I Am Proud to Coach These Guys: Armenia National Team Coach

The head coach of the Armenia national team, Aleksandr Petrakov, shared his impressions after a narrow defeat to the Croatian national team in Yerevan, as reported by Armsport.am.

“Our skill wasn't enough. The opponent surpassed us in mastery. We couldn’t recover in time; fatigue set in. For such matches, you need at least 18 players. I thanked the boys for their commitment, especially in the second half. They took a step forward. Honestly, I am proud to coach these guys. They did what they could. Please don't blame the boys; encourage them. Most of the players are very young; some could be playing on the youth national team but are facing one of the strongest teams in the world. They played with great dedication, and for that, we should be grateful to them,” said Petrakov.

It is worth noting that the match between Armenia and Croatia in the 6th round of Group D of the 2024 European Championship qualifiers ended with a victory for Croatia, 0:1. The only goal of the match was scored in the 13th minute by Croatia's player, Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramaric, from a corner kick.