FFA President Armen Melikbekyan issued a statement which states explicitly:

"Dear representatives of the football community,

After the recent defeat of the Armenian national team, a section of our team's fans demanded the resignation of the FFA leadership. They expressed dissatisfaction not only with the unsatisfactory results shown by our different age groups but also with the federation's activities in general.

As one of the primary beneficiaries of football, I fully understand and accept the right of fans to express their displeasure, and I think this reaction of mine, even if it does not dispel the doubts of people who are concerned about the future of Armenian football, will at least become a subject of discussion. I would also like to point out that I am addressing exclusively the people who consider Armenian football a priority and not the opportunists who have never done anything for Armenian football, who are always hiding behind the walls and looking for an opportunity to show themselves at such moments, who consider cursing to be the right of free speech, and who have made blackmail and slander a modus operandi. People.

In December 2019, I assumed the duties of the Football Federation of Armenia president with big dreams, hopes, confident faith in the future, and undying optimism. This is reflected in the first strategy of FFA 2019-2025, an unprecedented document. Unfortunately, today, it should be noted that some of the plans included in the strategy have not been implemented, and some have been partially implemented. These facts, however, have serious objective and subjective reasons. I will mention the main reasons that significantly impacted football, Armenia, and the whole world. Just two months after I was elected, the entire world was immobilized for a long time due to the coronavirus, and then the 44-day war began with its most severe consequences for our country. In 2022, the conflict in Ukraine started to change almost all global realities, making even the movement of teams a problem in the case of football. The transformation of the foreign exchange market also seriously affected the financial stability. During this period, Armenian football did not receive all the resources and expected revenues to ensure the implementation of most strategic points. But even under those conditions, we made many fundamental changes in the panorama of Armenian football, which we will reap over time.

The football community is dissatisfied with the current situation. I am primarily unhappy. The absence of sharp progress, the stable games of national teams, the construction of the national stadium, and the fulfillment of different dreams for all of us are primarily my work and responsibility. I assure you that the Football Federation of Armenia has done everything possible, even impossible, to achieve good results. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and now we are facing yet another cycle. There is a demand for resignation, which the leadership of FFA has never worried about. We didn't worry because we worked honestly, kept fair conditions for everyone, and implemented many big projects necessary for good football.

It's just that some of our clubs tried to get privileges and advantages from the federation over other teams, and when they didn't get it, they became a strong opposition. Some of our club owners, or at least they claim that we train youth football players and that they have no responsibility for youth football, while the reality is precisely the opposite. It seems to some of our coaches that they know everything, but their results show the exact opposite... This list can be continued, and the FFA management is definitely to blame in such a situation because, for example, we failed to implement control of youth football standards in clubs fully. We also needed to unite people who were concerned about Armenian football entirely. However, it is unfortunate that constructive criticism, which we have always discussed with our beneficiaries on various platforms and formats, is mixed with the voices of opportunists. These people only think about their interests. There are such people in every country and field. It's a pity that they got mixed up with real football fans in our country.

What is the solution? In recent years, the tradition of transparent and competitive FFA management has been formed in football. Otherwise, the leaders will have to be changed after every team failure, and then nothing will change. I understand the grievances of our football fans, but I do not accept the way of speaking with ultimatums. I am not and have never been attached to the chair of the president of the federation, but I have always preferred the interests of football over personal interests. It is necessary to complete the critical initiatives that started at this moment, which should become a reality in 2025 for the required stability. First, Armenia and Georgia submitted a joint bid to host the 2029 World Youth Championship finals. Holding such a tournament will become an excellent stimulus for the development of football and other infrastructures in Armenia. There may be many obstacles in this process, which we hope to overcome with the help of our international partners. We are close to the start of the National Stadium project in Armenia, which will become the most critical project in Armenian football. At the UEFA and FIFA congresses to be held in 2025, important decisions for Armenia should be made, and as a result, Armenia will finally be strengthened on the world football map.

At this moment, as tempting as it may seem to resign and get rid of this heavy burden, I am more concerned about the tasks of the upcoming important year, the willingness to finish the unfinished business, and the desire to shape plans and goals through discussion. The leadership of FFA, in turn, is ready for discussions to highlight problems and find solutions.

With the coming year's processes, it will be possible to unite the entire mass of people concerned about Armenian football.