Tulipa after heavy defeat to AZ: "We still have three opponents we can beat"

Ararat-Armenia head coach Manuel Tulipa has commented on his team's heavy 4-0 defeat to Dutch side AZ in the third matchday of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase.

During the post-match press conference, the Portuguese coach explained the reasons behind the defeat, discussed his decision to make four substitutions at once in the second half, assessed the team's injury problems and shared his expectations for the remaining matches in the European competition.

Tulipa admitted that his team had endured a disastrous first half but highlighted their improvement after the break. Despite three consecutive defeats, the coach still believes Ararat-Armenia can collect 7–8 points in the Europa League league phase.

Manuel Tulipa on the defeat to AZ, four substitutions and Ararat-Armenia's Europa League chances

— The AZ head coach said that the 4-0 victory was fully deserved and reflected what happened on the pitch. Do you agree with that assessment?

— If we look only at the first half, then yes, I completely agree. That scoreline would have been justified based on the first-half performance. But after the break, we saw a completely different game.

In the first half, we never managed to get into the game. We made far too many mistakes and could barely get into the opposition's half.

However, at the beginning of the second half, the team played very well. We were aggressive, attacked actively, and many things worked for us. I believe we need to take all the positives from those 25 minutes and build on them in the future.

— During Europa League qualifying, it seemed that luck was often on Ararat-Armenia's side, whereas now it appears to be favoring your opponents. Do you agree?

— We fully understand that we are competing in a very strong tournament. We were incredibly happy when we managed to qualify for the Europa League.

There are many excellent clubs in this competition, and it was clear from the beginning that we would face very difficult matches. We knew the level of opposition we would be up against.

— In the second half, it looked as though Ararat-Armenia were about to score and reduce the deficit. However, you decided to make four substitutions at once. Why did you make that decision? Was it related to the upcoming match against Noah?

— Of course, we also have to think about our upcoming matches and manage the players' physical workload properly.

We have an important league match against Noah coming up, followed by an Armenian Cup fixture. That is why I decided to replace the players who were already tired.

I believe it was the right decision, considering our schedule and the need to prepare the team for the next matches.

— Do you know how to help the team recover from this run of poor results in the Europa League?

— I fully understand how painful these three defeats in the opening three rounds have been for our supporters.

Of course, we have problems. But the only way to overcome them is to go through these difficult matches, draw the right conclusions and learn the necessary lessons.

We have suffered painful defeats in the past, but those experiences helped us become stronger and eventually reach this stage of the Europa League.

As for the league phase, I initially identified four matches in which we could achieve positive results. We have already lost one of them, against Jagiellonia. However, we still have three opponents ahead of us whom I believe we are capable of beating.

I hope the players will learn from these defeats and perform significantly better in the upcoming matches.

— Everyone understood that the team would face a demanding schedule this season. There are already many injured players in the squad. The club did not strengthen the squad with new signings in August. Do you regret that decision? If you had the opportunity, would you want to reinforce the team now?

— It is difficult to answer that question right now. I have complete confidence in the players at my disposal. They simply need to make the right decisions in certain situations during matches.

Overall, I am satisfied with the way they work. We knew in advance that this would be a difficult season. Unfortunately, injuries have made the situation even more complicated.

When the injured players recover, we can consider their return a form of squad reinforcement because it will give us additional tactical options.

That is why I am happy with my team. Many of the solutions to our problems are already within the club. We have players who can come off the bench and improve our performances.

For example, Eloyan came onto the pitch today and made a noticeable difference to our game. He will receive more playing time in the future.

I am not afraid of strong opponents. Matches like these are also valuable lessons for me personally.

— After the match against Sparta Prague, you said you had set yourself the goal of collecting 7–8 points in the Europa League league phase. After three consecutive defeats, do you still believe that target is achievable?

— I still believe we can collect that many points.

But for me as a coach, that is not the most important thing. What matters much more is helping the players improve, develop and raise their level.

I am not afraid of the challenges ahead, and I will continue working with this team with great confidence.

— Judging by last season's experience, seven points might not be enough to reach the play-offs. Does that mean you never initially set qualification as a target and primarily view the league phase as an opportunity to gain experience?

— I hope we can perform to the best of our abilities. Perhaps eight points will be enough to finish 24th, or perhaps they will not.

But our goal is not only to reach the play-offs. We want to perform well in the Europa League, gain experience and learn from matches against strong opponents.

It is also very important for us to earn UEFA coefficient points for Armenia.

In the past, Armenian clubs could not qualify for the Europa League by winning the domestic cup, but now that opportunity exists. This is very important for Armenian football as a whole.

We want to earn as many coefficient points as possible for our country.

We must also remember that every victory in the Europa League boosts team morale and brings additional prize money to the club. That is why we will aim to collect as many points as possible.

Tulipa explains Muradyan's absence from the starting lineup and Grigoryan's struggles

— Why wasn't Karen Muradyan included in the starting lineup? During qualifying, he was one of the key players and regularly wore the captain's armband.

— I have said this before, and I will repeat it: I do not select my lineup from a supporter's perspective. I am the head coach, and it is my responsibility to manage the workload of important players throughout the season so they remain ready for matches.

There are absolutely no problems with Karen Muradyan. In fact, in my opinion, he was our best player in the previous match against BKMA.

At the moment, we have certain problems in central midfield. Alvin Tera is injured, so I wanted Muradyan to maintain his fitness and be fully prepared for the upcoming matches. We discussed this decision with him.

At the same time, I want to emphasize that Karen was very useful in the second half.

When we switched to a five-man defense and started finding spaces in the opposition's formation, Muradyan performed very well thanks to his ability to control the ball and initiate attacks from deep positions.

He was excellent in those situations.

— Edgar Grigoryan has not looked particularly confident in recent matches. It seems that his problems began after the disappointing game against Sparta Prague. Have you also noticed a decline in his performances, or is it related to his recent injury?

— His current difficulties are partly related to the injury he suffered before the national team's matches. In addition, he has experienced health problems recently and was ill.

We are trying to help him return to his best condition. Edgar himself is also working very hard to achieve that.

As for today's match, I was dissatisfied not only with him but with the entire team in the first half.

However, after the break, when we started playing better, Edgar also made a significant contribution to our attacking play.

He feels much more confident when he has the opportunity to get forward and actively support attacks.

Manuel Tulipa names his favorite for the Ballon d'Or

— Ararat-Armenia's next match will take place on October 26, the same day as the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Who do you think will win the award?

— Unfortunately, this award is rarely given to central midfielders. It usually goes to strikers or attacking wingers.

Personally, however, I would choose Vitinha. I also believe Pedri deserves the award.

In general, I think the role of a midfielder is incredibly important in football. A midfielder must think not only about scoring goals but about every aspect of the game.

— What would you say to supporters to convince them to attend Ararat-Armenia's match instead of watching the Ballon d'Or ceremony?

— I know we do not have a huge number of supporters, but those who follow the team are extremely loyal. I am sure they will come to our match.

Once again, I want to emphasize that today's defeat was very painful for me, especially the way we played in the first half.

We really had a very poor first half and deeply disappointed our supporters.

I want to apologize to them.

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Ararat-Armenia suffered a 4-0 home defeat to AZ in Yerevan on October 22. After three matches, the Armenian club remains without a point in the Europa League league phase, having lost to Sparta Prague, Jagiellonia and AZ.

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Ararat-Armenia's next match will be away against Portuguese second-division side Torreense. The game will take place on November 5 local time, which will already be the early hours of November 6 in Yerevan.