AZ will be in Armenia on Thursday evening for the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off against defending Armenian champions FC Noah. The side, who were created only back in 2017, won their first Armenian title last season. But who are the side, named after the famous biblical character who took animals two-by-two on his ark?
Noah itself is a new name for the side, who were originally founded as FC Artsakh. The side won promotion to the top flight in their first season, and after an eighth place finish the following year were sold to Karen Abrahamyan. The sides new owner was the former regional Minister of Defence and one of his first actions as the clubs owner was a rebrand. FC Artsakh were no more, with FC Noah taking their place. While the name Noah has certainly become incredibly popular in recent years, there is a reason why the side were linked to the figure from the Bible, Quran and the Torah. After the flood, Noahโs ark was said to have rested on Mount Ararat. Those with a keen eye will notice that the mountain isnโt even in Armenia, but lies across the border in modern day Tรผrkiye. This has been the case since the 1920s, but it remains a cultural and somewhat politically important landmark for Armenia.
FC Noah as a club ties itself to that history. Under their new name, the side began to find real success. In 2020 the side won the Armenian cup for the first time, beating Ararat-Armenia on penalties after a 5-5 draw during regular and extra-time. This saw the side venture into Europe for the first time, only to lose to Kairat Almaty in the first round of Europa League qualification. They returned to Europe the following year, only this time to lose out to Finnish side KuPS in the Conference League qualification rounds.
It took a few years, but in 2024/2025 the side had the best season of their existence. The side won the league for the first time and lifted the domestic cup for the second time. They also made their way to the league phases of a European competition for the first time. FC Noah had to go through a number of rounds to get there, beating Shkendija of North Macedonia, Silema Wanderers of Malta, the mighty AEK Athens of Greece and finally Slovakian side Ruzomberok.
the side only won one of their games in the league phase, losing four others, including an 8-0 defeat to eventual winners Chelsea. Their one historic win came against Mlada Boleslav of Czechia, a 2-0 victory at home. FC Noah finished 31st, but that experience has clearly helped them.
This rise has coincided with new owner Vardes Vardanyan. In 2023 he bought the club, and the entrepreneur has turned them into what they say is the โfastest growing club in Armeniaโ. They clearly arenโt wrong. After their domestic double last year, the side went into qualification for the Champions League. They beat Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro in the first round before being knocked out by Hungarian giants Ferencvaros. They shockingly lost to Lincoln Red Imps in the Europa League, but ended up beating Olimpia Ljubliana of Slovenia int he play-off round for a return to the Conference League.
After winning just one game in their debut season in the competition, the side vastly improved in their second bite at the cherry. this time they won two games to finish 19th and qualify for the next stage where they will face AZ. On the way, they have beaten Rijeka and Legia Warsaw at home, with draws away to Aberdeen and Universitatea Craiova. The only sides they lost to were Sigma Olomouc and Dynamo Kyiv.
So who should AZ fans look out for? Portuguese winger Helder Ferreira has been a great signing for FC Noah. The winger has 20 goals and 21 assists in just 66 games since joining the side from Anorthosis two seasons ago. Another Portuguese player having a good campaign is versatile left-back David Sualehe. The 28-year-old has provided FC Noah with six assists in 25 games across all competitions this season. Bosnian striker Nardinย Mulahusejnovic has been the real star for FC Noah in the competition so far. The forward, who joined in the summer from Zrinjski Mostar, has scored five goals in six appearances in the Conference League so far. Remarkably, Mulahusejnovic has scored more goals for FC Noah in Europe than he has in 14 games in the Premier League (four).
AZ will be heavy favourites, but they would do well not to underestimate FC Noah. This is clearly a team with high ambitions and one that has learned a lot from their first experience of European football. They are also a fantastic advert for the Conference League as a competition. While the Champions League is a mere pipe dream for many sides, even if they are domestic champions, the Conference League has given them a chance to enjoy playing sides from other European nations and really progressing on the pitch.
AZ will be hoping to come away from Armenia with an advantage before pressing that home on their return to the Netherlands.
GBeNeFNย |ย Ben Jackson
