Yeghishe Melikyan after Latvia draw: "Be patient and let us work. Don't interfere with us"

Armenia national team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan commented on the 0-0 draw against Latvia in the final match of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League group stage.

The Matchday 6 encounter in Group C2 took place on November 15 at Skonto Stadium in Riga. Armenia finished the tournament in third place with six points.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Melikyan admitted that he was disappointed with the result, as his team had been aiming for victory. However, the coach praised his players' commitment and emphasized that the national team is moving in the right direction.

The head coach also discussed young goalkeeper Aleksandr Mishiev's performance, Armenia's squad problems, the prospects of MLS newcomer Harvey Sarajian, and the team's goals for the coming years.

Sportaran.com presents Yeghishe Melikyan's full answers from the post-match press conference.

Yeghishe Melikyan on the match against Latvia

— We were determined to win. We came here for a victory, so I'm not happy with the result. But overall, I believe the path we've chosen is the right one. We had some key players missing and faced certain problems, so I'm pleased with the commitment shown by the players.

I understand that in these two matches we were missing players who are very important to us: Eduard Spertsyan, Vahan Bichakhchyan, Finn Geraghusian, and Julio Bueno. There are other players as well, especially those who could have scored goals and helped us in attack.

From a tactical point of view, we managed to play correctly, and we created dangerous chances. We knew our opponents would pose a threat from set pieces, and we managed to keep a clean sheet.

Overall, our football was more interesting and more dangerous than our opponents'. We deserved to win, but we cannot be satisfied with this result.

These matches gave us a lot of positives and provided an opportunity to improve our game in the future.

Melikyan on Aleksandr Mishiev's performance and competition among goalkeepers

— What can you say about goalkeeper Aleksandr Mishiev's performance?

— We made the right decision by putting him on the pitch, but it was a big risk. Fielding such a young and inexperienced goalkeeper in competitive matches was risky, but we decided to take that step.

And this applies not only to the goalkeeper. We took major risks in these competitive matches, and many of them paid off. That's why these games were very productive and will help us a great deal in the future.

We also have a young goalkeeper, Gor Matinyan, who will get his chance as well. There is also the more experienced Henri Avagyan, so there will be competition among the goalkeepers.

Overall, I'm satisfied with all the players. Many of them arrived at the national team without regular playing time, but they went onto the pitch, played, and did everything they could.

I don't particularly like this situation, but there's nothing we can do about it. Players sometimes have problems at their clubs, and we try to help them in every way we can.

Melikyan on Armenia's problems, Spertsyan, Bichakhchyan and Harvey Sarajian

— What needs to be improved so that the team can achieve a positive result in the next tournament?

— Everyone can see that the team plays good football, but sometimes we lack experience, sometimes quality, and sometimes match practice.

I'm convinced that if Eduard Spertsyan had played in the last two matches, we would have won both. Even if Vahan Bichakhchyan had been in his best form, the situation would already have been better.

We lacked those resources. Yes, our resources are limited, but we have important players who can decide the outcome of matches on the pitch.

I hope our new player from MLS, Harvey Sarajian, will help us a great deal and that we can improve our finishing in attack.

Overall, we need to improve the quality of our football, and the players need to get regular playing time at their clubs. Between now and spring, they must play regularly and show progress.

It is also very important to maintain a positive atmosphere around the national team so that everyone understands the team's current situation and we don't lose our team spirit.

My mood often suffers when I see what's happening around the team, all this criticism and so on. The players feel it too.

My request is simple: stand by us and believe in us. We have good footballers. It's easy to interfere, but many people find it difficult to help. Stand by us, and everything will be fine.

Melikyan on Armenia's long-term goals and the future of the national team

— You have been coaching the Armenian national team for a year now and have repeatedly spoken about the team's problems. Have you already decided what kind of national team you want to build in two or three years? By what criteria will you be able to say that you've done your job well? What are your personal goals for the future?

— Previously, I spoke about the team's problems so that you could understand where we were starting from and where we were heading.

I took over a national team that was suffering heavy defeats and treating them as something normal. Now we earn a point away from home and are disappointed with the result.

Today, we have a disciplined team, a team that fights on the pitch.

We are moving in the right direction. I can't give you a specific timeframe, but I know we have a promising road ahead.

I'm confident that we will succeed.

I can only say one thing: be patient and let us work. Don't interfere with us.