No White Flag: Budućnost Confident Ahead of Battle with Armenian Champions

On Tuesday, July 8, the first leg of the UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round will take place in Abovyan between Armenian champions Noah and Montenegro’s Budućnost. The visitors from Podgorica have already arrived in Yerevan on a charter flight and will hold a pre-match training session at the stadium, which seats about 3,500 spectators.

The match is expected to be sold out, as all tickets have already been purchased.

Despite their underdog status, Budućnost players are not planning to surrender. Veteran striker Igor Ivanović told the club’s press service:

“We’re heading out fully prepared and injury-free, which is very important. We've been hearing comments lately that they’re ten times stronger than us, but we don’t agree with that. We’ve analyzed them thoroughly — honestly, they are a high-quality team, but not unbeatable. We have our strengths too, and we’re not going there to give up. We want to fight because we haven’t been preparing just to surrender.”

Defender Adnan Orahovac also emphasized the team’s belief in themselves:

“Noah has a bigger budget, plays in a stronger league, is on a meteoric rise, and has already played in Europe, beating serious teams… But that doesn’t mean we’ll be waving a white flag. We’re going there to fight with a clear goal — to give our all and get a result that keeps the door open for the second leg.”

He said that the coaching staff, led by Nenad Lalatović, has thoroughly studied the Armenian side:

“We’ve done an in-depth analysis — they’re a quality team with many internationals, especially dangerous in attack. Offense is probably their biggest strength, midfield plays a crucial role too, and they create the most danger from the flanks. But I believe with tactical discipline and commitment we can respond to every challenge.”

Ivanović added that Noah’s attacking power could also play into their hands:

“They really do have a powerful attack, often involving five or six players in the final third, constantly threatening the goal, but that also leaves space in defense. If they do that again, we’ll try to exploit it. We have a plan and hope to find the right spaces to threaten Noah.”

The Montenegrin players dream of a positive result and a full stadium in the return leg on July 15:

“I believe the key lies in ourselves. We need to be tough, aggressive, compact… We talk among ourselves and know we have to fight on the pitch to bring home a positive result.”

“If we get a good result, the stadium in Gorica will be packed. The fans will come to reward us for our fight and energy. Their support will be an extra motivation for us to take a big step and finally overcome the first Champions League qualifying hurdle. That’s what we all want — so the focus is entirely on the first match,” said Ivanović.

Orahovac concluded:

“I think our chance is in the fact that their attackers contribute less defensively. We will definitely try to take advantage of that. We have a clear plan and belief in a positive result. And if we get a good score in Yerevan, something we all dream about might happen in Podgorica. We’ll do everything to make our fans happy — even those who’ll be supporting us in Yerevan.”

Budućnost prepared for the European season in Slovenia, and after returning home, optimism within the team only grew. New head coach Nenad Lalatović and his staff have started building their system, and according to the players, the atmosphere in the team is excellent.

Striker Ivan Bulatović, one of the standouts in preseason friendlies, said:

“The situation in the team is phenomenal. We know we’ll face a tough match in Armenia, but we believe in ourselves and hope to get a result that keeps us in the tie going into the return. We're going with a clear goal — to fight for every ball and for Budućnost.”

Bulatović scored three of the team’s four goals in friendlies against Vardar, Rapid (Bucharest), Mura, and Slaven Belupo, and enters the match against Noah in excellent form:

“We had a great camp — good work, quality friendlies, and a serious approach. I’m happy with my form — three goals in four matches is important for confidence. And right now, mine is at a high level.”

He acknowledges Noah is a strong opponent:

“We’ve heard a lot about Noah — their strongest line is probably their attack. But we’re ready for everything. Our strength lies in team spirit, and I believe we have our chances in this two-legged battle.”

The Noah – Budućnost match will kick off on July 8 at 20:00 Yerevan time at the stadium in Abovyan, which seats around 3,500 spectators. The return leg is scheduled for July 15 in Podgorica.