Pyunik Women Leading the Rise of Women’s Football in Armenia

Women’s football in Armenia is still developing, but in recent years the sport has started to gain more attention and support. Players, coaches, and clubs are working to build stronger teams and create opportunities for young girls who want to play football professionally. Among the clubs leading this development is Pyunik Women’s Football Club, which has become one of the most important teams in the country.

Manuk Sargsyan, the coach working with the Pyunik women’s team, says that women’s football in Armenia has seen important moments of progress over the past few years. One of the most memorable achievements came in the summer of 2025 during a historic UEFA Women’s Champions League match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2EJ8i8FT0w

“First, I would like to mention the positive side. In the summer of 2025, we had a historic match in the Champions League, when we defeated the Bulgarian Sofia football club. For the first time in Armenian women’s football, we celebrated a 1-0 victory in the Champions League.”

According to Sargsyan, this victory was not only important for the club but also for Armenian women’s football as a whole. It showed that Armenian teams could compete internationally and represent the country on a larger stage.

He also pointed out that the Pyunik women’s team created the conditions for Armenian players who had been playing in European clubs to return home and play for the team again.

“Pyunik Women’s Football Club created the conditions for our best Armenian women footballers, who were playing in Europe, to join Pyunik, return to their homeland, and defend not only Pyunik’s colors, but also represent the whole nation on the international stage. And the goal was scored by one of the girls, Veronika Asatryan.”

Sargsyan believes that the strength of the team comes from the combination of experienced players and young footballers. The squad includes Armenian players who grew up abroad and gained experience in European football before joining the club.

“I think the most important thing is the team itself, because the squad is made up of some of the best Armenian footballers. There are also experienced players, players of Armenian origin who joined our team from Europe. They are Armenian, they grew up here, but they also have playing experience from Europe.”

“We also have young players. That gives us the chance to perform more consistently and contribute to development, because there are many young footballers as well.”

He added that the club works to create professional conditions for the women’s team so that players can develop and compete internationally.

“I also think the club creates every possible condition to ensure the most professional approach toward the women’s team, and we are doing everything we can to be competitive on the international stage.”

Despite these improvements, Sargsyan says that women’s football in Armenia still faces several challenges. One of the biggest issues is the lack of resources and infrastructure.

“I think the biggest difficulty is resources — both financial resources and infrastructure, the number of women’s teams, the number of top-division teams, and youth-level teams. And there are still stereotypes that girls should not be playing football.”

At the same time, he sees signs of progress. More fans are starting to watch women’s matches, and interest in the sport is slowly growing.

“I think there is positive movement. More people are watching football, and they are also coming to women’s games. I think there is a positive trend.”

For the coaching staff, discipline and mentality are key qualities when selecting players.

“The most important thing is desire — that they have goals, a winner’s mentality, and discipline. Talent is, of course, a plus, but the most important thing is discipline.”

Sargsyan also noted that many female footballers must balance several responsibilities at the same time.

“On the international stage, we all know that even at the best clubs, women’s football is funded less than men’s football. Because of that, throughout Europe, just like in Armenia, girls have to combine work, football, and studies.”

He believes that the success of Pyunik’s women’s team plays an important role in inspiring young girls across the country.

“We pay attention to the fact that when we inspire girls, they clearly understand that the opportunities of the future generation also depend on them. They come to every training session in a very positive mood and do everything they can to perform as well as possible in the Champions League, to play well, and to inspire young girls. They understand very well that every victory contributes to development.”

The captain of the Pyunik women’s team, Nora Yeghyan, shares a similar view about the importance of the club.

“In general, Pyunik is not just a club — Pyunik is a big family. I have always worn the Pyunik jersey with great pride, and Pyunik is the club of my heart.”

Yeghyan began her football journey at a young age.

“From an early age I participated in different sporting activities, but everything eventually became associated with football. I started playing football at the age of 12.”

Her career later took her abroad. She played in Armenia until 2022 before moving to clubs in Cyprus and Romania. After gaining experience in those leagues, she eventually returned to Armenia to continue playing for Pyunik. During this time she also represented Armenia in youth national teams and the senior national team.

Growing up as a girl who wanted to play football was not always easy.

“Compared to previous years, yes. At that time women’s football was not as developed and there were many stereotypes.”

However, she says many of those stereotypes have now started to disappear.

Her family played an important role in supporting her career.

“My entire family is connected with sports, so they never created obstacles and they fully supported my decision.”

Another key player on the Pyunik team, Veronika Asatryan, also describes the club as a place that feels like home.

“I first played for Pyunik in 2012. After that I played for two other clubs both in Armenia and abroad. For me, playing for Pyunik always feels like returning home.”

She says the development of women’s football in Armenia can clearly be seen through the example of Pyunik.

“I would like to use Pyunik as an example. Even from 2022 until now there have been big differences. The club pays a lot of attention to the women’s team.”

Pyunik Football Club, founded in 1992 in Yerevan, is one of Armenia’s most successful football clubs. While the club is widely known for its men’s team and multiple Armenian Premier League titles, Pyunik has also invested in developing its women’s football program.

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