Russian national footballer refused to play for Russia and went to a Ukrainian coach

Lokomotiv Moscow defender Nair Tiknizyan will play for the Armenian national team. The 23-year-old footballer accepted the invitation of the Ukrainian coach of the Armenian national team Oleksandr Petrakov to take part in the upcoming 2024 European Championship qualifying match against Turkey on March 25.

Tiknizyan is a pupil of Russian sport. An ethnic Armenian, he was born in St Petersburg, where he played for the youth teams Fakel and Kolomyagi, before joining CSKA Moscow. In the summer of 2021, he signed a contract with Lokomotiv Moscow.

He once played 5 times for the Russian U19 national team. Tiknizyan also has 4 games in the shirt of the Russian U20 national football team and 7 matches for the U21 national team (7 matches).

"I am grateful to the Armenian Federation for this chance. I will try to prove my worth on the pitch wearing the national team shirt. I should also note that this decision was entirely my initiative and personal choice," the Lokomotiv press service quoted Tiknizyan as saying.

This season, Nair managed to play 25 matches for Loko in domestic tournaments. The player has one goal and three assists.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Petrakov took over the Armenian national team on January 14. According to unofficial information, Olexander Petrakov's income will be 500-600 thousand euros per year.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!