Football Federation of Armenia drops Armenian-language requirement for presidential candidates
- Published
- Place
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Meeting on Wednesday 4 November in an extraordinary assembly at its headquarters in Yerevan, the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) amended its statutes. Candidates for president and for the executive committee will no longer need to speak Armenian or to have lived in Armenia for at least a year; Armenian citizenship and a minimum age of 25 remain required. Of 34 members, 31 attended: 29 voted in favour and 2 against, Ararat-Armenia and Urartu according to the sports press. Another amendment provides that a term served for less than two years does not count as a full term. The assembly was convened at the request of around thirty clubs. Outgoing president Armen Melikbekyan, who is not standing again, says neither he nor the executive committee initiated the changes.
Analysis
The reform opens the race to diaspora figures who do not speak Armenian or live abroad. Since early October, the Armenian press has mentioned Denis Djorkaeff, brother of 1998 world champion Youri Djorkaeff, who has Armenian roots through his mother. His candidacy has not been officially announced. The new statutes still require Armenian citizenship, which any diaspora candidate will have to hold.
Possible consequences
The election of the federation’s new president is expected at the end of December, on a date not yet officially set. Candidacies will be examined under the new rules.
