FFA Excludes West Armenia from Premier League Table: Regulation Violation?

The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) has excluded the football club West Armenia from the current Armenian Premier League standings. On the federation’s official website, the club has been completely removed from the list of participants, and the table now features 10 teams instead of 11. However, the results of matches previously played by West Armenia have not been annulled, and the club has been handed technical losses for its remaining fixtures.

The Decision Raises Questions from a Regulatory Perspective

According to football rules, if a team plays more than 50% of its matches in a season and then withdraws or is disqualified, its results are preserved, and it receives technical defeats in unplayed matches. Excluding the team from the standings is not foreseen under such circumstances.

West Armenia had played 26 out of a possible 30 matches — over 80% of the season. This means that, based on regulatory logic, the club should remain in the standings, occupying the last position. In those matches, the team earned 23 points and would have been in 9th place.

Team Exclusion

The exclusion followed the team’s second no-show for a scheduled match. The FFA reported that the club faced serious financial difficulties. Since the beginning of 2025, players had not been paid, and attempts to change ownership were unsuccessful. As a result, the club was fined 2 million drams and banned from participating in the Premier League. In the next season, West Armenia will only be allowed to compete in the First League.

West Armenia Published an Official Statement After Being Removed from the League
In their last match, West Armenia lost 0–8 to Urartu. This result raised suspicions of potential match-fixing, but the FFA has not published any information regarding an investigation or the presence of evidence.

Given the above, the complete removal of the club from the standings — despite its results being preserved — appears to deviate from standard regulatory procedures. In such cases, the team should remain in the table and occupy the bottom position.

Current Armenian Premier League table: