Tweet
PYUNIK DELIVER KNOCKOUT PUNCH
by Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan
UEFA.com, Switzerland
Nov 13 2007
Sargis Hovsepyan was proud of Pyunik's achievement (©Getty Images)Armen
Gyulbudaghyants was proud to see his FC Pyunik side work as "one single
fist" as they claimed the Armenian title for the seventh season in
succession last week.
'One single fist' A 4-1 win against FC Ararat Yerevan last Wednesday
finally sealed the championship with a game to spare after one
of the most competitive seasons in recent memory, and there was
time to celebrate after a 2-0 defeat at FC Shirak on Saturday. "My
players showed character and passed some difficult tests," said
Gyulbudaghyants. "We refreshed our squad during the season and that
caused problems, but the players meshed to form one single fist and
we won the title."
Policy change Before the season, Pyunik's board elected on a new
tactic, choosing to focus on young, homegrown players rather than
seasoned professionals. That change of tack was accompanied with
friction elsewhere, with coach Samvel Petrosyan resigning early in the
season, to be replaced by then reserve-team boss Gyulbudaghyants. For
a while it seemed the traditional giants of Armenian football might
fade out of the title chase but they managed to fight back.
Pyunik philosophy Pyunik president Karen Harutyunyan said: "There are
a lot of young players in our youth academy making their first steps
in football. We appreciate their efforts and are proud that some of
those youngsters made it to Pyunik's starting lineup and helped the
club to win gold medals. It is very encouraging. We will maintain
this policy and keep producing good players - not only for Pyunik,
but for the Armenian national teams."
National duty That role as the main wellspring of Armenian talent has
kept the pressure up on Pyunik this season. With the bulk of Armenia's
senior and Under-21 sides being drawn from the club's players -
and Gyulbudaghyants himself managing the U19s - the squad has been
stretched. However, the 41-year-old coach feels that all local clubs
have a duty to the nation. "The main goal for club coaches in Armenia
is to prepare players for our national teams," he said.
Simply the best In that respect, Pyunik have done their duty well,
and while it has been a tough season, experienced captain Sargis
Hovsepyan knows that they can ultimately look back with pride. "It
doesn't make any difference how many rounds were left when we won
the title," he said.
"The main thing is that Pyunik won this long, hard marathon. We earned
the most wins, scored the most goals and conceded fewer goals than
any other club. That's why we're the champions."
--Boundary_(ID_acs4eeDegPrky3KxK 3FEkg)--
by Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan
UEFA.com, Switzerland
Nov 13 2007
Sargis Hovsepyan was proud of Pyunik's achievement (©Getty Images)Armen
Gyulbudaghyants was proud to see his FC Pyunik side work as "one single
fist" as they claimed the Armenian title for the seventh season in
succession last week.
'One single fist' A 4-1 win against FC Ararat Yerevan last Wednesday
finally sealed the championship with a game to spare after one
of the most competitive seasons in recent memory, and there was
time to celebrate after a 2-0 defeat at FC Shirak on Saturday. "My
players showed character and passed some difficult tests," said
Gyulbudaghyants. "We refreshed our squad during the season and that
caused problems, but the players meshed to form one single fist and
we won the title."
Policy change Before the season, Pyunik's board elected on a new
tactic, choosing to focus on young, homegrown players rather than
seasoned professionals. That change of tack was accompanied with
friction elsewhere, with coach Samvel Petrosyan resigning early in the
season, to be replaced by then reserve-team boss Gyulbudaghyants. For
a while it seemed the traditional giants of Armenian football might
fade out of the title chase but they managed to fight back.
Pyunik philosophy Pyunik president Karen Harutyunyan said: "There are
a lot of young players in our youth academy making their first steps
in football. We appreciate their efforts and are proud that some of
those youngsters made it to Pyunik's starting lineup and helped the
club to win gold medals. It is very encouraging. We will maintain
this policy and keep producing good players - not only for Pyunik,
but for the Armenian national teams."
National duty That role as the main wellspring of Armenian talent has
kept the pressure up on Pyunik this season. With the bulk of Armenia's
senior and Under-21 sides being drawn from the club's players -
and Gyulbudaghyants himself managing the U19s - the squad has been
stretched. However, the 41-year-old coach feels that all local clubs
have a duty to the nation. "The main goal for club coaches in Armenia
is to prepare players for our national teams," he said.
Simply the best In that respect, Pyunik have done their duty well,
and while it has been a tough season, experienced captain Sargis
Hovsepyan knows that they can ultimately look back with pride. "It
doesn't make any difference how many rounds were left when we won
the title," he said.
"The main thing is that Pyunik won this long, hard marathon. We earned
the most wins, scored the most goals and conceded fewer goals than
any other club. That's why we're the champions."
--Boundary_(ID_acs4eeDegPrky3KxK 3FEkg)--