Суд оставил иски «Ноа» без рассмотрения, но спор о лимите на легионеров в Армении продолжается

The legal dispute between the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) and FC Noah over restrictions on the number of foreign players has taken a new turn. On October 22, a court left the lawsuits filed by the club and FFA Executive Committee member Anna Ohanyan without consideration. However, lawyer Arpine Hovhannisyan challenged the federation's interpretation of the court's decision, stating that the limit of 15 foreign players remains suspended.

The two sides therefore have different interpretations of the legal consequences of the latest court rulings. Representatives of Noah intend to continue the proceedings and appeal the court's decision.

FFA announces court decision in its favor

On October 22, 2026, the court issued two rulings leaving without consideration the lawsuits filed by Anna Ohanyan and FC Noah against the FFA Executive Committee's June 27, 2026 decision approving the regulations for professional competitions for the 2026/27 season.

The main point of disagreement is Article 20.03 of the regulations, which limits the number of foreign players registered by clubs in Armenia's Premier League and First League to 15 per season. Players from both the first and second teams are included in this total.

According to the wording of the regulations, the restriction applies to players who were not trained in Armenia and/or are not members of the country's senior or youth national teams.

The FFA reported that the court had also lifted previously imposed interim measures that prohibited the federation from applying the relevant provision of the regulations.

According to the federation's interpretation, this means that the restriction on the number of foreign players has been reinstated. The court's rulings are subject to entering into legal force under the established procedure and may be appealed.

Noah's lawyer: The 15-foreign-player limit remains suspended

Following the federation's announcement, lawyer Arpine Hovhannisyan, who represents the plaintiffs, commented on the situation.

She emphasized that the court had not examined the legality of the restriction itself but had left the lawsuits without consideration on procedural grounds.

"First of all, the court did not examine the legality of the 15-foreign-player limit at all. The lawsuit was left without consideration on the grounds that the dispute should be resolved through arbitration. This ruling can be appealed, and we intend to exercise that right," Hovhannisyan stated.

According to the lawyer, the ruling has not yet entered into legal force, making it premature to draw definitive conclusions about the outcome of the proceedings.

Hovhannisyan also maintains that the interim measures suspending enforcement of the restriction remain in effect.

"The court rejected the FFA's motion to lift the interim measures imposed in connection with the lawsuit, finding the arguments presented to be unfounded. In other words, the interim measures remain in effect, and the enforcement of the 15-foreign-player limit is still suspended."

Hovhannisyan noted that the federation had filed an appeal against the refusal to lift the interim measures. According to her information, that appeal has not yet been heard.

At the same time, the statements made by the two sides refer, at least in part, to different procedural decisions. The court previously rejected the FFA's request to lift the interim measures, while the federation now claims that those measures were lifted as a result of the October 22 rulings.

Lawyer accuses FFA of attempting to restrict Noah's competitive opportunities

Beyond the legal disagreements, Arpine Hovhannisyan also criticized the Football Federation of Armenia's position.

According to the lawyer, arguments presented by federation representatives during the court hearing raise questions about the true purpose of introducing the restriction.

"The positions expressed by the FFA representative during the court hearing only strengthened our conviction that the real objective is not so much the development of Armenian football as the restriction of FC Noah's economic and competitive opportunities."

Hovhannisyan believes these circumstances could raise questions not only from the perspective of football regulations but also under competition law.

She also suggested that there could be indications of an anti-competitive agreement.

It should be emphasized that this is the lawyer's assessment, not a fact established by the court. The materials presented contain no judicial findings of any violation of competition law.

How has the legal dispute developed?

The legal proceedings began on July 17, 2026, when Anna Ohanyan, who also serves as Noah's development director, filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the FFA Executive Committee's decision approving the new regulations.

On August 3, FC Noah joined the case and requested a temporary prohibition on the enforcement of Article 20.03.

On August 12, the court granted the club's application for interim relief, suspending enforcement of the restriction.

In September, Urartu joined the proceedings in support of the FFA's position. Both the federation and Urartu filed motions to lift the interim measures, but the court rejected those requests on September 30.

For its part, the FFA maintained that the dispute should be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, as federation members had accepted the relevant arbitration obligations.

According to information provided by the parties, it was precisely the question of jurisdiction over the dispute that led the court to leave the lawsuits without consideration on October 22.

Is the 15-foreign-player limit currently in effect?

At present, the two sides maintain conflicting positions.

The FFA claims that the October 22 court rulings remove the obstacles preventing enforcement of the foreign-player restriction.

Noah's representatives insist that the interim measures remain in effect and that the latest court ruling has not yet entered into legal force and will be appealed.

It is important, however, to distinguish between a decision to leave the lawsuits without consideration and separate court orders concerning interim measures. The court's September 30 refusal to lift those measures does not, in itself, rule out the possibility of their subsequent removal through another ruling.

Therefore, a definitive conclusion regarding the current enforcement of the limit requires an examination of the content and procedural status of the court orders issued on October 22.

One thing is clear: the dispute between Noah and the Football Federation of Armenia is far from over. The court has not examined the legality of the 15-foreign-player restriction on its merits, while the club's representatives have already announced their intention to continue the legal battle.