Armenian Soccer

[Mher]

Re: Armenian Soccer

Definitely a move up, but I don't think its the best he could have done. It would have been great to see him move to England/Spain/Germany/Italy.
Still, I wish him the best, and I hope this is another stepping stone to a greatness

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian Soccer

SPORTS GROUNDS WILL BE BUILT IN VARIOUS REGIONS OF NKR

http://times.am/?l=en&p=16142

On 17 December President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan received
chairman of the Armenia Football Union Rouben Hayrapetyan and Armenian
famous football player Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Central Information
Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President informs
about this.

Issues related to the development of sport in Artsakh, especially
football, were discussed at the meeting. An arrangement was reached
to build sports grounds in various regions of NKR.

Bako Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the Football Federation of
Armenia and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for assistance to the development of
sport and realization of various humanitarian projects in Artsakh.

17.12.12, 18:13

[TomServo]

Re: Armenian Soccer

The Netherlands-based footballer Norair Mamedov will be playing for the Armenian national team. He was born in Armenia and probably (?) has an Azerbaijani father but all the articles I've read refer to him as Armenian. He tweets in Armenian, English and Dutch on his Twitter account. Now there are reports that he will be changing his surname to Aslanyan upon joining the Armenian team. I wonder if it was his personal choice or if he received some gentle encouragement from the Football Federation of Armenia and its boorish president Ruben Hayrapetyan.

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian Soccer

Nah i doubt his name change has anything to do with Rubo. We already have plenty of nonarmenian last names in our team like Ozbiliz and it has never been an issue. What you should be appalled bye is the Mauro situation. This guy asked for a first class ticket from the FFA and when the FFA refused to upgrade from business class he said he wont come. Here is a situation where the two parties actually deserve each other.

[TomServo]

Re: Armenian Soccer

Did he want the FFA to roll out the red carpet too? Gawd...

Henrikh Mkhitaryan seems refreshingly modest even though he's well aware of how well he's doing.

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian Soccer

With the money these guys make a plain ticket should be a nonissue (for the ffa and for the player). Ok so the ffa was cheap and unproffesional (ffa is much more profesional generaly speaking then most organizations in Hayastan) but if you have a chance to play for your NT, the price of a firt class ticket should not stop you from doing it especialy when you make the kind of money these guys do. Stuff like this shows just how armenian these guys consider themselves.

[Mher]

Re: Armenian Soccer

The Netherlands-based footballer Norair Mamedov will be playing for the Armenian national team. He was born in Armenia and probably (?) has an Azerbaijani father but all the articles I've read refer to him as Armenian. He tweets in Armenian, English and Dutch on his Twitter account. Now there are reports that he will be changing his surname to Aslanyan upon joining the Armenian team. I wonder if it was his personal choice or if he received some gentle encouragement from the Football Federation of Armenia and its boorish president Ruben Hayrapetyan.

I think he is just trying to embrace the Armenian spirit and shed any doubt that the fans might have, though he has no need to do that. Unlike the fake state to the East of us, we don't have an inferiority complex or an identity crisis, and gladly accept someone as they are. I think the fact that he married an Armenian, reportedly speaks Armenian, and chose to play for Armenia is more than enough evidence of where his loyalty lies. If the Azerbaijani government's head wasn't so far up its ass with its racist anti-armenian policies it would have called this kid up long ago, where he would have probably been the best player from the beginning on that xxxx team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJWUX_NJrXg

[TomServo]

Re: Armenian Soccer

This was on Groong today:

NORAIR MAMEDOV-ASLANYAN SAYS HE TOOK SURNAME OF HIS WIFE
By Vera Martirosyan

NEWS.am Sport
January 23

YEREVAN.- Midfielder of FC Emmen Norair Mamedov says playing for
Armenian national is his dream.

"I received an invitation from the Armenian national team. To play for
Armenian national team is my dream," he said talking to NEWS.am Sport.

Mamedov, who plays in the first Dutch division, has changed his surname
to perform in Armenian team. Norair has chosen the surname Aslanyan.

"Yes, I have received the invitation. All problems related to the
documents have already been solved. On February 3 I will leave for
France, where I will join the football team of Armenia. I chose name
Aslanyan because it is the surname of my wife. She is an Armenian
living in Europe. We met here.

[TomServo]

Re: Armenian Soccer

Anyway, ˇadios, Mauro!

Moving on...

Apparently Artem Khachaturov, a Moldova-born Armenian, has decided to play for Armenia. He says he can't speak Armenian but that the team mostly uses Russian to communicate. I wonder how that works for Pizzelli and Özbiliz?

[Mher]

Re: Armenian Soccer

Anyway, ˇadios, Mauro!

Moving on...

Apparently Artem Khachaturov, a Moldova-born Armenian, has decided to play for Armenia. He says he can't speak Armenian but that the team mostly uses Russian to communicate. I wonder how that works for Pizzelli and Özbiliz?

It would have have been nice to have him, but the guy is already 26, playing at the one position we already have more young talent than we know what to do with, so not a great loss.

Overall though, you have to love the sudden surge in Diaspora newcomers in the team after the breakout EURO 2012 campaign. This is gonna take the team to a whole new level in football, and more importantly create a link between the respective Diaspora communities and the country. Only if this had happened years ago and we had players like Andranik Teymourian on our team instead of foreign nations.