FTBL Australia
July 2 2019
Aussie's Armenian adventure ends
By John Davidson
Australian midfielder Anthony Trajkoski has no regrets about departing Armenian club Ararat Yerevan and is on the hunt for a new club.
Page 1 of 2 | Single page
The former Richmond Soccer Club playmaker joined Ararat Yerevan in February 2018 and made 30 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.
But upheaval at the Armenian Premier League club, which has churned through four coaches in the past season, saw Trajkoski mutually agree to end his contract last month and leave.
Now the 21-year-old, who has also had a spell at Dutch second division side FC Emmen, is searching for a new home.
"I was there for a year and a half, it was good," Trajkoski told FTBL.
"This season I signed an extension to my contract, it was an up and down season to be honest. For the first half of the season I played a lot of games, pretty much all of them, then the second half of the season things just went down.
"The directors changed, the club had a big change and it didn’t work out quite as I would have like. So I’ve decided to finish my time up there. Even though I extended my contact we mutually agreed that it was time to move on.
"I thought it was enough time in Armenia and I’m looking for a new challenge."
Trajkoski admitted life in the European league is particularly cutthroat. But the Melbournian has no regrets about his time in Armenia.
He added: "If they want to get rid of someone, or someone’s not happy then they just go."
"It is difficult because if they don’t want you, or if you’re not performing, then you’re out the door. So it is very cut-throat. A whole new board came in at Ararat Yerevan and we had four changes of coach this year.
"A new director, new staff and it was a complete turnaround. For me it was important that I was playing. And if I’m not playing I’m not too concerned about my contract, if I’m not playing then I’d prefer to go.
"[But] I definitely wouldn’t take it back – it was fantastic. I don’t regret anything. I got my first professional minutes in Europe. I made my debut at 19 in the Armenian league, so overall it was a success. I think it gives me a good stepping stone for looking for somewhere else."
Trajkoski played as a central midfielder in Armenia but is primarily a number 10 or winger.
The attacker has returned home to Australia in the off-season and is considering his next move.
"I’m open to anything," he admitted.
"I’d love to stay in Europe, hopefully at a high level. But I’m open to the A-League, I’d love to play at home."