Unisport holds first training camp; Ruben Nazaretyan meets the team and shows his support
From July 13 to 18, Unisport held its first pre-season training camp as preparations continue for the preliminary round of the UEFA Futsal Champions League. Coached by Aleksandr Dibrivnyi, Unisport have been drawn into Group E, where they will face Germany’s Weilimdorf, Estonia’s Tallinn, and Iceland’s Reykjavík.
During the camp, the team was visited by Ruben Nazaretyan, Advisor to the President of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), who expressed his support and confidence ahead of the competition.
"We will host the Champions League preliminary round at the Gazprom Armenia Sports Complex. We will work closely with our UEFA partners to ensure the venue receives the necessary license. I have been leading Armenian futsal for nearly three months, and your participation in the Champions League is of special importance to me. If Armenia is represented in an international competition, everything must be organized at the highest level because you represent our country. From an organizational standpoint, I am confident we will do everything possible to make this one of the best Champions League mini-tournaments. The results, however, depend on you. My request—and at the same time my expectation—is that from this moment onward, we all become fully focused. The FFA and I will be by your side around the clock. We must not underestimate any opponent. Today Armenia has earned a reputation that motivates every team to give their maximum against us, just as we once did when facing Spain, Portugal, or France. Our goal is to finish first and qualify for the next stage. Today, Unisport has become the backbone of the national team. These matches are a great opportunity for each of you to earn a call-up to the Armenian national team," Nazaretyan said.
Head coach Aleksandr Dibrivnyi explained that the primary objective of the training camp was to build the players' physical condition.
"The main focus of this camp was physical preparation. The players trained under heavy workloads. Now we will gradually reduce the training volume while increasing the intensity. I know Tallinn very well because I worked in Estonia and coached seven of their futsal players. They may not be top-level players, but it will still be a difficult match. I also know Weilimdorf well and have carefully analyzed their game. As for Reykjavík, there are very few Icelandic players in the squad. Most of the team consists of Brazilian and Italian futsal players of an average level. We have also strengthened our own squad. We needed a left-footed player, so we signed Garegin Mashumyan. To reinforce that position further, former Armenia international Vitinho has also joined us. In addition, Renato Ramba, Artur Melkonyan, and Artur Mkrtchyan will play for Unisport this season," Dibrivnyi said.
New signing Artur Melkonyan also shared his thoughts after joining the club.
"My contract with Ukhta expired, and Unisport approached me with a clear objective—to qualify for the UEFA Futsal Champions League. I accepted the offer because I have never played in this competition before. It is a very exciting and important opportunity for me to test myself on the European stage," Melkonyan said.
A video from the training camp is available HERE.
