Eduard Spertsyan named new Armenia captain

PanARMENIAN.Net - Head coach Yeghishe Melikyan has officially named Eduard Spertsyan, midfielder for Russia’s FC Krasnodar, as the new captain of the Armenian national football team.

“In the upcoming matches and going forward, Eduard Spertsyan will be our team captain,” Melikyan told Factor.am .

He also confirmed that Lucas Zelarayán, who plays for Belgrano in Argentina, has retired from the Armenian national team. “Before I took over, Lucas already intended to end his national team career. I spoke with him, said we still needed him. Before the Ireland match, he informed me of family issues and said he couldn’t continue. I thanked him and made it clear the door is always open for him,” Melikyan said, according to Sputnik Armenia.

Melikyan added that he has spoken with former captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan, though they haven’t yet met in person. “Henrikh is the kind of player every country would dream to have. I respect his decision, whether he chooses to return or not.”

Back in September, Melikyan had announced plans to meet Mkhitaryan in Italy. Mkhitaryan retired from the national team in March 2022.

In previous World Cup 2026 qualifiers, team captain duties had been held by Tigran Barseghyan, who plays for Slovan Bratislava. He was suspended after receiving a red card for headbutting an opponent in the match against Ireland, which Armenia lost 0–1.