The Armenian national football team’s “First Armenian Front” (FAF) supporters’ movement has issued an open letter urging the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) to preserve the Armenian language requirement for presidential candidates ahead of its extraordinary assembly on November 4.
The proposed amendments would eliminate requirements for candidates to speak Armenian and to have permanently resided in Armenia during the preceding year.
FAF strongly opposed removing the language requirement, arguing that the federation’s president must be able to communicate directly with coaches, players, clubs, and supporters.
The movement also cited Article 10 of the FFA statutes, which establishes Armenian as the federation’s official language and gives Armenian-language documents precedence over translations.
FAF questioned the timing of the amendments, which come ahead of the federation’s presidential election in December.
The movement demanded that the FFA identify who drafted and formally submitted the proposal, explain why the language requirement should be removed, and disclose what consultations were conducted.
It also called for publication of the complete draft, its explanatory memorandum, and responses to these questions on the FFA’s official website by 6:00 p.m. on November 3.
FAF urged FFA member organizations and assembly delegates to vote against eliminating the Armenian language requirement and postpone a final decision until the proposed changes undergo public scrutiny.
The movement stressed that amendments to presidential eligibility rules must serve Armenian football’s long-term interests, regardless of individual candidates.
