Sandro Perkovic: “It’s hard for us to accept that we won’t play in the league phase of European competition”

Noah head coach Sandro Perkovic reflected on the second leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round against Swiss side Sion.

The Armenian club lost 2-1 in Switzerland and ended their 2026/27 European campaign. Noah took the lead through a penalty converted by Elder Ferreira, but the hosts scored twice after the break. Sion won 4-3 on aggregate and advanced to the play-off round, where they will face Ajax Amsterdam.

At the post-match press conference, Perkovic praised his players’ commitment, explained the decision to use Ferreira as a false nine, discussed the impact of the team’s absences and assessed the potential of Noah’s current squad.

Sandro Perkovic’s post-match press conference

Sandro Perkovic’s opening statement:

— First of all, I would like to congratulate Sion on their victory and wish them all the best in their matches against Ajax. Despite the fact that we lost, I am pleased with our performance and with our players. I think we gave everything we had on the pitch.

— Elder Ferreira played as a false nine today. How would you assess this experiment?

— I am pleased with Elder’s performance. He created a lot of dangerous situations and was one of the most prominent players in our team. We did not concede the goals because of his position, but for other reasons.

From a tactical point of view, we played a good match, especially in the first half. We had quite a few goalscoring chances, managed to score and kept our advantage until half-time. Today we needed a forward who moves well and finds space between the lines, and Ferreira handled that role well.

— Hovhannes Hambardzumyan and Mario Gonzalez missed the match through injury, while Stone Mambo was suspended. How much did their absence affect the team?

— They are all very good players. I am sure that if they had been available, they would have helped us a lot and would most likely have been in the starting line-up. Hambardzumyan was playing very well in the first match before his injury, while Mambo, despite the red card, also put in a good performance.

But despite those absences, I am pleased with all the players who took to the pitch today. It was very difficult for us. The players gave everything they had, but unfortunately, it was not enough.

— Among Noah’s recent opponents, AZ were probably the strongest. Where would you rank Sion?

— I think they are one of the strongest teams we have played against. Of course, Sion are not at the level of AZ Alkmaar, but I would put them in the next group of strong opponents, alongside Rijeka, Legia and Craiova.

— If you compare last year’s Noah side, which played in the Conference League, with the current team, do they have the same potential?

— It is difficult to make such comparisons because things change very quickly in football. I think both teams are very good, but the current squad needs more time to get its game working properly.

Some of the new players who joined us have faced certain difficulties: some were recovering from injuries, while others had gone a long time without regular match practice. They need time to adapt. The current team has great potential; we just need a little time to get everything in place.

— Noah played in the league phase of European competition in each of the last two seasons, but this season the team failed to qualify. On the one hand, the absence of European football could help in the fight for the Armenian championship. On the other hand, it is a major loss for the club. How do you assess the situation?

— Yes, Noah played in the league phase of European competition in each of the last two seasons, and last season we even reached the play-offs. Of course, it is very difficult for us to accept the fact that we will not be playing in the league phase this season.

But we have to learn from this. Now we will try to fight for victory in every competition and win every trophy available to us this season.

— Why didn’t the goalkeeper always start attacks with a long kick today, with Baptiste Saintini often taking over that role instead? He was under a lot of pressure from the supporters, and one such situation led to a loss of possession and a goal conceded.

— We decided to use two different ways of starting our attacks. Sometimes we played the ball out with short passes, while in other situations Saintini played a long ball forward.

When the opposition supporters began booing him loudly and putting him under considerable pressure, Saintini made a mistake. Until that moment, we had been building our attacks well. What disappoints me most is that almost all the dangerous situations around our goal came from our own mistakes while trying to build attacks.