Andrew Warshaw
December 1 – The Armenian FA have been quick to clarify previous statements that last month’s 3-0 Euro 2016 qualifying defeat by Albania, which sealed the Balkan country’s first ever appearance in a major finals, may have been fixed.
Soon after Albania’s historic victory in Yerevan, Armenian FA boss Ruben Hayrapetian (pictured) alleged match-fixing may have taken place involving his own team.
Hayrapetian is not stranger to conflict having been accused of extreme violence ether directly or via his bodyguards on a number of occasions, most recently concerning Arsen Avetisian, a majority shareholder in the country’s largest airline, Air Armenia. Haryapetian was reportedly trying to collect a debt owed to another line that had been allegedly ceded to him.
“Our national team players simply (did) not want to play. There was a betrayal,” he was quoted as saying, “If even the best coach had headed our team during the match against Albania, the result would have been the same.”
Hayrapetyan’s comments added weight to allegations by Serbian and Albanian media about possible manipulation and were quickly picked up in Denmark whose team were in the same qualifying group but fluffed their chances and were subsequently beaten in the playoffs by Sweden.
Hayrapetyan now denies he was in any way implying match-fixing, explaining that by referring to “betrayal” he did not mean that the game was thrown but simply that all players should want to play for the national team.
“I did not say that the game was sold. I said that a betrayal took place,” he told local media. “Yes, if players say before a game against France [a friendly game played earlier] that they did not wish to play, then it is betrayal. What does it mean to refuse to play three hours before a match?”
Armenia’s players have disputed even that version of events.
In a letter published by Armenia’s leading soccer publication ArmFootball.am and news website News.am, nine members of the national team emphasised that they have always remained dedicated to representing their nation and never refused to play unless they were injured or sick.
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