Sports out of politics?
Team head coach Armenia Alexander Petrakov spoke about the political component in football ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifier against Turkey.
“I am not advocating that the upcoming game be politicized. All the players playing abroad know their history well, and I know your history very well. But football should not be politicized. It shouldn’t affect the game in any way.”
“The priority is sport and interest in it. I’m not for politics. All of them [вызванные в сборную Армении из чемпионата россии] experienced players who come from abroad. They appeared abroad against their will. Everyone knows their history.”
Petrakov became president of Armenia in January. Since November 2021, the coach has been at the head of the Ukrainian national team. Under his leadership, Ukraine took second place in Group 1 of the League of Nations and remained in Division B, and also did not make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In June 2019, Petrakov led the Ukraine U-20 team to a historic victory at the World Championships in Poland. For his work, the coach was awarded an honorary title from the President of Ukraine.
According to the results of the draw, the Armenian national team will play in Group D against Turkey, Croatia, Latvia and Wales in the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament. On the eve of the matches with Turkey (qualification for the European Championship 2024) and Cyprus (sparring), Petrakov called four players from the Russian championship.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
