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Factfile

Full name: Football Club Noah

Country: Armenia

Town: Armavir

Formation: 2017, as FC Artsakh

Major honours: Armenian Cup (2020)

Head coach: Rui Mota

2023/24 league finish: 2nd

Stadium: Vahagn Tumasyan Stadium

Colours: Black and white

Why Noah?

The club were founded in 2017 as FC Artsakh and two years later they were rebranded as FC Noah following a takeover. The name references the biblical Noah, whose Ark landed ‘upon the mountains of Ararat’, the principal national symbol of Armenia.

European record

Noah were knocked out in the first qualifying round of the Europa League (2020) and the Conference League (2021) in their maiden European adventures, but their journey so far this season has more than made up for lost time.

They are the only team of the 50 who entered the Conference League in the first qualifying round to have made it all the way to the league phase, winning four ties to do so.

Noah started off by beating Shkendija of Macedonia 4-1 on aggregate, and then made light work of Malta’s Sliema Wanderers (7-0 on aggregate). In the third qualifying round, Noah stunned AEK Athens 3-1 in Armenia, with the 1-0 loss in Greece that followed enough for them to progress to the play-off round.

There Noah met Ruzomberok from Slovakia. Another impressive first-leg home win (3-0) put them in a commanding position for the return game, but they were in grave danger of falling at the final hurdle as they found themselves 3-0 down and a man light. However, a dramatic 88th-minute goal from Mathues Aias booked Noah’s spot in the league phase after a remarkable few weeks of European football.

2024/25 so far…

Besides their eye-catching European exploits, Noah have won seven and drawn one of their opening ten league fixtures. They have games in hand on the three teams above them, having most recently defeated league leaders Urartu 2-1.

Current squad

Armenian international Ognjen Cancarevic has gone viral after becoming the first goalkeeper in UEFA competition to score a goal from inside his own penalty area in the famous home win against AEK Athens.

Goncalo Gregorio, a Portuguese forward, scored six goals in Conference League qualifying, while Gustavo Sangare is a Burkina Faso international who was one of 16 new arrivals this summer.