Armenia have no reason to underrate Malta, says coach

The chief coach of Zurich II FC, Arthur Petrosyan, has summed up the team’s recent matches in an interview with Armsport.am. The sportsman, who is considered the Armenian team’s best bombardier to date, also talked about the Shirak football club (which won the Armenian champion’s title last month) and the national team’s upcoming plans.

Zurich II won the sixth place in Switzerland’s Third League. To what extent was the tournament successful for you?

I headed the team in winter. We later had successful performances, and the result is satisfying. Liga Promotion, with its strength, ranks as the third team in Sweden. One may drop out here, finding itself in a lower league and never have chances to move to a higher league in case it is a second team representing the premier group.

Do Zurich II have players expected to join the main team?

There are already two players who have moved to the main team. I am hopeful a couple of more players will join Zurich in the coming year.

Shirak, your favorite club, won the Armenian champion’s title after a long interval …

I am very happy the club representing Gyumri managed to finally become the strongest in Armenia. I have closely followed the Cup. I don’t want to offend the other participants, but Shirak managed to prove that they are really the strongest in Armenia. This victory is the result of the coaching team’s right work, with the fans of Gyumri also having their contribution to that. It is very gratifying that Shirak are on their height again. They are going to participate in the Champions’ League soon; so I wish the team success.

Now about the Armenian team. Armenia are now looking forward to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Malta, which haven’t earned a single point in this qualifier group, are the first rival. What do you think should be done at meetings with such competitors to avoid underestimation?

I don’t think Armenia have any reason to underrate Malta. Why? Because we are neighbors on the tournament list. Malta have no single score; we have earned three. I am sure our guys perfectly realize all that. The tournament table never lets them relax vigilance.

Did you watch the Malta-Armenia meeting last year?

Yes, I did, and I remember what heavy price the victory cost Armenia. The game proves that Malta are capable of creating problems. In Yerevan. they are going to play close football, so it will be more difficult to score a goal.


Armenia will be hosted by Denmark on June 11. In a match with Denmark in 1995, you struck a very beautiful goal in Copenhagen, with the rival’s fence being defended by Peter Schmeichel. Are Denmark very different from what they were in the 1990s?

It is very pleasant to know my goal hasn’t been forgotten … There were better-known and, why not, celebrated footballers in Denmark in the 1990s. The same wouldn’t go for the present day club, but the impressions from the current team are better. Whatever the case, it is now necessary to focus on the game with Malta. Once this is settled, we’ll think about Denmark. In case of winning Malta, the Armenia team’s footballers will take a more sober approach to the match with Denmark.