Nair Tiknizyan: Montenegro is the favorite in our group, but when we play at home, it is not easy for any opponent

In my opinion, Montenegro is the favorite in our group, but when we play at home, it is not easy for any opponent to play against our national team and our national spirit.

Nair Tiknizyan, the full-back for the Armenian national team and the Greek club Olympiacos, stated this at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second round of the Nations League group stage.

"What you see on the pitch, our teamwork, is all the result of the coaches' work. If we beat Latvia, it means we carried out all the coaching staff's instructions and fulfilled the task set before us. For us, that is the most important objective.

When I am with the national team, I don't like talking about my club. When we are at the national team camp, our focus is entirely on the upcoming match. We have three important matches in this group, and we are focused on them. Yes, the Olympiacos goalkeeper is the goalkeeper for the Montenegro national team. Tomorrow, he will be my opponent. He is a very good goalkeeper and a key member of the national team.

We remain humble after the victory over Latvia. We have five matches ahead of us, and anything can happen. As for our recovery since that game, I will be honest: some of the national team players lack regular match practice for various reasons. I cannot say with certainty that we are approaching tomorrow's match at 100% recovery, though we are doing everything we can to achieve that. I believe that in the upcoming three matches, we will be driven by dedication, willpower, and character. The schedule is tight, and there are many matches. It will be very difficult for us, but we will do everything within our power.

When I hear Armenia’s national anthem and know that the opening whistle is about to sound, I experience the same emotions as everyone else.

From the moment a national team player puts on the jersey, he bears a responsibility toward all the people who cheer for and support us. We get goosebumps every time, but we must know how to handle those emotions—channeling them onto the pitch and using them to deliver an effective, top-notch performance.

I feel uncomfortable when I answer or speak in Russian while in Armenia. I understand that learning Armenian is very important. To be honest, it is very difficult to learn Armenian at my age. I will try to learn a few sentences for future press conferences.

In my opinion, Montenegro is the favorite in our group. We know this opponent—their strengths and weaknesses—and have faced them on the pitch many times. But when we play at home, it is never easy for any opponent to play against our national team and our national spirit. Tomorrow, the pitch will tell the story.

We have a very good team; we are all united. We are bound together by unity and a strong desire to win," said Nair Tiknizyan.

In the first round of League C, Group 2, the Armenian national team defeated Latvia 2–0 at home, while Montenegro beat Cyprus 2–1.

The team finishing first in the group will advance to League B. The runner-up will play a play-off match for a spot in League B.

Lusine Shahbazyan

Photo by Emma Asatryan