Henrikh Mkhitaryan explains why he ended his career with the Armenian national team in his autobiography

Armenian midfielder of Inter, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, has presented his autobiography “La mia vita sempre al centro. Il viaggio di un ragazzo armeno tra determinazione e sacrificio” (“My Life Always in the Center. The Journey of an Armenian Boy Through Determination and Sacrifice”), published on October 7, 2025, and now available for purchase, including on Amazon.

Written in Italian, the book covers not only Mkhitaryan’s football career but also his reflections on family, faith, and homeland. Among the 25 chapters are: “I’m Leaving, Dad,” “An Indigestible Breakfast with Mourinho,” “A Window with a View of Mount Ararat (Because Genocide Must Not Be Forgotten),” “Hamlet, Son of Rome,” and the closing chapter “For Armenia. With Armenia.”

In the chapter “For Armenia. With Armenia,” Mkhitaryan opens up for the first time about his decision to retire from the Armenian national team:

“My wonderful journey with the national team lasted almost fifteen years and ended on November 14, 2021, in Yerevan, with a 1–4 loss to Germany. People didn’t know at the time that it was my last match. The official announcement came a few days later. But I already felt it was time. Not because I was out of place, but because I realized I was exactly where I was meant to be.”

The footballer said he still receives messages from fans asking him to return — but that is not an option:

“I felt deeply for the fans who still write to me and ask me to come back. But I couldn’t — and didn’t want to — return. One day, I’ll tell publicly why.”

Mkhitaryan emphasized that his departure was not due to any internal conflicts within the team:

“I never quarreled or argued with my teammates, never showed disrespect. Every time I wore the Armenia shirt, I felt proud.”

He summed up his international career: 95 matches, 32 goals, including two each against Italy and Germany.

“In almost half the games, I played in a position I didn’t particularly like. I never complained. That’s who I am.”

Mkhitaryan’s autobiography has already drawn great interest from fans and journalists alike — promising to be not merely a sports memoir, but an honest and heartfelt account of an Armenian footballer who achieved global recognition while staying true to his roots.