Ararat-Armenia One Step from History: How Armenian Clubs Went from 48th in UEFA Rankings to a Champions League Dream

Ararat-Armenia could become the first club in Armenian football history to reach the Champions League qualifying play-offs and guarantee itself at least a place in the Europa League. Just nine years ago, Armenia’s entire European campaign was over after only a handful of ties in the early qualifying rounds.

Today, Ararat-Armenia will play the second leg of its Champions League third qualifying round tie against Slovenia’s Celje. The first match ended in a 2–1 victory for the Armenian club.

A historic achievement is at stake. No Armenian club has ever reached the Champions League qualifying play-offs.

Victory over Celje would allow Ararat-Armenia to continue its pursuit of a place in Europe’s premier club competition while simultaneously guaranteeing the team at least a spot in the Europa League.

Yet just nine years ago, the situation in Armenian club football looked completely different.

Armenia Nine Years Ago: 48th in the UEFA Rankings

In the 2017/18 season, Armenia was 48th in the UEFA coefficient rankings, and the entire European campaign of Armenian clubs could effectively be summarized in just a few lines.

Only Alashkert managed to eliminate at least one opponent.

Armenian Clubs in Europe in 2017/18

• Champions League: Alashkert — Santa Coloma (Andorra) — 2–1
  Matches: 1–0, 1–1.
• Champions League: Alashkert — BATE (Belarus) — 2–4
  Matches: 1–1, 1–3.
• Europa League: Pyunik — Slovan (Slovakia) — 1–9
  Matches: 1–4, 0–5.
• Europa League: Gandzasar — Mladost (Montenegro) — 0–4
  Matches: 0–1, 0–3.
• Europa League: Shirak — Gorica (Slovenia) — 2–4
  Matches: 0–2, 2–2.

Since then, the situation has changed dramatically. Armenian teams have begun reaching the later qualifying rounds far more regularly, recording their first victories in the third round and eventually producing the country’s first participants in European group stages.

How Armenian Clubs Have Performed in the Third Qualifying Round

For the first time, several Armenian clubs reached the third qualifying round in the 2018/19 season.

That was also the period when changes to UEFA’s competition system allowed clubs eliminated from the Champions League to continue their European campaigns in the Europa League.

Pyunik, however, reached the third round on its own that season, eliminating Macedonia’s Vardar and Kazakhstan’s Tobol in successive Europa League ties.

2018/19

• Europa League: Alashkert — CFR Cluj (Romania) — 0–7
  Matches: 0–2, 0–5.
• Europa League: Pyunik — Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) — 1–2
  Matches: 0–0, 1–2.

Both Armenian clubs were eliminated in the third round, but the very next season brought the country’s first victory at that stage.

2019/20: The First Third-Round Breakthrough

Ararat-Armenia delivered the historic result.

• Europa League: Ararat-Armenia — Saburtalo (Georgia) — 3–2
  Matches: 1–2, 2–0.
• Europa League: Pyunik — Wolverhampton (England) — 0–8
  Matches: 0–4, 0–4.

Ararat-Armenia became the first Armenian club to successfully negotiate the third qualifying round of a European competition.

The team reached the Europa League play-offs, where it lost a dramatic tie against Luxembourg’s Dudelange.

2020/21: Ararat-Armenia Advances Again

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020/21 qualifying rounds were played as single-match ties.

Once again, Ararat-Armenia made a deep European run.

• Europa League: Ararat-Armenia — Celje (Slovenia) — 1–0 after extra time.

Interestingly, several years later, the Armenian club would face Celje again — this time in Champions League qualifying.

After defeating the Slovenian side, Ararat-Armenia advanced to the Europa League play-offs, where it was beaten by Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade.

2021/22: Armenia’s First European Group Stage

The 2021/22 season became historic thanks to the launch of a new competition — the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Alashkert reached the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

• Europa League: Alashkert — Kairat (Kazakhstan) — 3–2
  Matches: 0–0, 3–2 after extra time.

Alashkert lost to Scotland’s Rangers in the Europa League play-offs but earned a place in the Conference League.

As a result, Alashkert became the first Armenian club in history to play in the group stage of a European competition.

2022/23: Pyunik Takes Armenia to the Champions League Third Round for the First Time

The next historic milestone was achieved by Pyunik.

The Yerevan club became the first Armenian side ever to reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

• Champions League: Pyunik — Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) — 0–7
  Matches: 0–5, 0–2.

After being eliminated from the Champions League, Pyunik continued its campaign in Europa League qualifying, where it lost to Moldova’s Sheriff.

The team subsequently entered the Conference League and became the second Armenian representative in history to reach the group stage of a European competition.

2023/24: Bodø/Glimt Stops Pyunik

The following season, an Armenian representative again reached the third qualifying round — this time in the Conference League.

• Conference League: Pyunik — Bodø/Glimt (Norway) — 0–6
  Matches: 0–3, 0–3.

The Norwegian club proved significantly stronger, bringing Pyunik’s European campaign to an end.

2024/25: Three Armenian Clubs Reach the Third Round

The 2024/25 season provided another sign of the progress made by Armenian club football.

As many as three Armenian clubs reached the third qualifying round of the Conference League.

Results

• Conference League: Pyunik — Ordabasy (Kazakhstan) — 2–0
  Matches: 1–0, 1–0.
• Conference League: Noah — AEK (Greece) — 3–2
  Matches: 3–1, 0–1.
• Conference League: Ararat-Armenia — Puskás Akadémia (Hungary) — 3–4
  Matches: 0–1, 3–3.

Two of Armenia’s three representatives therefore managed to progress beyond the third round.

2025/26: Noah Takes Armenia Back to the Main Stage of European Competition

In the 2025/26 season, two Armenian clubs — Noah and Ararat-Armenia — reached the third qualifying round.

Third-Round Results

• Europa League: Noah — Lincoln (Gibraltar) — 1–1
  Matches: 1–1, 0–0. Penalty shootout: 5–6.
• Conference League: Ararat-Armenia — Sparta Prague (Czechia) — 2–6
  Matches: 1–4, 1–2.

Despite losing to Lincoln in Europa League qualifying, Noah’s European campaign did not end there.

The Armenian club continued its campaign in the Conference League and later qualified for the league phase of the competition. As a result, an Armenian representative reached the main stage of a European competition for the fourth time in history.

In the Conference League league phase, Noah also became the first Armenian club to reach the play-offs of the competition’s main stage, where it was eliminated by Dutch side AZ.

Now Ararat-Armenia Can Rewrite History

The journey from the 2017/18 season to the present day clearly illustrates just how dramatically the position of Armenian clubs in European football has changed.

Nine years ago, simply advancing through one qualifying round was considered a success. Today, an Armenian club is just one tie away from the Champions League play-offs.

Following a 2–1 victory over Celje in the first leg, Ararat-Armenia heads into the return match with an advantage.

If successful, the club will set a new record for Armenian football: for the first time, a team from Armenia will reach the Champions League qualifying play-offs.

Moreover, such a result would guarantee Ararat-Armenia at least a place in the Europa League.

In nine years, Armenian clubs have gone from early eliminations and the country sitting 48th in the UEFA rankings to genuinely competing for places in Europe’s leading club competitions.

Now, just one match separates Armenian football from another historic milestone.

Serobyan and Tulipa ahead of Celje return leg: “We are on the verge of a historic result”