Sports: Henrikh Mkhitaryan: I’ve moved to Roma to enjoy football

MediaMax, Armenia

Sept 10 2019

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: I’ve moved to Roma to enjoy football

I’m happy to be here, I haven’t had an easy recent period of football. I will do the best to reach the goals. The dressing room has a nice atmosphere. I talked to the manager and I think everything is there for me to do my best.

I can play in any position in attack, the important thing is to help the team. My quality lies in starting on the wide. I’m fully at the disposal of the team.

Today I saw some of my teammates who were opponents [in the Italy-Armenia game]. I spoke with Florenzi after we faced Italy and we talked about Roma. Now the national team break is behind us and it’s important to focus on the next match.

Photo: RomaRadio

With Armenia, I play behind the striker and I have more space. At Arsenal and at Manchester United, I started further back between the midfield and attack. My goal is to score as many goals and get as many assists as possible.

I received many messages from Roma fans after the games against Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I’m happy they liked my performance.

There is always pressure when you play football. People follow every move of the players, and mistakes and success are exaggerated. You have to accept the pressure.

Playing for Roma is a big opportunity for me. We haven’t even talked about money. I’ve come to Roma to enjoy football and myself.

Photo: RomaRadio

England is in the past and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I haven’t taken a step backward because it’s a great league and I’m in a big club. It was time for me to change environment. For a player, it is important to take pleasure in playing football.

I wish Arsenal the best. I was on the bench in the last few games, so I decided to change something. I’m not in the management team so I don’t know why they decided to let me go. Thank you to sporting director Petrachi, who gave me the chance to come here.

Photo: FC Arsenal

I played in Turkey and never had problems in training camps or Champions League games. Armenia has different relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan (Roma will play Besiktas in Europa League group stage – Sport.mediamax.am).

Given my age and experience, it won’t be difficult to adapt to Serie A. I have one season to show my best.

I spoke with the manager about many things, but I haven’t trained properly with the team because I was involved in the games for Armenia. Tomorrow is my first full training with the squad. I’m going to work hard because I have big ambitions and I want to show what I can do.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS