On April 3, Belgrade will host the 49th UEFA Congress, where seven new members of the Executive Committee will be elected for a four-year term. Among the candidates is the President of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), Armen Melikbekyan. However, his possible election has sparked strong criticism from the leader of the "Armenian First Front" (FAF) movement, Sergey Jandzhoyan, leading to a public dispute.
Sergey Jandzhoyan’s Statement: "We Will Not Allow Melikbekyan into the UEFA Executive Committee"
On March 26, Jandzhoyan published a statement on his Facebook page, criticizing Melikbekyan’s candidacy and announcing his intention to prevent his election.
Jandzhoyan’s Main Arguments
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Failure as a Leader – According to the FAF leader, Melikbekyan has not fulfilled the promises he made upon taking office, and Armenian football remains in decline.
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Financial Misconduct – Jandzhoyan accuses the FFA president of misusing funds and lacking transparency.
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Doubtful Motives – The FAF leader believes that Melikbekyan is seeking a position in the UEFA Executive Committee for personal gain (the annual salary of a committee member is €197,000) rather than for the development of Armenian football.
Plan of Opposition
Jandzhoyan announced a campaign to lobby against Melikbekyan, including:
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Distributing a dossier on Melikbekyan’s activities to all UEFA football associations.
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Meetings with representatives of European federations to explain the situation.
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Protest actions in Belgrade during the Congress.
"If Melikbekyan does not announce his resignation, we will do everything to ensure he does not enter the UEFA Executive Committee," Jandzhoyan declared.
Armen Melikbekyan’s Response: "This Is an Anti-Armenian Move"
The FFA president strongly condemned Jandzhoyan’s statement, calling it a "disgrace" and an "anti-state action."
Key Points of His Response
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Damage to Armenia’s Reputation – Melikbekyan believes that attempts to block his candidacy harm the country’s image on the international stage.
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Insults and Lies – According to him, Jandzhoyan distorts facts and makes baseless accusations, which will be met with a legal response.
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Goal: Football Development – Melikbekyan emphasized that his possible election to the UEFA Executive Committee would create new opportunities for Armenian football, especially for small nations.
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Failure of Previous Attacks – He reminded that all previous attempts to remove him had failed, and this campaign would not succeed either.
"We will not allow anti-state forces to hinder the development of football," Melikbekyan stated.