“Well done, Yeghishe Melikyan” — Vahe Gevorgyan praised the Armenia national team coach

The head coach of Alashkert, Vahe Gevorgyan, spoke very positively about the first call-up of his team’s captain, midfielder Karen Nalbandyan, to the Armenia national team.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder received his first-ever invitation to the senior national team. Previously, he was an important player for the youth squad. Newly appointed Armenia head coach Yeghishe Melikyan included Nalbandyan in his very first training camp.

Nalbandyan has been playing consistently at a high level for three seasons. Last season with Van, he scored 9 goals and made 9 assists. Fans had long awaited his call-up, but neither Alexander Petrakov nor John van’t Schip gave him the chance.

Former Pyunik coach Melikyan, well aware of Nalbandyan’s abilities from the Armenian league, made the decision right after his appointment.

After Alashkert’s 2:0 victory over national champions Noa, Gevorgyan said:

“Of course, my opinion is subjective. Karen is my player, my captain, and I trust him 100% and more. For me, he’s the best. But this is the national team, and it has a coach. The new head coach has already made a big step by inviting Nalbandyan to the squad for the first time — something no one else dared to do. Now it’s up to him to decide how to use him.

Karen had a brilliant game against Noa. Once again, he was close to a decisive action — he could have scored himself or delivered an assist if Momo Touré had finished the chance. Even when Karen doesn’t record goals or assists, he is always close to it. He also works well off the ball. In this match against Noa, he faced three national team midfielders and didn’t lose to any of them. Our midfield outplayed theirs, and that’s why we won. I am proud of that.

Let him go and prove himself. I know for sure that this call-up already has a positive impact on him. We develop players, bring them to a certain level, and then they need this push — an invitation to the national team — to become more responsible. Now Karen approaches the game with greater responsibility, his motivation has grown. This could spark a big breakthrough in his career. He has been performing consistently at a high level for two years, yet wasn’t even invited to friendlies. People said he’s just a number 10 and not needed in the national team, but in my team, he has also played as a number 8, a number 6, and even as an inside forward/winger. So, well done Yeghishe Melikyan — let’s see what happens next,” Vahe Gevorgyan said at the press conference.