Yeghishe Melikyan: It’s possible to beat Ireland, but it won’t be easy

The head coach of the Armenian national team, Yeghishe Melikyan, answered journalists’ questions at the pre-match press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ireland, which will take place on September 9 in Yerevan.

Yeghishe Melikyan’s press conference before the game against Ireland

— Have the players managed to recover before this game?
— It was very difficult to prepare both mentally and physically, since the 0:5 defeat against Portugal was a blow for us. Every loss, especially such a big one, affects us, but we worked and prepared.

— Are Portugal and Ireland similar teams, or completely different?
— No, of course, they are completely different teams. Ireland is also strong for us, but beating them is more realistic than Portugal. The chances of victory are high if there’s enough desire, but difficulties will still be there. It’s not Portugal, but still a team of high level.

— Armenia usually plays well against British teams. Why do you think that is?
— I don’t want to look into history. I’ll just say that Ireland has its own style and strong sides, which will create difficulties for us. But we also have our own plan that can help us win.

— Avagyan was injured in the match against Portugal. Will he be able to play, and are there any other losses?
— Sorry, but I cannot answer this question in order not to give information to the opponent.

— Ireland had a long trip from Dublin and played a tough game against Hungary. Will fatigue be an issue for them?
— We also played on the same day, so I don’t think we will have an advantage. Our only advantage is the fans who believe in us.

— Did you analyze the defensive play against Portugal so that it doesn’t happen again?
— Yes, we watched and worked on it, but there was no time to practice everything. Time is needed to build a team. I need half a year to fix everything and implement my football. There were individual mistakes, and the players still don’t know my philosophy and how to play my style of football.

— Ireland lost their right winger Smodics due to injury, and instead they called up a central defender. What could be the reason?
— We studied Ireland’s game carefully. I don’t think they will make global changes in these two days. But if they do, we will be ready to react.

— Is half a year or a year enough to instill your philosophy in the team?
— Yes, of course. Because the team is already there, there are good players ready now. If I were starting from scratch, that would not be enough, but we already have strong players.

— What language do you use in the team, considering the players speak different languages?
— Language is not the main thing. The important thing is that all the players are patriots of their country. We invited strong players from abroad, and it’s normal that they speak different languages. In training, I use Armenian and Russian, and we also have a translator into English. I don’t see a problem — I’ve always worked with translators. The most important thing is the players’ dedication to the country.

— Tigran Barseghyan wore the captain’s armband for the first time against Portugal. What are your impressions?
— I’ll say that I am completely satisfied with Tigran. His discipline, dedication, and character fully correspond to a captain. In the future, the captain may change, but for now Tigran deserves it. Everyone knows he has a difficult character, and this needs to be directed into the matches, used for good. So far, I am managing it. I like players with strong character — strong, aggressive. You need to work with them in a special way, and I know how to do it.

The Armenia vs. Ireland match will take place on September 9 in Yerevan at the Republican Stadium at 20:00 local time. This will be the second round in Group F; in the first round Armenia lost 0:5 to Portugal.