Oleksandr Petrakov was dismissed as the head coach of the Armenian national football team on Sunday, October 13, shortly after Armenia’s 0-2 defeat against North Macedonia in the UEFA Nations League. The loss in Yerevan marked Armenia’s second defeat to North Macedonia in the tournament, leading to Petrakov’s sacking immediately after the match.
The Ukrainian coach had struggled to turn Armenia’s fortunes around during the Nations League campaign. Despite a strong start, Armenia now trails group leaders North Macedonia, who top Group 4 of the C League with 10 points. Armenia and Latvia are tied with 4 points each, but Armenia holds second place due to a superior goal difference. The Faroe Islands, with 2 points, sit at the bottom of the group after a 1-1 draw with Latvia on October 13.
Armenia’s Nations League journey began with a promising start on Matchday 1 (September 7), when they secured an impressive 4-1 victory over Latvia in Yerevan. However, that momentum was halted just days later on Matchday 2 (September 10), when Armenia traveled to Skopje and lost 0-2 to North Macedonia. Despite North Macedonia being reduced to 10 men after Gjoko Zajkov was sent off in first-half stoppage time, Armenia was unable to capitalize. On Matchday 3 (October 10), Armenia faced the Faroe Islands in Tórshavn in a closely contested match that ended in a 2-2 draw.
The decisive blow came on Matchday 4 (October 13), when Armenia once again faced North Macedonia, this time at home in Yerevan. In another 0-2 defeat, Armenia was unable to breach the resilient defense of their opponents, and the loss proved to be the final straw for Petrakov’s tenure as head coach. Shortly after the match, the Armenian Football Federation confirmed that Petrakov had been dismissed from his position.
Looking ahead, Armenia will play two crucial matches in November as they seek to turn their campaign around under new leadership. On November 14, Armenia will host the Faroe Islands in a must-win match on home soil. With Armenia needing maximum points to stay competitive in the group, this game will be pivotal for their chances of advancing. The group stage will conclude on November 17, when Armenia travels to Latvia for the final match. Armenia will be aiming to replicate their earlier success, having defeated Latvia 4-1 in the opening match of the tournament, and will be looking to secure a strong finish in their Nations League campaign.
With Petrakov’s departure, Armenia now faces the challenge of finding a new manager to guide the team through these decisive upcoming matches.
The First Armenian Front (FAF), Armenia’s largest football supporters’ group, has called for the resignation of Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) President Armen Melikbekyan following Armenia’s 0-2 defeat to North Macedonia. FAF members, led by co-founder Sergey Janjoyan, gathered outside the FFA office after the match, seeking a meeting with Melikbekyan, but he did not show up. Janjoyan expressed frustration with the lack of communication from the federation and the absence of the positive changes they had hoped for under Melikbekyan’s leadership.
