Armenian football legend Henrikh Mkhitaryan says he will retire from football after his current contract with Inter Milan expires next summer, according to an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica via FCInterNews.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll play,” he said. “I still want to be on the field. I have one year left on my contract with Inter. If they don’t kick me out, I’m staying. I don’t want to retire with the regret of having done it too soon. After Inter, I’m done. Moreover, I don’t want to lower the level.”
Mkhitaryan ruled out a return to Armenian football or a move to Saudi Arabia. “I won’t go back to playing in Armenia. And destinations like Saudi Arabia don’t interest me. With all due respect, I love football for the game, not for money. When I wake up, I want to train and show what I’m worth.”
On life after football, he said: “After football? Today I say I’d like to leave the football world, but never say never. I’ll need time to reflect and rest, with my family.”
Mkhitaryan also reflected on Inter’s inconsistency last season, saying the team looked “unplayable” at times but couldn’t sustain that level. “I didn’t say we’re always unplayable, but that we were in some matches because of the attitude we showed on the pitch,” he said. He spoke candidly about his role in the locker room: “If I speak — and I don’t do it often — it’s for the good of the team. The important thing is not to hide, to be clear, direct. Only that way can we help each other.”
Mkhitaryan admitted the pain of losing the Champions League final still lingers. Despite joining Inter late in his career, he became a key figure in the locker room and played a central role in the club’s recent success. Now 36, with his contract ending next summer, his time at San Siro is nearing its conclusion. While he helped Inter win the 2023/24 Serie A title, he fell short in Europe — losing two Champions League finals in three years, including a crushing 5-0 defeat to PSG last month. That match also marked the end of Simone Inzaghi’s tenure, who left for Al-Hilal shortly after. Cristian Chivu has since taken over as head coach.
Chivu has just begun his tenure, earning his first win at the FIFA Club World Cup after a 2-1 comeback victory in Philadelphia, following a 1-1 draw with CF Monterrey. Mkhitaryan said the team is adapting quickly to the new philosophy, noting, “The sooner we understand what he asks of us, the better… From the very first training session, his mark was evident.” While the formation remains unchanged, he emphasized that the tactical approach differs from Inzaghi’s. Reflecting on Inzaghi’s departure, Mkhitaryan said they “said goodbye in private” and added, “I avoided making posts on social media. He made a decision, and we accepted it.” Still processing the European loss, he said, “The scar remains. The pain doesn’t go away,” and stressed the need to focus forward: “There’s no going back… We must work to win in the coming days, the coming weeks, and the coming years.”
Mkhitaryan said he remains in touch with Mehdi Taremi, who has faced difficulty leaving Iran amid recent Israeli airstrikes. “He’s doing well,” Mkhitaryan noted, though he avoids overwhelming him with messages as “many people are contacting him.” He added that Taremi’s gesture of wishing the team luck before the Club World Cup “meant a lot.” Mkhitaryan also expressed hope for a swift end to the conflict. Finally, he praised youngsters Francesco Pio Esposito and Valentin Carboni, who have featured for Inter in the U.S., with Carboni scoring a winning goal against Urawa. “They know how football works — today you score, but tomorrow it starts from zero,” he said. “We, the more experienced ones, try to show them how to improve. Then it depends on them — if they want to grow or not.”
