The teams of the Pyunik Academy are saying goodbye to 2023 with new knowledge, great experience and significant medals.
All significant events of this year are in the center of attention of our press service.

2022/23 season

The Junior Championships turned out to be dramatic and certainly enjoyable in spring, when many of our academy teams were unstoppable.
5 of the 11 teams became award holders in their age group. Pyunik 2006 and Pyunik 2011-1 became cup holders, Pyunik 2007 and Pyunik 2010-1 won championships. Also, Pyunik Girls won the Cup of the Women's Armenian First League, qualifying for the new season of the Women's Armenian Premier League.

International tournaments

Sochi, Russia
Sochi tournament

The leadership and coaches of the Yerevan club have emphasized more than once the importance of international tournaments in ensuring the rapid progress of children. And the past year turned out to be fruitful from that point of view.

Pyunik 2007 and Pyunik 2008 went to Sochi to participate in the youth tournament. Our boys' rivals were the academies of prestigious Russian clubs such as Krasnodar, Sochi and Rostov. Pyunik 2007 led by Davit Grigoryan became a silver medalist, and Pyunik 2008 led by Sevak Aramyan won bronze medals.

Zaven Khudaverdyan from Pyunik 2007 was named the best footballer of the championship. Tigran Gevorgyan received the award for the best scorer, and Sergey Harutyunyan was recognized the best defender of the tournament.

Pyunik 2008 footballers secured 3 more individual awards. Alen Sahakyan was named the best player of the tournament, Gevorg Vardanyan was named the best defender, and Artur Petrosyan was recognized the best goalkeeper.

Yerevan, Armenia
Simon Cup

The 2008 and 2009 teams of the Pyunik Academy participated in the final part of the championships in the Simon Cup tournament, which was organized by the initiative of Urartu. The teams of Russian clubs' academies Krasnodar, Spartak and Ural arrived in Armenia.

Under the leadership of Sargis Nazaryan, Pyunik 2009 took the 2nd place in its age group, losing to Ural. Sevak Aramyan and his team did not return from this tournament empty-handed either, taking the third place.

Our guys secured two individual awards in this tournament. From Pyunik 2009, Seryozha Harutyunyan was named the best goalkeeper, and Narek Melikyan was named the best scorer.

Moscow, Russia
Beskov and his team

Our youth ended the year with the children's and youth tournament Beskov and his team held in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Pyunik 2011-1 led by Hovhannes Barbaryan travelled to Russia from our academy. The tournament is annual and prestigious, in which the teams of the best Russian football schools regularly participate.

The boys offered an equal fight to Moscow Spartak and BKMA. Our young players played a total of 6 games in one week, and won 3 of them, taking the 10th place. As the president of Pyunik Artur Soghomonyan mentioned after the end of the tournament, tournaments of this level provide invaluable experience and help to understand strengths and weaknesses. Soghomonyan also emphasized that the number of such tournaments will increase in the upcoming year.

Midfielder Narek Avetisyan particularly impressed everyone with his game. Our footballer was named the best player of the match 3 times, scoring 4 goals in total. By the decision of the organizers, Avetisyan received the award for the best player of Pyunik 2011.

Cooperation

The joint work with the European Club Association (ECA) for the 2nd year in a row helps to always stay in the center of the latest football trends and to apply the new trends in our sports school. This year, our coaches also visited prestigious European academies, listened to lectures about the peculiarities and approaches of these schools.

During the year, the representatives of our academy visited the academies of prestigious clubs such as Sevilla (Spain), Roma (Italy), Legia (Poland), Monaco and Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia). The coaches studied the working style, methods, training programs and process of the academies of the cycling clubs on the spot.

These visits have already become applicable for our children since the beginning of the year. The management of the club, seeing the technical base of the academies of European clubs, made several additions to Pyunik this year. Next year they will be more complete and accessible to our students.

Exchange of experience

And under familiar walls, the course, full of experience, was conducted by prestigious Italian coaches: Oreste Cinquini, Stefano Guidoni, Lorenzo di Lorio and Claudio Gaudino. During the three-day visit, the Italian coaches got acquainted with the technical capabilities of our club, followed the training of different age teams, communicated and had discussions with the club management and coaches. Much of the knowledge imparted by the Italian specialists became applicable during the year.

Technical upgrades
GPS system

This is an innovative system that allows to understand the physical condition of the footballer both during the game and during training. With the help of the GPS system, our coaches can understand how much energy the player has spent up to that moment and how ready he is for the match. Two Pyunik teams work with this system in the youth championships, and two more will be added next year.

VEO cameras

In order to organize the work of our academy more efficiently, this year the club acquired VEO sports cameras. With the help of this system, the games and training of our youth teams are analyzed by VEO's artificial intelligence. Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was also impressed by the capabilities of the cameras of the prestigious company.

This retooling helped expand the work of our analytical center. Our youth teams participating in the Armenian championships already have separate analysts.

New small pitch

This year, a new small pitch with artificial grass was built and put into operation in our sports school, where the 2012 and 2013 teams train and play. This pitch was also illuminated, and in the future it will be possible to host games there in the evenings as well. It is noteworthy that the grass of the artificial field is of high quality and is certified by FIFA.

Invitations from teams

54 players from our academy were invited to different age groups of Armenia.

Replenishments

From January of this year, a physical training program was widely used in our academy, the work of which is coordinated by Hayk Oskanyan. A special zone for physical training was created in the academy area with the necessary equipment, which greatly helps in the training process of young footballers.

In addition, at the invitation of Pyunik president Artur Soghomonyan, Galina Bukharina, the honored coach of athletics of the Soviet Union, Russia, arrived in Armenia in summer and joined our academy. The legendary coach taught the children the correct technique of running, which is the basis of continuous physical development: balance, coordination and posture.

The results of our teams in the first part of the 2023/24 season of the youth championships

Pyunik 2011-2
Group B of the Armenian U13 Championship

Starting from the new season, the team has been led by Sargis Nazaryan. The experienced specialist played 8 games with his team in the M2 subgroup of the Armenian U13 championship, celebrated the same number of victories, the first one with an impressive goal difference of 72:0 and 24 points.

Pyunik 2011-1
Group A of the Armenian U14 Championship

Hovhannes Barbaryan's team has already made a serious bid to become the winner in its age group. After 11 games, our boys celebrated 9 victories, registered 2 draws and are the leader with 29 points.

Pyunik 2010-1
Group A of the Armenian U15 Championship

Pyunik 2010-1spent the first part of the season under the leadership of Sevak Aramyan. Our team is the 3rd in the Armenian U15 group A with 14 points.

Pyunik 2010-2
Group B of the Armenian U15 Championship

Pyunik 2010-2 under the leadership of Gevorg Sargsyan is fighting persistently in its age group. Our boys have earned 21 points after 11 games and are in 3rd place.

Pyunik 2009
Group A of the Armenian U16 Championship

Aram Gyulbudaghyan helped Pyunik 2006 win the Armenian Cup in their age group last season, and now he is leading together with his new team. Pyunik 2009 celebrated 8 wins and 2 draws after 10 games.

Pyunik 2008
Group A of the Armenian U17 Championship

Pyunik 2008 has already made a serious bid for the championship. Led by Roman Simonyan, the team celebrated as many victories in 12 games and scored 36 points. The goal difference is also convincing: 39:5.

Pyunik 2007
Group A of the Armenian U18 Championship

Levon Stepanyan's Pyunik 2007 is also having a winning campaign. After 12 matches, the same number of victories and an 11-point advantage over the nearest follower Urartu 2007-1.