First News and Analyses presents the first article in the framework of the “New Armenian football. Photo History” project, which was launched by our news portal in collaboration with Football Federation of Armenia.
Below is an exclusive photo history of the legendary captain of Armenian national team, Sargis Hovsepyan. The photos belong to the photographer Hakob Berberyan’s HAKBER archive.
Only few days ago, on November 2, Sargis Hovsepyan became 40 years old. On November 14 during Armenia-Lithuania match Sargis Hovsepyan will be honored. Football federation of Armenia promised surprises for the outstanding football player.
On September 20, Sargis Hovsepyan officially announced about ending his career. For twenty years Hovsepyan was in the National team of Armenia, and after Harutyun Vardanyan left, Hovsepyan became the captain of the team. After the collapse of the USSR, almost all Armenian players got together in “Ararat”. But in other teams there also were outstanding players who in the period of time became the members of the National team.
One of them was Sargis Hovsepyan playing in HMEM. In 1992 Hovsepyan was honored with the title of the best player of the Armenian Premier League. In 1995 for the second time Sargis was recognized as the best in Armenia. Being one of the leading layers of the National team, in 1998 Sargis started to play in Zenit, St. Petersburg. One of the unique features in Sargis’ game was his speed. Nobody could beat him in that. In St. Petersburghe was honored not only my sport achievements but also with love of the fans, who would call his name during every match; “The best of all Armenians; Sargis Hovsepyan”.
As UEFA reports, Hovsepyan’s international efforts were recognised in October last year when he received a commemorative cap and medal from UEFA to mark his century of national-team outings, before taking to the field for Armenia’s 4-1 victory against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.
He played 153 matches in a five-year stay with Zenit which yielded the Russian Cup in 1999, before returning to Pyunik in 2004 to collect seven more championships and three Armenian Cups as captain. A role model for many Armenian players, Hovsepyan earned respect for his professional attitude and leadership skills.
In 2011 he was also honored with the FIFA special prize by the president of the Football federation of Armenia, Ruben Hayrapetyan , for playing more than 100 games in the National team.
As a player of Armenian National team, Sargis Hovsepyan in 20 years participated in 131 international matches, but in general he participated in 604 matches.
