Urartu head coach Dmitry Gunko, speaking at a press conference after his team's 3-0 victory over Pyunik, shared his thoughts on the team's newcomer, Nicholas Kaloukian, and linked his performance to the delayed announcement of the Armenian national team squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Georgia.
According to Gunko, the new head coach of the Armenian national team, John van 't Schip, wants to closely evaluate the game of the 22-year-old forward, who until recently played only in university and amateur leagues in the United States. However, Kaloukian has successfully represented Armenia’s U21 team and has already recorded a goal and an assist in two matches of the Armenian Premier League.
In the match against Pyunik, Kaloukian confidently played against Armenia's national team captain, Varazdat Haroyan, which Gunko considered an important test for him. The young forward not only provided an assist for the second goal but also contributed to the first goal and created several dangerous moments, including a clever backheel pass that set up a shot for Palienko.
Here’s what Dmitry Gunko said at the press conference:
"Playing against Pyunik is always interesting for us. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the league, which is why I call these matches ‘games of intelligence.’ In such matches, we have multiple game plans and often adjust throughout the game. Today, many things worked out well for us. Bruno Michel had an outstanding game, scoring a hat-trick. I don’t say this often, but today his sharpness and ability to beat opponents one-on-one really stood out and helped us secure the win.
(On Nicholas Kaloukian)
Can you imagine how much effort it takes to battle against Varazdat Haroyan? It was a tough contest. Yesterday, I told Kaloukian: ‘Do you know why the Armenian national team squad hasn’t been announced for the game against Georgia yet? All the other teams have already revealed their squads.’ I told him: ‘They’re waiting for you! They want to see how you perform against the Armenian national team captain, Varazdat Haroyan.’ I believe he justified expectations with his performance and deserves a call-up to the national team. At the very least, it wouldn’t be a surprise. He gave his all in the game, but his value wasn’t just in goals. We built attacks through him, and he fought for every ball.
Kaloukian is 100% ready for the Armenian national team. He has played three matches in a row for us. I see no issues—he is ready to play a full match or come on as a substitute for the national team."