would not have worked. It was difficult to close them down; they moved the ball very quickly. I can’t say we did everything right — everything must be analyzed. But I believe we chose the right strategy.

— The team lacks a proper striker, a number nine. How will you solve this?

— We conducted scouting, looked at players, but I don’t see such a striker. Can you name one who could help us that we didn’t call up? (Someone from the audience answered: Artur Miranyan). Yes, you are right, I called him, spoke with him. At that time, Miranyan lacked match practice. He needs to gain form, and we will definitely call him up. I’m satisfied with the two forwards who played today (Celarayan and Barseghyan). They did a huge amount of work. It was difficult for all of us against such a team.

— Do you regret taking over the team right before the Portugal game, without friendly matches?

— No, of course not. I know where I came and why. I’m ready to go all the way until I build my team. I’m ready for criticism after such matches. Sooner or later, I will make our fans happy. Give me a year, and I’ll build my team.

— Can our level and quality grow in the near future?

— Hard to say, but we already have quality players who can play with the ball. Against such an opponent, it was difficult to show ourselves. This was my first match. After two or three games I will better understand. After Ireland and Hungary, I’ll know the real level of our national team. In any case, we have character and spirit, but this match is not an indicator.

— How do you assess the players’ physical condition?

— We have special equipment to measure the players’ physical state, and we have a fitness coach. Tomorrow we’ll check everything and see who is in what condition. About Henry Avagyan — he has an injury after being stepped on, but tomorrow we’ll know how serious it is.

— What did you say to the players at halftime and after the match?

— At halftime I was angry, since we were down 0:3, but I just wanted to help them psychologically. We had 21-year-old defenders playing — guys who should still be in the U21s — they only needed support. There were mistakes, but I couldn’t pressure them then. After the match, I told them we have another game in three days. Yes, we lost, but we must be professionals and prepare for the next match against Ireland without negativity.

— Which aspects do you need to work on most in the near future?

— I came to the national team when there were problems. I don’t have specific tasks; I came to solve these problems. I talk a lot with players individually and will continue to do so. We are working on building a good team spirit. A lot of work must also be done with the defenders. I was a defender myself, and I know what needs to be improved. They need a lot of individual work. They are all talented — they just need time.

— Many of our players perform excellently for their clubs and are team leaders. Why is there a problem in the national team? It looks like Manchester United: strong players, but no team.

— I can’t say what was before me or why they played like that. I don’t want to criticize previous coaches. Yes, you’re right, we have excellent players, but not 11 top players in every position. We also have very young players who are just starting their careers. Look: Gevorg, Erik, Sergey — all defenders, and that’s crucial. We need to work with them and raise their level. For now, thanks to individual players, we can win some matches.

— Did you think about playing with four defenders?

— Then we would have closed the center of the field better, but the flanks would have been left exposed. It’s a difficult question, which option is better.

— In Europe, a 22-year-old player is already considered experienced. Don’t you think this is not a valid excuse for our defenders?

— Yes, there is even a 17-year-old playing at the best club in the world. I’m not talking about age, but about experience and level of play. Our defenders still need to grow; they’re not at their peak. Gevorg Harutyunyan is very talented, but he needs work — there are issues. I didn’t see enough tight one-on-one defending. That needs improvement and work.

Against Portugal, we had too many problems — what more can I say? The level of the teams is simply different.