Since November last year, the post of head coach of “Urartu” FC was taken by Aleksander Grigoryan. A lot of time has passed. In the course of a large interview with a 53-year-old specialist, we spoked about a lot of topics.

 

NOW WE HAVE TIME TO FINALLY CHECK THE YOUNGSTERS OF OUR ACADEMY

 

- The team have already started trainings. In which direction the preparation goes?
- Honestly we knew that we have few chances for reaching final six. We have to win our 3 matches, but the same time FC "Noah" must lost in all three matches. To count and hope for this is very unserious. Therefore, we have identified priorities - it is the Armenian Cup, where we are already in the semifinals. We have time to prepare and now we are checking our youngsters from Academy. First of all, these are players who play in the second team, and there is a very important point: the players are already 19-20 years old. Thus, by this moment we have 6 players from the second team, we understand that we make a little difficulties for head coach of “Urartu-2”. But he is also following for new youngsters from Academy. Thus, in our Academy there is such an emergency phase of testing the players' abilities. We are not in a hurry to select players. because we have time and mainly we have to concentrate on our Academy players. They must be in first team not only for participating in trainings. They have to play and they have to become members of our team.
- So, we can expect that in the second part of the Championship we will see more young players from the "Urartu" Academy?
- I think that this should not be expected at this moment, but it will definitely be. For example Hrachya Geghamyan entered pitch during fixture against "Ararat-Armenia" FC, this was his first match in the Armenian Championship.  We don't do this In order for our internal statistical raise. No, this is a completely serious intention. And now I want to move from words to action.
- Now 6 players are training with the main team, what are your impressions about them?
- Impressions of them are good, positive. They demonstrate themselves well enough, but you need to watch how long it will be. It's emotional moment or long-term condition. It is clear that they are now on emotions, they have an emotional upsurge, but we need to see what happens when the month passes, and they become tired -  here their qualities are manifested.

 

THE OPTION WITH "URARTU" HAS ARRIVED ABSOLUTELY UNEXPECTED FOR ME, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT HIDE I WANTED TO WORK HERE

 

- How did you come up with the option of becoming a coach of "Urartu"?
- I wanted to work in Armenia, and I had options for working in Armenia at the club level. The option with "Urartu" arose completely unexpectedly for me, although I do not hide the fact that I wanted to work here. Still, Jevan Cheloyants has been for long in football and holds here not just a team, but also an Academy. Of course, it was interesting for me to get to "Urartu", because I am currently looking at the our Academy youngsters when others are looking at players from other countries. It's good that we can base on our youngsters when we want to strengh our team. In addition, good working conditions are created here. I understand that for Jevan Cheloyants this is a serious project. In Armenia, all clubs belong to private owners. In fact, they are all very serious people, of course I superficially made inquiries, but they are all very rich, they invest money. The Armenians themselves are all ambitious, all demand first place. If you look like this, how had finished the first part of the Championship? Everyone retains a chance to be first, but someone will be second, someone will be third, and someone will be sixth. And here, in practice, I know that these ambitions of someone may go out, they say, “either I'm the first, or I'm nobody”. I went through this when constant victories are required from the coach, and defeat is excluded. The same time, the team must show beautiful football. To make such statements you need to be absolutely not a football professional. Because, if you have Napoleon’s ambitions, then you just have to understand that football contains an element of accidental. I worked in such a situation, and other coaches worked in such a situation, you lost - you sacked. It's funny, a real circus. Here I know that Ilshat Fayzullin had a positive stage when the team did not lose a lot of matches in a row, so there was a negative period when the team did not win more than 10 games. Nevertheless, the club management calmly waited, which means they are not guided by momentary emotions, but are building a strategy. This is exactly what I need, because after all I’m no longer a young coach, so I appreciate every time and don’t want to deal with crooks on my way. I want to face serious people.

- Is it not difficult in Armenia in this regard? Mentality does not interfere?
- Well, there is a very good opportunity to give something that is lacking in mentality, something called the "psychology of the winner." Because I see that no one gave the guys this, and I see that they absorb these nuances. This is very important, because in principle they were prepared very well. They are 19 years old, this is the age when you need to start playing, but in order to play, you need to have not only character, but also the right position in life, to navigate correctly in situations where you do not succeed or when you get succed. Here you need to be able to behave correctly, and I see that these young guys need this support, a hint how to behave, etc. Many of our guys play for youth teams, and to my question "Do you play for youth team?", two of them answered: "Yes, I'm the captain". Now they know that they can’t answer like that, you need to answer specifically to the question: "Do you play for the youth team? Yes, I play." Because I am a professional coach, and of course I made inquiries that you play for the youth team, and that you are the captain there. This nuance is also purely Armenian. And a lot of things also depend on it. It’s not a matter of modesty, it’s about “I'm the captain”, it can disturb development, it’s too much self-appreciation. So we learn to focus on the main thing, we learn to work. But at the same time, I understand perfectly well that the result is needed, that they will ask for the result. I have enough experience and some kind of coaching courage not to rush anywhere, but for now continue to pay attention to our youngsters.
- Now what result will you require from these players? What goals did you set for the team?
- You can demand anything. It is necessary to bring the situation to ensure that they themselves demand maximum results. And in this situation, I have already announced that the Cup is our priority. As for the Championship, it is natural to win in all the remaining matches. But there is one important point: let's say if we don’t win in some match, I’m not going to fire some player and nobody is going to fire me. You can strive for this, understanding that you have the right to make a mistake, because football is not a war, it is a game, and in this game you need to be able to show your best qualities and character, and at the same time play, and not be afraid to make mistakes. But such an approach “all or nothing” does not allow liberating players, the coach and does not allow creative work, play creatively.

 

THIS IS THE MOST STRONG CHAMPIONSHIP OF ARMENIA

 

- You are already 2 months in Armenian football, what surprised you the most?
- Well, in our football I was surprised that there is such isolation, and no one communicates with anyone. I’m used to, let’s say in Russia, especially in the FNL, that my colleagues and I call each other, we even advise each other, “Take this players, they can be productive for your team”, we ask, “How is your club situation? How is your work?” But I think that maybe this is the pluses, because in fact there is a lot of work and we need to focus on our club. As for what I like, I like that at the moment the Armenian championship has become better in quality. Maybe I could be wrong, but the last 12 years since I arrived in Yerevan after a long pause, and I constantly come every year, and also follow the Championship, it seems to me that this is by far the strongest Championship. First of all, this is due to the fact that better-quality foreigners began to play in Armenian football, a group of young Armenian players grew up who began to knock on the door of the Armenian National team, and we have such players. Further everything will depend on how they progress. I like that. And what happens around football, believe me, this, unfortunately, has always been, is and will be.

- Many clubs accept a strategy according to which the Academy teams must play clearly according to the same system as the main team. What do you say about this?
- Our Academy will move in the direction in which the head coaches of our Academy want to move. And I, as the head coach of the main team, will give them advices and tell about mistakes that they make during their programs. It is important for me that the graduates of the Academy do not develop according to my template, but that the head coach of the second team, the head coaches of senior youth teams and so on, have their own vision of preparation, their philosophy and implement it. This is very important for me, because I quickly adapt any quality player to my football. There is no energy in the work of someone’s thoughts, this is not their vision. Yes, all over the world it is accepted that Academies and major teams work according to a common program and philosophy. For example, in Germany there was a period when the Germans raised their football according to the general program, and they raised it. I would not want us to work on some kind of general program. My vision is that I want to see a personality in the head coach of each team, and a personalities cannot work on someone’s ideas.

- What to expect from “Urartu” in the second half of the season?
- In the second part, we can expect a different quality of the game from us, and of course victories. Definitely, I am primarily interested in a different quality of the game, that is, we must be more effective in attack, we must be much more effective in defense. We must play faster, play more aggressively in attack and more reliable in defense. We must play at a higher pace, and our game from the point of view of aesthetics should give pleasure to the fans. Here are the short tasks that we set for ourselves.