The path to becoming a professional footballer is rarely easy. At youth level, many players dream of making it all the way. As players develop and progress through the ranks, it becomes more and more difficult to make it to the next level. In addition to good technical grounding in the skills of soccer, the physical attributes required to become a professional player are varied and numerous, but can generally be categorized under body type, agility, and fitness.
But there is also the mental aspect of the game. This is an area that is equally as important and is dictated by the top four inches of a player: his brain. A player’s ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity, listen to and respond to coaching, and make good decisions on the field in stressful situations, all come together to define his mental toughness. It is a healthy mix of these technical, physical, and mental traits that defines a good player and provides the building blocks for a career in the game.
Levon Airapetian, the young Armenian left-back who is currently under contract with Lechia Gdańsk in the Polish top flight, is one such player. It hasn’t always been an easy journey for Airapetian, with injuries as a youth player nearly derailing his chances of success. But through hard work, an excellent attitude, and terrific support from his family, he has overcome many difficulties on his way to earning 14 international caps with Armenia.
In a World Cup qualifying match versus Bulgaria in September 2012, Airapetian sustained a devastating knee injury that would test his resolve once more. In a recent interview with M. J. Graham, Airapetian describes his journey to the pros, the rehab of his knee, and his thoughts on the state of Armenian football.
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M. J. Graham: I read that your father was an Olympic medalist at the 1980 games in Moscow. How did having a sporting history in your family influence your decision to pursue a professional career in football?
Levon Airapetian: It was not a decision; rather I was born into sports. Ever since I can remember, sports and particularly football [soccer] filled our daily routine. I was very little when my mom took us to my dad’s games. When watching TV, only sports channels were considered. My father always encouraged us kids to play sports well, knowing that sports strengthen the character. Football was and is his great love. He would make us kids compete against each other in everything possible…not only football but also tennis, basketball, push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, squats, etc. Moreover, he would tell us funny and interesting stories from different championships and trips to Southeast Asia, Australia, and Europe as part of the Soviet national field hockey team. Only sports were able to give such opportunities to people. I was eight years old when I started playing football at a club in Hamburg, Germany. When I grew older I realized I could turn my hobby into a career. What greater luck? Therefore, without any doubt, my father being an athlete had a great influence in my pursuit of a career in professional sports.
MJG: Your career has progressed very rapidly in recent years, from Hamburg SV (HSV) to Pyunik to Lechia Gdansk and the national team. Are you happy with your advancement in your career thus far, and what are the factors that have helped you develop as a professional?
LA: It has not been as rosy as your question indicates… I went through a lot of injuries playing for HSV amateurs. During a long injury span (ACL injury, stress fracture, etc.) my contract was on the verge of expiring and I had to look for another club, having been out for longer than a whole year… Those were very tough times that I had to overcome. But with my family’s support, I never gave up and fought for my dreams, which resulted in my signing for a pro-football club.
MJG: What are your future goals in the game? Have you set targets for yourself—winning more trophies, playing in different leagues, Champions League football, for example?
LA: Definitely, I have set goals. I want to play in a more competitive league and qualify for a big tournament with my national team. But since I have had several big injuries in the recent past my first focus is on becoming 100 percent healthy, working hard on myself, and staying fit in order to help my team. Whether titles and trophies will be the result, only God knows.
MJG: You were injured in the qualifier against Bulgaria. Did you tear your ACL? Have you received support from Lechia and the FFA in your recovery?
LA: Not only did I tear my ACL but also my MCL and Meniscus in the same knee. Therefore, recovery is taking longer than if I had only torn my ACL. I had to wait until the MCL recovered on its own before my knee was capable of undergoing the stress of an ACL surgery. That healing process took about two months. In November, my ACL and Meniscus were finally operated on. Now I am systematically rehabbing my knee in Regensburg, Germany. The FFA helped me a great deal in my recovery, be it monetarily or psychologically. Straight after my injury, I was told by the FFA not to worry about anything other than getting healthy. At the same time my club, Lechia, also offered help and support.
MJG: Is there anything in particular you do to stay motivated while recovering from a longterm injury? Since Davit Manoyan is also recovering from surgery, have you had time to work on your recovery together?
LA: In the beginning and during the waiting stage up until surgery, it was hard mentally. I missed the game against Italy at home when my entire family had planned to fly in from Germany to watch me play. I tried to keep myself busy Skyping and watching as many movies as possible. The support of family and friends is very important in stages like these. The turning point was my surgery in November. After surgery, I knew everything was gonna get better on a daily basis and I was on my way to recovery, finally. Any small improvement is motivation enough to keep going and pushing harder the next day. Unfortunately my buddy David also got injured recently. However, it is not possible to work together due to the different nature of his injury and the fact that he is at a different stage of recovery. But we always support each other mentally, as he became part of my family a long time ago.
MJG: You described growing up with a life full of activity and sporting variety. How many siblings did you have growing up? Have you a family of your own now? And do you plan on encouraging sporting activity with your own family in the future?
LA: I have a brother and a sister, both older than me. As for now, I am single and focusing on football. However, sporting activity will definitely be an important aspect in my future and own family life.
MJG: You are part of a very talented generation of Armenian footballers. As the national team enjoys greater success, more and more Armenian youngsters will look to the current players as role models. They will want to play football and dream of playing for Armenia one day. You’ve described a difficult, injury-laden path to ultimately becoming a professional. Do you have any words of advice for those Armenian kids who dream of following in your footsteps?
LA: Work hard but do not lose the fun in football, the reason why you started playing this sport initially. Believe in yourself, but do not be full of yourself and do listen to advice from competent people. Fight and never give up.
MJG: You currently play in the beautiful city of Gdansk, which was one of the host cities of Euro 2012. How would you describe the life and people in the city, and were you there during the tournament?
LA: Gdansk is a beautiful city and very similar to Hamburg, the city I grew up in. Maybe that is why I felt right at home there. We have a beautiful and modern stadium, and the people and fans are nice and very passionate about football. During Euro 2012, I was in Gdansk when Spain played against Italy. However, I was not able to go to the stadium as I had injured myself in the game against Kazakhstan with the national team just a couple days before.
MJG: Coach Vardan Minasyan has experimented with playing you in midfield in the past. This must give you great confidence in your own ability to do any job that’s asked of you for Armenia. How would you describe the manager’s style and the direction he is taking the team?
LA: Of course, it does give me great confidence when I have a coach who trusts and believes in my abilities. Naturally, one plays liberated, without any subconscious fear of making mistakes. Vardan Minasyan always expects 100 percent. He knows his players’ every single strength and weakness. To be quite honest, he brought in a breath of fresh air as he reformed the national team. He put his trust and hopes in the youth and created a new base by introducing young players who understand his system of play. Our main focus lies on ourselves. Of course, we prepare for each opponent, but we always try to impose our style of play on the game.
MJG: You mentioned a desire to play in other leagues as your career progresses. Are there any leagues you particularly admire, any particular players you’d like to play with or against? As the national team profile grows, can you see more Armenian players in the bigger leagues across Europe?
LA: There is not one particular league. There are currently many strong leagues I would love to play in, like Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A. I would like to play against Barcelona or Spain one day. It’s fun to play against strong teams because you learn so much and thus can develop and improve your game. Football is becoming increasingly popular in Armenia, and as our national team is drawing more attention other leagues are becoming more interested in our players. I believe that in the future more Armenians will play in bigger leagues because we are improving steadily.
MJG: International tournament qualifying in the European region is pretty difficult. Some footballing nations such as Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania have found success in the past, particularly when a number of talented players come through in the same generation. Names such as Davor Sucker, Hristo Stoichkov, and Gheorghe Hagi spring to mind when people think of those successful teams. What is your opinion on Armenia’s future potential to reach a similar level of success?
LA: Of course, I hope that Armenia will reach the heights of those countries and I fully believe that if we continue doing the good work and improve, we will reach that goal.
M.J. Graham
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Isn’t fragility/too many injuries what ruined Edgar Manucharyan’s career? He was a rising star, playing for Ajax and now he’s playing for FC Ural, which is in the Russian First Division (well, it will probably move up to the Premier League next season, but still).