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MKHITARYAN EARNING A PLACE AMONG THE ELITE
hetq
14:26, October 2, 2012
The name Henrikh Mkhitaryan may not trip off the tongue for fans
in the West, but the gifted playmaker certainly does not struggle
for recognition in his native Armenia. A fully fledged star in his
homeland, he is equally revered across eastern Europe and especially
in Ukraine, where he has become as synonymous with Shakhtar Donetsk
as long-serving coach Mircea Lucescu, former Barcelona stopper Dmytro
Chyrgrynskiy and the club's exciting array of Brazilians. At 23,
his reputation is now soaring thanks to an unerring eye for goal and
his consistently excellent displays, all of which he dedicates to a
father who passed away too soon.
Snapped up by Shakhtar in 2010, Mkhitaryan did not have to wait long
to make his mark at the Donbass Arena, tying down a spot in midfield
despite fierce competition for places. He proved an instant success
and has followed a steadily upward trajectory since agreeing the move,
seemingly reaching a whole new level this season. Above all, he caught
the eye with a pair of goals against Nordsjaelland in Shakhtar's
opening UEFA Champions League encounter last month, but he can also
pride himself on his 14 goals from ten appearances in all competitions
this term. Unsurprisingly, he has become a vital piece of the jigsaw
for Lucescu, and the man who previously coached the likes of Ronaldo
and Roberto Baggio has not been shy expressing his admiration.
"Mkhitaryan has a great future," the erstwhile Inter Milan coach has
said. "He's an exceptional player."
Life has not always been easy for the burgeoning talent, however.
Originally from the Kentron district of Yerevan, Mkhitaryan's childhood
was rocked by the premature death of his father Hamlet Mkhitaryan -
formerly a leading striker for Armenia's most popular club, Ararat
Yerevan - due to a brain tumour. Henrikh was just seven at the time
and, following in his father's footsteps, had already found a place
in the youth set-up of the capital's other frontline outfit, FC Pyunik.
Over the next 11 seasons, he rose through the ranks until he made
his first-team debut aged 17 in 2006. Mkhitaryan had arrived, and
he helped the club sweep up four consecutive Armenian titles while
notching 30 goals in 70 outings from a withdrawn midfield role.
International recognition was swift in coming too, and he collected
his first Armenia cap in a friendly against Panama on 14 January 2007.
Impressive as that progress was, his swift rise was about to pick
up even more steam. Mkhitaryan left Pyunik for Metalurh Donetsk
in 2009 and he had barely unpacked his bags when he was handed the
armband a few weeks into his stay, thus becoming the team's youngest
ever captain at 21. Of course, the proximity of such a tantalising
prospect could not fail to stir Metalurh's illustrious neighbours,
and Shakhtar made their move the following season.
The cross-town transfer might have intimidated many a lesser player
but, blessed with excellent technique, Mkhitaryan soon proved his
worth alongside the Pitmen's Brazilian magicians. So smooth was his
transition, in fact, that the youngster was named the club's Premier
League player of the season for 2011/12, in which they lost just one
of 30 matches.
In short, Mkhitaryan has come of age, and Lucescu has rewarded him
with a position further forward this term, placing him in front of
the midfield and close to the forwards in an attacking 4-2-4 formation.
The new role allows the Armenian international to race on to the
crosses served up by Douglas Costa or Alex Teixeira, and more often
than not he buries them - with a distinct preference for the top
right-hand corner. "In theory, my role is to place myself behind the
striker, but the coach has allowed me freedom to roam," he said. "I'm
starting to score more goals because we're playing a more attacking
style. My team-mates set up great chances for me and I try to be as
clinical as I can."
>From lows to highs
Those finishing skills have likewise served him well on international
duty, and he racked up six goals during the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying
campaign. Capped 28 times overall, he is already Armenia's joint-second
highest scorer of all time, his eight strikes putting him level with
Gevorg Ghazaryan, and Arthur Petrossian's record of 11 goals in 70
appearances appears destined to fall soon.
Mkhitaryan's talents do not end there either, and the level-headed
schemer can claim to speak Armenian, Russian, English, French and
Portuguese. His command of the game is easy to understand in any
language, however, and as a natural leader he understands that the
pressure on his shoulders is only set to grow. He will come under
the microscope in Shakhtar's Champions League trip to Juventus this
evening, for example, just as he will when qualifying resumes for
the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil~Y, with Armenia drawn together with
Italy, Denmark and Czech Republic. That represents a daunting array
of challenges, but Mkhitaryan is unlikely to be flustered. After all,
he has already experienced life's painful lows - and now he is ready
for the highs.
fifa.com
hetq
14:26, October 2, 2012
The name Henrikh Mkhitaryan may not trip off the tongue for fans
in the West, but the gifted playmaker certainly does not struggle
for recognition in his native Armenia. A fully fledged star in his
homeland, he is equally revered across eastern Europe and especially
in Ukraine, where he has become as synonymous with Shakhtar Donetsk
as long-serving coach Mircea Lucescu, former Barcelona stopper Dmytro
Chyrgrynskiy and the club's exciting array of Brazilians. At 23,
his reputation is now soaring thanks to an unerring eye for goal and
his consistently excellent displays, all of which he dedicates to a
father who passed away too soon.
Snapped up by Shakhtar in 2010, Mkhitaryan did not have to wait long
to make his mark at the Donbass Arena, tying down a spot in midfield
despite fierce competition for places. He proved an instant success
and has followed a steadily upward trajectory since agreeing the move,
seemingly reaching a whole new level this season. Above all, he caught
the eye with a pair of goals against Nordsjaelland in Shakhtar's
opening UEFA Champions League encounter last month, but he can also
pride himself on his 14 goals from ten appearances in all competitions
this term. Unsurprisingly, he has become a vital piece of the jigsaw
for Lucescu, and the man who previously coached the likes of Ronaldo
and Roberto Baggio has not been shy expressing his admiration.
"Mkhitaryan has a great future," the erstwhile Inter Milan coach has
said. "He's an exceptional player."
Life has not always been easy for the burgeoning talent, however.
Originally from the Kentron district of Yerevan, Mkhitaryan's childhood
was rocked by the premature death of his father Hamlet Mkhitaryan -
formerly a leading striker for Armenia's most popular club, Ararat
Yerevan - due to a brain tumour. Henrikh was just seven at the time
and, following in his father's footsteps, had already found a place
in the youth set-up of the capital's other frontline outfit, FC Pyunik.
Over the next 11 seasons, he rose through the ranks until he made
his first-team debut aged 17 in 2006. Mkhitaryan had arrived, and
he helped the club sweep up four consecutive Armenian titles while
notching 30 goals in 70 outings from a withdrawn midfield role.
International recognition was swift in coming too, and he collected
his first Armenia cap in a friendly against Panama on 14 January 2007.
Impressive as that progress was, his swift rise was about to pick
up even more steam. Mkhitaryan left Pyunik for Metalurh Donetsk
in 2009 and he had barely unpacked his bags when he was handed the
armband a few weeks into his stay, thus becoming the team's youngest
ever captain at 21. Of course, the proximity of such a tantalising
prospect could not fail to stir Metalurh's illustrious neighbours,
and Shakhtar made their move the following season.
The cross-town transfer might have intimidated many a lesser player
but, blessed with excellent technique, Mkhitaryan soon proved his
worth alongside the Pitmen's Brazilian magicians. So smooth was his
transition, in fact, that the youngster was named the club's Premier
League player of the season for 2011/12, in which they lost just one
of 30 matches.
In short, Mkhitaryan has come of age, and Lucescu has rewarded him
with a position further forward this term, placing him in front of
the midfield and close to the forwards in an attacking 4-2-4 formation.
The new role allows the Armenian international to race on to the
crosses served up by Douglas Costa or Alex Teixeira, and more often
than not he buries them - with a distinct preference for the top
right-hand corner. "In theory, my role is to place myself behind the
striker, but the coach has allowed me freedom to roam," he said. "I'm
starting to score more goals because we're playing a more attacking
style. My team-mates set up great chances for me and I try to be as
clinical as I can."
>From lows to highs
Those finishing skills have likewise served him well on international
duty, and he racked up six goals during the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying
campaign. Capped 28 times overall, he is already Armenia's joint-second
highest scorer of all time, his eight strikes putting him level with
Gevorg Ghazaryan, and Arthur Petrossian's record of 11 goals in 70
appearances appears destined to fall soon.
Mkhitaryan's talents do not end there either, and the level-headed
schemer can claim to speak Armenian, Russian, English, French and
Portuguese. His command of the game is easy to understand in any
language, however, and as a natural leader he understands that the
pressure on his shoulders is only set to grow. He will come under
the microscope in Shakhtar's Champions League trip to Juventus this
evening, for example, just as he will when qualifying resumes for
the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil~Y, with Armenia drawn together with
Italy, Denmark and Czech Republic. That represents a daunting array
of challenges, but Mkhitaryan is unlikely to be flustered. After all,
he has already experienced life's painful lows - and now he is ready
for the highs.
fifa.com