Artur Askaryan: From the Artsakh Championship to the Armenia National Team

19-year-old central midfielder Artur Askaryan has received his first call-up to the Armenia national team. The footballer is a native of Artsakh and began his career at the Lernayin Artsakh academy in Stepanakert, where he played in regional youth championships.

In the 2022/23 season, Askaryan made his senior debut, playing in the Armenian First League for Lernayin Artsakh’s reserve team. He started the following season with BKMA. Only in the current season has Askaryan established himself as a regular starter for BKMA. He has recorded 16 appearances, 2 goals, and 1 assist.

At the army club, Askaryan plays as a deep-lying playmaker — a role held last season by Karlen Hovhannisyan, who now plays for Pyunik and has also been called up to the national team. Askaryan is a key distributor for the team, actively involved in building attacks and also effective in defensive duties despite his modest physical attributes. The midfielder stands out for his mobility and constant movement across the pitch.

Since the summer of 2025, the player has also been regularly called up to Armenia’s U21 national team, for which he has made 5 appearances, mostly coming off the bench.

Head coach of the national team, Yegishe Melikyan, has included Artur Askaryan in the squad for the friendly match against Belarus, scheduled for March 29.