Manuel Tulipa on the Shamrock Rovers match: “The changes helped us seize the initiative”
- Author: Vahe Hakobyan
- Sportaran
Ararat-Armenia head coach Manuel Tulipa reflected on the second leg of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Irish side Shamrock Rovers.
The match in Dublin ended in a 2–1 defeat for the Armenian champions. However, thanks to their 2–0 victory in the first leg, Ararat-Armenia won the tie 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the next round.
At the post-match press conference, Tulipa admitted that his team had produced a poor first-half performance but managed to change the course of the game after the break.
“It was a very difficult match for both teams. We played poorly in the first half, while Shamrock Rovers, on the other hand, played very well. In the second half, we changed our formation from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 and also made substitutions. That helped us gain control of the ball and seize the initiative. At certain points in the second half, we were the better side and managed to score the decisive goal,” the head coach said.
The Portuguese coach stressed that the club had already achieved its minimum objective by securing a place in the main stage of one of the European competitions.
“The team achieved the goal that had been set. Our task was to reach the main stage of one of the European competitions, and that minimum objective has already been accomplished. This is very important for us and for the club’s development. We started the match poorly, but we made important changes, took the right decisions and advanced to the next round,” Tulipa added.
In the next round of Champions League qualifying, Ararat-Armenia will face Slovenian champions Celje. The Armenian club will continue its bid to reach the league phase of the Champions League or the Europa League, while it has already guaranteed itself at least a place in the Conference League league phase.
This will be Ararat-Armenia’s first appearance in the main stage of a European competition. Previously, other Armenian clubs had only competed in the main stage of the Conference League: Pyunik, Alashkert and Noah, with the latter qualifying twice.