2024-05-09 01:27:10
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the President of the Football Federation of Armenia Armen Melikbekyan and the first informant of the FFA President Armen Nikoghosyan, the government reports.
Nikol Pashinyan noted that football is one of the areas where our society sees real and significant changes. “I must emphasize that the government welcomes these changes, because they bring very important results. I also consider it important to emphasize that the national football team, with its victories in an extremely difficult and difficult period for our country, actually became the pioneer of the return of positive feelings of the country and the people.
Of course, the role of that function is hard to overestimate, on the other hand, I don’t want us to put too heavy a burden on the shoulders of our football team and constrain it in the future competition. But I also consider it important that in the transformation strategy of Armenia until 2050, we emphasized that we expect the national football team of the Republic of Armenia to record very specific results. It is our expectation that by that time the team will not only reach the final stage of the European or World Championship, but will also be able to become a prize winner.
Of course, it is understandable that this is a rather complicated and long way, but in any case, the development of the football economy and infrastructure is important not only in terms of purely sports, but also in terms of organizing the socio-economic life of the country. So, you can consider that you have the support of the government in those programs and naturally we will support to the best of our ability, so that the processes that have started in our football life continue and have a concrete outcome.”
Armen Melikbekyan thanked Nikol Pashinyan for his evaluations. “In fact, in the most difficult moments of the war and post-war, we felt the support of the government and various bodies, because without that support, in such a difficult situation, it would not even have been possible to organize the meetings that we were obliged to hold in the international arena.
It is very important for us that football as a social phenomenon was able to bring some support to Armenia in really difficult moments. Now in a more stable phase we have our goals. Let me say that the strategy of the Football Federation of Armenia is written until 2025 and we are preparing to do the minimum task before that period, in 2022 or 2024, to reach the final stage of the World or European Championship. It is reflected in our strategy.
Of course, all this cannot be done only by the forces of the football federation and we are grateful for the support and future support, which I am sure will be and we will try to fulfill the task before us, because as of now, the Armenian national team has achieved an unprecedented result in the history of Armenian football.
Next year we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the FFA, the national team. The national team has three victories in the opening three games, of course, we still have a lot of difficult games ahead of us in the fall, but in any case, both the players, the coaching staff and the representatives of the FFA administrative department understand the importance of these victories for the country.”
Nikol Pashinyan and the leaders of the FFA discussed the programs aimed at the development of football in Armenia, which are aimed at improving football infrastructure in the republic, youth football, ensuring the progress of youth and national teams, as well as the development of club football.