Ararat-Armenia’s European squad: new defence, attacking reinforcements and Balanta’s absence

UEFA has published the squad lists for the first qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League. Armenian champions Ararat-Armenia will begin their European campaign against Latvian champions Riga.

The Armenian club’s squad list gives a clear picture of the group Manuel Tulipa’s team will rely on at the start of the season and the changes made during the summer. Ararat-Armenia’s list for the first round includes 23 players: 10 Armenian footballers and 13 foreign players.

The squad list will also remain valid for the second leg against Riga. If the club advances to the second qualifying round of the Champions League, it will be able to make changes to the player list.

Ararat-Armenia’s squad for the first round of the Champions League

Goalkeepers

Arman Nersesyan — Armenia, 24
Joao Bravim — Brazil, 28, new signing

Defenders

Hugo Oliveira — Portugal, 24, right-back
Kamo Hovhannisyan — Armenia, 33, right-back
Julio Bueno — Armenia, 29, centre-back
Luis Felipe — Brazil, 25, centre-back, new signing
Bruno Wilson — Portugal, 29, centre-back, new signing
Alexandros Malis — Greece, 29, centre-back
Bruno Pereira — Portugal, 28, left-back, new signing
Edgar Grigoryan — Armenia, 27, left-back

Midfielders

Michel Ayvazyan — Armenia, 21, returned from BKMA
Armen Ambartsumyan — Armenia, 32
Maxence Carlier — France, 29, new signing
Karen Muradyan — Armenia, 33
Alwyn Tera — Kenya, 29

Forwards

Zhirayr Shaghoyan — Armenia, 25, left winger
Zidane Banjaqui — Guinea-Bissau, 27, left winger
Artur Serobyan — Armenia, 23, right winger
Arayik Eloyan  — Armenia, 22, centre-forward
Carlos Franca — Brazil, 31, centre-forward, new signing
Alioune Ndour — Senegal, 28, centre-forward
Paul Ayongo — Ghana, 29, centre-forward
Sandro Lima — Brazil, 35, centre-forward, new signing

The main changes are in defence

Ararat-Armenia made the biggest changes to their defensive line during the off-season. Departed left-back Hakob Hakobyan has been replaced by Bruno Pereira, who joined from Portuguese club Penafiel. Most likely, Pereira will compete with Edgar Grigoryan and be viewed as a rotation option on the left side of defence.

There have also been major changes in central defence. Joao Queiros and Bouchaib Arrassi have left the team, while Bruno Wilson and Luis Felipe have arrived in their place. Wilson’s signing looks particularly important: given his experience and level, he is capable of immediately replacing Queiros and becoming a starting player.

Balanta is not registered for the first round

Ararat-Armenia have a notable absence in midfield. Juan Balanta, one of the team’s best players last season, has not left the club yet, but he was not included in the squad for the first round of the Champions League.

Instead, the club signed French midfielder Maxence Carlier from Nancy. Fully replacing Balanta will not be easy, but Carlier looks like a strong addition to the centre of midfield. In addition, Manuel Tulipa can still rely on experienced players Karen Muradyan and Alwyn Tera, who have been at Ararat-Armenia for a long time and know the team’s requirements well.

Attack remains one of the team’s strongest lines

There have been no major rebuilds in attack, but this line still looks like one of the strongest areas in Ararat-Armenia’s squad. The club signed two experienced Brazilian forwards with different profiles.

Sandro Lima is a tall and powerful centre-forward who arrived from the Portuguese championship. Carlos Franca, who came from the Indonesian league, is a more mobile player: he can operate not only as a central striker, but also on the wing or behind the forward.

At the start of the European campaign, however, both newcomers will most likely be viewed as options to strengthen the team during matches. The main attacking trio could look like this: Artur Serobyan — Alioune Ndour — Zidane Banjaqui.

Possible Ararat-Armenia starting XI

At the moment, Ararat-Armenia’s optimal line-up in a system with four defenders could look as follows:

Bravim — Kamo Hovhannisyan, Julio Bueno, Bruno Wilson, Edgar Grigoryan — Maxence Carlier, Alwyn Tera, Armen Ambartsumyan — Artur Serobyan, Alioune Ndour, Zidane Banjaqui.

At the same time, considering the players included in the squad, a formation with five defenders cannot be ruled out. In that case, Alexandros Malis could start as a third centre-back instead of one of the midfielders.

The first qualifying round of the Champions League will be a serious test for Ararat-Armenia’s renewed squad. The team has changed significantly in defence, added a new goalkeeper and strengthened its attacking depth, but the main question ahead of the matches against Riga is how quickly the new signings can adapt to the Armenian champions’ style of play.

The Armenian team’s opponent is currently in good form. The Latvian championship follows a spring-autumn calendar, so Riga will approach the matches as a well-drilled team in strong physical condition.