The Independent About Football and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

• 04.21.2017, 14:20
•  NKR,  No-politics

independent.co.uk

"Inside the offices of the Artsakh Union of Freedom Fighters, the Head of the Artsakh Football Association (AFA) uses carefully chosen words to explain how his organisation has begun the long process of winning UEFA recognition for a region which has spent 30 years living in the shadow of war." This was written in an article titled "Football and hope in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - a forgotten region fighting Fifa's sanctions" published by The Independent.

In The Independent’s talk with Samuel Karapetyan, the latter said that one day soon, the Artsakh national team will participate in the World Cup or European Championship.

"We are hopeful", reiterates Karapetyan. "In fact we are convinced that recognition will come soon, because all the world is interested in establishing peace in this region. Sooner or later Azerbaijan will recognize Artsakh, then we will participate not just in football but in every aspect of international life".

The Independent reminds that the preliminary discussions with Uefa over the AFA’s membership began in November 2016. 

"Before 2006 there was no organized football in Artsakh" says Slava Gabrielyan, the Uefa Pro-license coach with responsibility for selecting the nascent NKR national team. March 1st of that year saw the establishment of FC Artsakh, the region’s only formal football club, but there has never been a national championship here for the team to compete in. "We have some friendly games against teams from Armenia and sometimes from Georgia", he says. "But we never have competitive games. It’s not possible for us,"The Independent writes.