Tulipa after win over Shamrock Rovers: “I’d take a draw and a fit Kamo”

Ararat-Armenia head coach Manuel Tulipa commented on his team’s victory over Irish side Shamrock Rovers in the first leg of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The Armenian champions won 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Lima and Zidan Banjaki.

The Portuguese coach discussed his tactical adjustments, Paul Ayongo’s unusual position, the condition of the injured players and preparations for the return leg, which will take place in Dublin on July 28.

Manuel Tulipa’s press conference after the match against Shamrock Rovers

— Ararat-Armenia have already scored six goals in this season’s Champions League, and all of them have come in the second half. What is the reason for that?

— First and foremost, we have been able to make the right adjustments to our game depending on how the match develops. We also make good use of the players coming off the bench because we have a very strong squad.

In addition, we take advantage of the opposition’s fatigue. The combination of all these factors allows us to change the course of the game in the second half.

— It looked as though you were playing chess with your defensive line today. There were many positional changes, while Hugo Oliveira played in three different positions. What was the reason for that? What condition is Malis in, and why did he not play?

— Malis is not yet fully ready to play. Edgar Grigoryan and Armen Ambartsumyan, who were unavailable today, will most likely be able to play in the return leg. That will allow us to use the players in their natural positions.

I really like the way Hugo Oliveira plays in central midfield. We also had an opportunity to give Bruno Pereira his first appearance, so Oliveira moved into midfield. Pereira is not yet in his best condition, but he played well today.

We must also give Shamrock Rovers credit because they attacked well. However, we realised that they found it difficult when we kept possession for long periods. Therefore, we will try to control the ball as much as possible in the return leg.

— How did you decide to use Paul Ayongo on the defensive flank? Had you considered that option before?

— We knew that we could use that option if necessary. He is capable of playing both as a right winger and as a wing-back. The way the match developed meant that we needed him there.

We also knew that Bruno Pereira was not ready to play the entire match, and then Kamo Hovhannisyan suffered an injury. All of that forced us to use Ayongo on the defensive flank.

Kamo Hovhannisyan is an extremely important player for us, primarily because of his leadership qualities and character. Of course, we did not move Ayongo into that position because everything was going well.

However, I am grateful to the players who fully follow the coaching staff’s instructions in situations like this. Thanks to them, I can afford to make these kinds of risky decisions.

— After the match, the Shamrock Rovers head coach said that he had expected such an outcome and did not generally criticise his players or the team’s performance. Did you expect this result?

— I do not like losing. In the first half, our opponents played with two strikers, but they were later forced to switch to a system with only one forward. We had analysed their game and knew which adjustments we needed to make to force them to change their formation.

Earlier, you asked whether we would play with three central defenders. It became necessary. We switched to a back three in the second half, and it paid off. Overall, from a tactical point of view, we did everything correctly.

— Zidan Banjaki has scored another important goal for the team. Could you say that having the name Zidan means he is destined to shine in big matches?

— I think even he does not yet fully understand what he is truly capable of. He is a very good player. When he really wants it, he can decide the outcome of any match. I really like his qualities as a footballer.

He is also capable of pressing effectively and stopping opposition attacks at an early stage. Overall, I cannot complain about the players in our attacking line. All of our forwards are very strong, and we have plenty of options.

— How can a coach convince a striker to play on the defensive flank?

— Ayongo had already been training in that position for two weeks. I explained to him that I really like Hugo Oliveira’s performances in midfield and that Ayongo therefore needed to be our alternative option on the defensive flank.

He did not complain at all and worked with great enthusiasm.

— What do you enjoy more: when the original plan works well and leads to victory, or when your decisions during the match change the game and produce the desired result?

— Football is developing very quickly, and a coach has to make the right decisions every second. Life has taught me that you should not be afraid to make risky decisions during a match.

I did not come to the club to teach the players how to play football. I came here to help them make the right decisions during matches and find a way to win.

The beauty of football is that everything can initially go according to plan before suddenly descending into chaos. That is why you need to have several plans for a match so that you can quickly put them into practice when necessary. All of that is part of the original match plan.

— It seems that, recently, Zhirayr Shaghoyan has been more focused on creating chances for his teammates than on finishing attacks. Is that a good or a bad thing for you?

— First of all, I would say that today’s match was very difficult for both Shaghoyan and Serobyan. We constantly asked them to help defensively, and when we transitioned into attack, we played the ball forward to them. They had to run a great deal, but they are already accustomed to that kind of work.

If you have formed that impression of Shaghoyan or Serobyan, it may be because they have very little time to make decisions in attack. In our system, they are often positioned a long way from the goal and are required to create dangerous attacks rather than finish them.

At the same time, when scoring opportunities arise, I want both Shaghoyan and Serobyan to be more confident and score more often. However, that does not apply to today’s match. We required something different from them today, and they performed their task brilliantly.

— What condition is Kamo Hovhannisyan in? Do you have any information yet?

— I will put it this way: if I had to choose between Kamo avoiding injury and the match ending in a draw, or today’s victory, I would choose the draw and a fit Kamo.

He is the kind of leader who can inspire the entire team with his energy and determination to win.

— Armen Ambartsumyan played well against Riga, but he was not included in the squad today. Why?

— He was injured during training. Two players missed today’s game because of injuries: Armen Ambartsumyan and Edgar Grigoryan. When they are healthy, they always play.

We will do everything possible to ensure that they can take part in the return leg.

— Why has Araik Eloyan not received any playing time in the latest matches?

— There are moments when you need players with a different profile on the pitch. If we were allowed to make more than five substitutions, perhaps he would have come on as well.

One of the reasons is that he cannot play at right-back in the way Paul Ayongo can. However, I am confident that we will see Eloyan on the pitch soon.

Состав «Арарат-Армении»:

Жоау Бравим — Камо Оганесян (Луис Фелипе, 75), Хуниор Буэно, Бруно Уилсон, Бруно Перейра (Карлье, 60) — Уго Оливейра, Альвин Тера (Зидан Банжаки, 65), Карен Мурадян — Артур Серобян (Айонго, 75), Жирайр Шагоян (Карлос Франса, 65) — Сандро Лима.

Победитель противостояния «Арарат-Армения» — «Шемрок Роверс» в третьем квалификационном раунде Лиги чемпионов встретится с победителем пары «Целе» (Словения) — «Эгнатия» (Албания).