Are there defenders in Armenia who can replace Varazdat Haroyan?

After Yeghishe Melikyan was appointed head coach of the Armenian national team, captain Varazdat Haroyan announced his retirement from the national side. He explained the decision by saying that he had already failed to work with Melikyan once at Pyunik and no longer intended to play under his management.

Let’s see how serious this loss will be for the team in the upcoming matches.

Haroyan was not only the captain but also one of the key players — both on the pitch and in the dressing room. Yes, he often made mistakes and didn’t always keep up with fast forwards, but imagining the Armenian national team without him is still difficult.

The future captain situation is relatively clear: most likely, it will be vice-captain Eduard Spertsyan, who has already led the team onto the pitch with the armband four times. But the question of who will replace Haroyan at centre-back remains open. Let’s look at the options Melikyan has.

Probable formation and needs
It is highly likely that the 46-year-old coach will use a five-defender formation in the upcoming games. This is due to the strong opponents in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — Portugal, Ireland, and Hungary.

With three centre-backs in the starting lineup, at least five players in this position are needed in the squad for rotation and to replace suspended players.

Currently, Melikyan has three centre-backs with national team experience:

• Stepa Mkrtchyan

• Sergey Muradyan

• Georgi Harutyunyan (often plays as a defensive midfielder or right-back at club level).

All three are young, regularly play for their clubs, and will likely remain important national team members for the next decade.

Youth reserves
The Armenian U21 team has four promising centre-backs:

• Petik Manukyan

• Andranik Hakobyan

• Poghos Krmzyan

• Mark Avetisyan

Manukyan has already been called up to the senior team but hasn’t debuted yet. However, during the national team matches, there will also be Euro U21 qualifiers, so it makes sense for these players to gain match practice there rather than sit on the senior team bench.

Other candidates

• Artem Gyurdzhan (25, Pari NN) — had an excellent season at KAMAZ (FNL) but returned to Pari NN this summer and hasn’t been registered for the RPL.

• Erik Simonyan (22, Urartu) — called up to the national team but hasn’t debuted; often loses his spot to foreign players.

• Arman Kazaryan (24, Urartu) — has one senior cap but is currently not a regular starter.

• Erik Piloyan (24, Urartu) — has two caps, mainly plays as a right-back but can also cover centre-back, especially in a three-defender formation.

• Hamlet Mnatsakanyan (22, Shirak) — third season as a regular starter but plays for a lower-table team, making regular call-ups unlikely.

Experienced options
Andre Calisir is still recovering from injury, and Taron Voskanyan is no longer considered for the national team.

Likely choice
Most likely, Melikyan will call up one young player (Petik Manukyan or Andranik Hakobyan) and one from the list above. The most probable choice is Erik Piloyan.

Possible centre-back lineup for the next matches:

• Georgi Harutyunyan (Puskás Akadémia) — 20

• Stepa Mkrtchyan (Osijek) — 22

• Sergey Muradyan (Noah) — 20

• Petik Manukyan (BKMA) — 19

• Erik Piloyan (Urartu) — 24