Pyunik deliver knockout punch
Tuesday 13 November 2007
by Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan

Sargis Hovsepyan was proud of Pyunik’s achievement was
proud to see his FC Pyunik side work as "one single
fist" as they claimed the Armenian title for the
seventh season in succession last week.

‘One single fist’
A 4-1 win against FC Ararat Yerevan last Wednesday
finally sealed the championship with a game to spare
after one of the most competitive seasons in recent
memory, and there was time to celebrate after a 2-0
defeat at FC Shirak on Saturday. "My players showed
character and passed some difficult tests," said
Gyulbudaghyants. "We refreshed our squad during the
season and that caused problems, but the players
meshed to form one single fist and we won the title."

Policy change
Before the season, Pyunik’s board elected on a new
tactic, choosing to focus on young, homegrown players
rather than seasoned professionals. That change of
tack was accompanied with friction elsewhere, with
coach Samvel Petrosyan resigning early in the season,
to be replaced by then reserve-team boss
Gyulbudaghyants. For a while it seemed the traditional
giants of Armenian football might fade out of the
title chase but they managed to fight back.

Pyunik philosophy
Pyunik president Karen Harutyunyan said: "There are a
lot of young players in our youth academy making their
first steps in football. We appreciate their efforts
and are proud that some of those youngsters made it to
Pyunik’s starting lineup and helped the club to win
gold medals. It is very encouraging. We will maintain
this policy and keep producing good players – not only
for Pyunik, but for the Armenian national teams."

National duty
That role as the main wellspring of Armenian talent
has kept the pressure up on Pyunik this season. With
the bulk of Armenia’s senior and Under-21 sides being
drawn from the club’s players – and Gyulbudaghyants
himself managing the U19s – the squad has been
stretched. However, the 41-year-old coach feels that
all local clubs have a duty to the nation. "The main
goal for club coaches in Armenia is to prepare players
for our national teams," he said.

Simply the best
In that respect, Pyunik have done their duty well, and
while it has been a tough season, experienced captain
Sargis Hovsepyan knows that they can ultimately look
back with pride. "It doesn’t make any difference how
many rounds were left when we won the title," he said.
"The main thing is that Pyunik won this long, hard
marathon. We earned the most wins, scored the most
goals and conceded fewer goals than any other club.
That’s why we’re the champions."

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