“Don't Mistake Modesty for Weakness”: Ararat-Armenia Hits Back at Yeghishe Melikyan

Ararat-Armenia Football Club has issued an official statement responding to Armenia national team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan following his remarks about Portuguese coach Manuel Tulipa. The public dispute was triggered by the situation surrounding national team winger Zhirayr Shaghoyan.

On November 13, Ararat-Armenia's press office published a statement titled “The Subtle Art of Changing the Subject,” criticizing Melikyan's comments following Armenia's 1-1 home draw against Cyprus in the UEFA Nations League.

During the post-match press conference on November 12, Melikyan praised Shaghoyan's performance but also urged Ararat-Armenia head coach Manuel Tulipa not to interfere in national team affairs.

“When a footballer comes from his club to the national team, he becomes my player, and I will work with him as I see fit,” Melikyan stated.

The Armenia head coach also emphasized that he alone determines how to work with his players and would not allow anyone to interfere with his decisions.

Ararat-Armenia Accuses Melikyan of Unconstructive Decisions

In its response, the club recalled events from the national team's previous training camp. According to Ararat-Armenia, Melikyan's actions were responsible for Zhirayr Shaghoyan leaving the national team camp early and returning to training with his club.

Ararat-Armenia believes that the subsequent joint efforts of its coaching staff and the player himself enabled Shaghoyan to regain his best form in a short period.

The club claims that the consequences of the national team coach's “unconstructive decisions” were overcome through collective efforts. In its statement, Ararat-Armenia credits this work for Shaghoyan's strong recent performances for both club and country.

One of the strongest sections of the statement addressed relations between the national team coach and Armenian clubs.

“We, in turn, call on Yeghishe Melikyan not to mistake Ararat-Armenia's modesty for weakness in the future and not to speak to clubs in a commanding tone,” the statement read.

The club also emphasized that Ararat-Armenia has been one of the main providers of players to the Armenian national team in recent years.

Club Believes Melikyan Is Trying to Divert Attention from National Team Results

In the final part of its statement, Ararat-Armenia questioned why Manuel Tulipa's remarks needed to be discussed at the post-match press conference following the game against Cyprus.

According to club representatives, the Portuguese coach was simply trying to defend his player by calling for emotional restraint and respectful treatment of footballers.

Ararat-Armenia believes that such an appeal did not warrant public criticism from the national team head coach.

“It turns out that this is an attempt to divert football fans' attention away from the national team's performances,” the club concluded.

Shaghoyan Named One of the Best Players in Armenia vs Cyprus

Notably, the latest escalation of the dispute came after one of Zhirayr Shaghoyan's most impressive performances for the Armenian national team.

In the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League against Cyprus, the 25-year-old winger was highly active on the left flank, combined effectively with Nair Tiknizyan, and regularly created dangerous opportunities near the opposition's goal.

According to SofaScore, Shaghoyan received a rating of 8.2, making him the highest-rated player of the match.

Despite Armenia's attacking display, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The hosts responded to Iasonas Pikis' opening goal with a second-half equalizer from Artur Gharibyan.

Shaghoyan's impressive performance has therefore become another source of disagreement between the national team's coaching staff and Ararat-Armenia. Both sides publicly link the player's progress to their own coaching methods, but they have different interpretations of what happened during the previous national team camp.

Armenia will conclude their UEFA Nations League group-stage campaign on November 15 with an away match against Latvia.

Read also:

Yeghishe Melikyan After Cyprus Match: “I Won't Allow Anyone to Interfere with My Work in the Armenian National Team”

Zhirayr Shaghoyan Named Best Player in Armenia vs Cyprus by SofaScore: Player Statistics