Armenian Football Federation President Armen Melikbekyan has responded to a Facebook post by Sergey Janjoyan, head of the Armenian First Front movement, stating that his nomination to the UEFA Executive Committee is not a self-serving move.

Melikbekyan described Janjoyan’s statement about efforts to block his candidacy as “a disgrace.”

“On March 26, Sergey Janjoyan, leader of the Armenian First Front movement, made a Facebook post discussing their intention to hinder my appointment to the UEFA Executive Committee. I consider Janjoyan’s statement nothing but a disgrace. There’s a big difference between fans calling for the resignation of the Football Federation president and officially attempting to block Armenia’s representation in a major European body,” Melikbekyan said.

He said that such efforts are, at the very least, anti-Armenian, damaging the country’s international standing and clearly targeting Armenian football. “Those pursuing such intentions are essentially trying to block Armenia’s presence as a sovereign state on the international stage.”

Melikbekyan also accused Janjoyan of distorting facts and making personal insults and unfounded accusations, adding that legal action will be taken where appropriate.

“We fully understand where this so-called ‘spontaneous’ statement is coming from. It is just the continuation of similar actions and statements made by the same individuals on other platforms. I want to remind them that all their previous attempts have failed. We won’t allow those with anti-state agendas to hinder a process that can only benefit Armenian football. We’ll do everything possible to protect football from such people.”

He reiterated that his nomination to UEFA’s Executive Committee is not an end in itself, but a logical continuation of the recent years’ involvement of himself and FFA representatives in UEFA affairs. “During my campaign, I presented my vision for the development of European football to UEFA member associations. This includes preserving and enhancing the European sports model, which I see as crucial for medium and small countries, including Armenia,” the statement concluded.

The Armenian First Front and its supporters have long been calling for Melikbekyan’s resignation.