A new Armenian star at Krasnodar: Ambartsumov records 4+5 at the start of the season

Armenia U19 national team forward Daniel Ambartsumov continues to impress in the Russian Youth League, playing for Krasnodar U19. In the 4th round match against Zenit’s peers, the 17-year-old scored the winning goal and provided an assist, helping his team defeat the league leaders 3–2. Prior to that, the St. Petersburg side had won all three of their opening matches.

After four rounds, Ambartsumov has already recorded 4 goals and 5 assists. He leads the tournament both in goals scored and in the “goal + assist” category.

In the match against Zenit U19, Artem Dryakhlov opened the scoring following a corner delivered by Ambartsumov, and in the 54th minute Daniel himself scored the decisive goal. Thanks to this win, Krasnodar U19 moved up to 4th place in the standings.

This season, Ambartsumov has already scored against Rodina, recorded 2 goals and 2 assists against Rostov, and provided two assists in a match against Akron.

His excellent form is evident not only at club level. Before the match against Zenit, Ambartsumov was with the Armenia U19 national team, which participated in a mini qualifying tournament for the 2026/27 UEFA European Championship in Turkey. He started all three matches, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Armenia remained unbeaten, drawing with Kosovo and Turkey (both 1–1) and securing a dominant 9–0 victory over Gibraltar.

Ambartsumov has been part of Krasnodar’s system since early childhood, drawing comparisons with team captain Eduard Spertsyan. Unlike his senior teammate, Daniel began representing Armenia from the U17 level. He attracted attention from Armenian fans at a young age, including through photos with national team stars. Moreover, Henrikh Mkhitaryan congratulated the young player on his birthday via a video message in 2023.

Like Spertsyan, Ambartsumov has achieved notable success at Krasnodar’s academy level:

• Russian runner-up (2021/22)
• Russian Football Union Cup winner (2022)
• Top scorer of the RFU Cup (2022)
• Youth Football League-3 champion (2023)
• Academy goal of the month (July 2024)
• Youth Football League-2 bronze medalist (2024)

Photo: Daniel Ambartsumov with Spertsyan during a training camp in Dubai

At the same time, Ambartsumov’s playing style differs significantly from Spertsyan’s. Daniel is a wide attacking player with high speed, strong dribbling, and the ability to create danger in the penalty area. Spertsyan typically operates in central midfield. Nevertheless, Ambartsumov is also actively involved in set pieces, including free kicks and corners.

If Spertsyan decides to leave Krasnodar in the near future to pursue a career in Europe, the club may already have a successor capable of maintaining Armenian fans’ interest in the team.

Video: Ambartsumov’s goal and assist vs Zenit U19