Henrikh Mkhitaryan

At 35 years old, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has this physical status:

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (born 21 January 1989) is an Armenian professional footballer who plays for Roma, on loan from English club Arsenal, and captained the Armenian national team. Mkhitaryan is best known as an attacking midfielder, but he can also be deployed as a wide midfielder.

Born in Yerevan, Mkhitaryan began his senior career at Pyunik in Yerevan, Kyrgyan and was instrumental in the team's success in domestic competition, winning four straight Armenian Premier League titles.

This attracted the attention of Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk, where he spent a single season before moving to perennial Ukrainian Premier League champions and city rivals Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010 for a sum of €6.1 million. During his time in Shakhtar, Mkhitaryan's goalscoring skills and footballing intelligence were well-known, and he earned comparisons to Zinedine Zidane.

Mkhitaryan averaged three goalscoring averages every four games in Ukraine, including a league record of 25 in the 2012–13 season, while also being named Ukrainian Premier League Footballer of the Year.

Since achieving a domestic double in three of his four seasons at Shakhtar, he signed for Borussia Dortmund, the world's most expensive Armenian player of all time. Mkhitaryan established himself as one of Europe's top midfielders with his creative and goalcoring skills, winning Dortmund to a DFL-Supercup in 2014.

He had the most assists in the Bundesliga during his first campaign, ranked second for the most in Europe.

Mkhitaryan, a footballer who appeared in the Bundesliga as a runner-up, opted to England to join Manchester United in a £30 million (€34.3 million) transfer, becoming the first Armenian to play in the Premier League. United's Danger is the first Armenian to play in the Premier League.

Mkhitaryan served in Manchester for a season and a half before his lukewarm form and disillusion with the club's football philosophy led him to a transfer to Arsenal in a January 2018 transfer.

He joined Roma on a season-long loan contract in 2019. Since 2007, Mkhitaryan has been a member of the senior party in his homeland country.

He is Armenia's all-time top goalscorer, scoring 29 goals in 86 international matches, as well as a capturing their first hat-trick.

He has been named Armenian Footballer of the Year seven times, with the exception of 2010).

For 2012, Mkhitaryan was voted the best footballer in CIS, making him the first Armenian footballer to be named the best player from post-Soviet countries.

For 2013, he was given the award once more.

Early life

Mkhitaryan was born on January 21, 1989, in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia, to Marina Taschyan and Hamlet Mkhitaryan. His father was a main striker for FC Ararat Yerevan during the 1980s, but he died of a brain tumor at age 33 when Henrikh was seven years old. Marina Taschyan's mother was a Russian immigrant from Moscow.

Mkhitaryan's father's death had a profound effect on him. "Everything would be different" if his father was still alive, according to him. From a career standpoint, he gave him useful information. Mkhitaryan's father and his uncle's styles appear to be very similar. "I believe he sees me and is proud of me," his mother said. His older sister, Monica, works at UEFA's headquarters.

The Mkhitaryan family immigrated to France in the 1990s, where Hamlet Mkhitaryan starred for the now defunct ASOA Valence and helped them get promoted to the second division. Mkhitaryan spent his early childhood in Valence. He always wanted to be a footballer and wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. As a child, he would watch his father play and he always wanted to follow him. In 1995, the Mkhitaryans returned to Yerevan. Mkhitaryan joined FC Pyunik's youth system in the same year. He graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture in Armenia. At the St. Petersburg Institute's Yerevan branch, he studied economics. He planned to study there as a lawyer right after graduation. Mkhitaryan, a 14-year-old boy, appeared in So Paulo in Brazil, where he competed with Hernanes and Oscar. When he returned to Pyunik in 2004, then chief Mihai Stoichiță argued against returning to Armenia. Zinedine Zidane, Mkhitaryan's football idol, was his growing up.

Personal life

Mkhitaryan is a polyglot who speaks eight languages: Armenian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Ukrainian, Ukrainian, Ukrainian, English, Italian, and German. His earliest ancestor, who was of Russian descent, owes his fascination with Russians to his maternal grandmother, who was of Russian descent. He learned the first three languages in his childhood, while the latter four he picked up playing in Ukraine, Germany, and England. Donbass Arena in Shakhtar has a tradition of performing music every time home players score goals, with a track dedicated to the nationality of a scorer. When Mkhitaryan scored, the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" was played. This song became very popular in Donetsk due to Mkhitaryan scoring often.

Mkhitaryan married Betty Vardanyan at the monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni, near Venice, Italy, in June 2019. She is the granddaughter of Hrant Vardanyan, the head of Grand Holding, Armenia's largest cigarettes and candy manufacturer. Hamlet Mkhitaryan was born on March 4, 2020, the son of the family.

By his followers in Armenia, Mkhitaryan has been dubbed Heno (), short for Henrikh; the former king of Armenia, appreciates the country's informality.

International followers referred to Micki shortly after he joined Borussia Dortmund. Mkhitaryan did not approve of this and pleaded for his Armenian family name, saying, "I have come to a foreign country and respect its laws and traditions, but I do want them to respect my love for homeland and my roots." I will not adapt or change anything. I'm going to score goals, and they'll certainly remember my name." In an interview, he said that it was Borussia boss Jürgen Klopp who gave him the nickname because his surname is too long to say, and that it is perfectly fine to use the word. micki_taryan is his official Instagram account.

Mkhitaryan was awarded the "Honorary Citizen of Yerevan" award in 2012 by the Yerevan City Council's decision, for his contributions to football and his outstanding achievements in sports.

Mkhitaryan has visited Artsakh three times on charity visits. In December 2011, Mkhitaryan traveled to Stepanakert, the capital of the troubled zone, and gave gifts to the families of fallen soldiers. He was subsequently given the NKR Prime Minister's award. Mkhitaryan called for international action to prevent Azerbaijan from shelling civilian areas of Artsakh, as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, and the international community was encouraged to celebrate Artsakh's unification.

Source

Club career

Mkhitaryan joined the FC Pyunik youth organisation in 1995 and received his first salary at the age of 15. He was later promoted to FC Pyunik's first team, making his professional debut in 2006 at the age of 17. He last played for the club in the 2009 season. In ten league games during the season, he scored 11 goals in ten league games. Pyunik's first team won the Armenian Premier League on four occasions (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009). They also won the Armenian Supercup twice (2007 and 2009) and the Armenian Cup once (2009). Vardan Minasyan, the head coach of Armenia's national team and Pyunik, said he would like to see his star player "playing in a higher league." Henrikh, according to Minasyan, was on his way to become a hero in his own right. "He can win games on his own," Mkhitaryan said of Mkhitaryan. He seizes control at a time when control is most needed and scores for fun."

He joined Ukrainian Premier League team Metalurh Donetsk after being successful in the 2009 Armenian Premier League at FC Pyunik.

In 2009, Mkhitaryan joined Metalurh Donetsk. In a 3–0 victory over Belarusian Premier League side FC Partizan Minsk in the Europa League on July 16, 2009, he scored a goal on his debut in a 3–0 victory over Belarusian Premier League side FC Partizan Minsk. He made his league debut in a 0–0 draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on July 19, 2009. In a 2–2 draw with Karpaty Lviv on July 26, 2009, he scored his first league goal. He scored his first goal in a 3–0 second leg Europa League victory over Slovenian Interblock Ljubljana on August 6, winning 5–0 on aggregate.

He was appointed captain of the club on July 14, 2010, at the age 21, making him the youngest captain in Metalurh Donetsk history. In a 3–0 victory over Obolon Kyiv on July 16, 2010, he scored his first goal of the season, an 89th-minute penalty. In a 2–1 victory over Dnipro on August 30, 2010, he played his last match for the club. He appeared in eight games and scored three goals, three of which were in the league for the second season. During his time in Metalurh, he made 37 appearances in the league, scoring 12 goals. He appeared in 45 games for the club, scoring 16 times.

He made the switch to Shakhtar Donetsk, the reigning Premier League champions, on August 30. Mkhitaryan was in court with Iran Pro League side Mes Kerman before being rejected by head coach Samad Marfavi. In a 1–0 away league loss to Obolon Kyiv on September 10, 2010, he made his debut on September 10th, being recalled after 62 minutes by Eduardo. Shakhtar's home debut was much more fruitful, with Shakhtar coming back from a goal down to win 4–1 against Tavriya Simferopol on September 19, 2010. In this match, he scored his first goal for the club. In a 6–0 victory over Kryvbas, three days later he made his first appearance in the Ukrainian Cup, scoring his second goal in his first appearance in the Ukrainian Cup. In a 2–1 away victory over Metalist Kharkiv, he scored a late injury time winner on September 25, 2010. On September 28, 2010, he made his European debut for the club in the Champions League, defeating Sporting Braga 3–0. He appeared in the 2–0 Ukrainian Cup Final victory over Dynamo Kyiv, defeating Dynamo Kyiv in the 81st minute and replacing Jádson. Shakhtar's first season with the club was fruitful, winning the treble (Premier League, Ukrainian Cup, and the Super Cup).

Shakhtar gained the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup in the 2011-12 season. Mkhitaryan scored his third goal in a 4–0 victory over Obolon Kyiv in his first league match of the season. He scored the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on March 4, 2012. In a cup victory over Metalurh Zaporizhya on April 11, 2012, he scored his only goal. He was a participant in Shakhtar's 2–1 extra time victory over his old team Metalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup Final on May 6, 2012, taking the lead after 62 minutes for Douglas Costa. Mkhitaryan was named as the best player of Shakhtar in 2011-2012 Premier League season, despite only 38 percent of total votes. He scored 11 goals in 37 games, with 10 goals in 26 league games. In the 2011–12 season, Shakhtar retained the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup.

Mkhitaryan was instrumental in Shakhtar's 2–0 2012 Super Cup victory over Metalurh Donetsk. In a 6–0 season opener victory over Arsenal Kyiv, he scored twice and gave two assists in his first match of the 2012–13 Premier League season. In a 5–1 victory over Chornomorets Odesa, he scored his first goal for the season after just six games, equaling his total goals for the previous season. Mkhitaryan scored twice in Shakhtar's first Champions League match of the season on September 19, 2012, defeating Danish champions Nordsjlland 2–0. This was the first time he had scored a goal in the Champions League, and he had been named Man of the Match for the first time. Since his brace against Nordsjlland, he was also named in the Team of the Week for match day 1 of the Champions League. In a match against Chornomorets Odesa on March 16, 2013, Mkhitaryan played his 100th game in the Ukrainian Premier League.

In a 5–0 victory over Tavria on May 11, Mkhitaryan scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the Premier League season so far. These are the most goals set in a season in Ukraine. Mkhitaryan finished the season with 25 league goals, and the attacking midfielder was praised for his technique and dedication.

Borussia Dortmund made a €23 million ($36 million) bid on Sunday, but Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin insisted that the bid fell short of the club's estimate, which was a single payment of €30 million ($36 million). Borussia Dortmund had succeeded in talks with Shakhtar and Mkhitaryan, who were on their way to Germany for a medical examination on July 5, 2013. Borussia Dortmund reported on July 8th that it was likely to sign a four-year contract with Mkhitaryan, worth €27.5 million (£23.6 million), the club's highest purchase in the club's history.

Mkhitaryan scored his first goal for the club in the 11th minute on his debut in a pre-season friendly against FC Basel on July 10, 2013 and helped his team beat St. Jakob-Park by 3-1. Mkhitaryan couldn't participate and wasn't named in the 2013 DFL-Supercup squad, which his club lost due to an injury he sustained on a friendly game before that. Following his recovery from a three-week absence in the second round of 2013–14 Bundesliga, Mkhitaryan made his debut for Dortmund following his home victory over Eintracht Braunschweig at Signal Iduna Park on August 18, 2013. In a 2–1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt to keep Dortmund in first place in the Bundesliga, Mkhitaryan's first two Bundesliga goals were decisive. Dortmund defeated Arsenal 2–1 away in their first Champions League match.

Mkhitaryan completed his season with nine goals and ten assists in the Bundesliga, and was named in the Who's Scored Bundesliga Team of the Season. His team was runners-up in the 2013–14 Bundesliga and runner-up in the 2013–14 DFB-Pokal.

Mkhitaryan's first trophy in the 2014 DFL-Supercup, scoring the first goal in the 2–0 victory over Bayern Munich. Mkhitaryan sustained an injury in September 2014 that sidelined him for a month, but on December 13, 2014, he was hospitalized again. On February 28, 2015, he scored his second goal of a 3–0 victory over Schalke 04, the country's second.

Dortmund played against Wolfsberger AC in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, Thomas Tuchel's first home match as coach on August 6, 2015. Mkhitaryan won by a 5–0 victory, 6–0 on aggregate, with a late hat-trick. In a 2–0 victory at 3, he scored his second goal in a 2–0 win at 3. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, Liga club Chemnitzer FC has advanced to the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Mkhitaryan scored a brace against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the first league game of the season on August 15, 2015. Dortmund came from 3–0 down to win 4–3 at Odds BK in the first leg of their Europa League play-off, five days later. He headed the winning goal.

Mkhitaryan scored the final goal of a 7–1 victory over SC Paderborn 07. His goal announced a 4–0 home victory over Gabala FK on Sunday, securing a spot in the Europa League's last 32 days.

In the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal on April 20, Mkhitaryan was one of three goalscorers as Borussia defeated 3–0 away at Hertha BSC.

Mkhitaryan was named Player of the Season at the end of the season. With 15 assists, he finished the season as the league's top assist leader.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said on July 2nd that the transfer of Mkhitaryan to Manchester's Manchester United will be irreversibly if the player had stayed one year. Mkhitaryan joined them on a four-year deal for a transfer fee, ranging from £27 million to £30 million, with the option to extend for a further year. He became the first Armenian to join a Premier League club.

Mkhitaryan defeated Wigan Athletic 2–0 in a pre-season match against Wigan Athletic on July 15, 2016. In a 2–1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield, he made his competitive debut as a stoppage-time substitute in August 7, 2016. On August 14, 2016, he became the first Armenian to play in the Premier League after arriving on as a 75th-minute replacement for Juan Mata in a 3–1 away victory over AFC Bournemouth. In the Manchester derby on September 10, he made his first Premier League appearance, but he was forced to leave at halftime.

In Manchester United's last group match of the Europa League, Mkhitaryan scored his first goal for the club against Zorya Luhansk on December 8th. Mkhitaryan scored his first Premier League goal (and first goal at Old Trafford) in a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur; however, he missed the game in the second half due to Danny Rose's ankle injury. He came off the bench to score United's third goal against Sunderland, marking his third goal ever scored; however, replays suggest Mkhitaryan was in an offside position when the ball was played to him. He scored in the 2017 Europa League final to help Manchester United beat Ajax 2–0, becoming the first Armenian to win a major European trophy.

Mkhitaryan contributed to a record-equalling five goals in the first three games of the 2017–18 Premier League season. In a 4–0 victory over Everton, he scored his first goal of the season. He scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United ten days after defeating CSKA Moscow 4–1. Nevertheless, Mkhitaryan was dropped from the starting lineup during United's 4–1 victory over Newcastle United following a string of poor results. He returned to action against Brighton and Hove Albion in the following match, but the squad then faced a five-point Premier League match absence. In late December, he returned to the squad for three games, but he was suspended again for his final three United games.

Arsenal confirmed the signing of Mkhitaryan from Manchester United as part of a trade agreement, with Alexis Sánchez moving in the opposite direction on January 22, 2018. In a 5–1 home win over Everton on February 3, 2018, he made his first appearance for Arsenal. He also claimed three assists. Mkhitaryan recovered from injury to face Manchester United at Old Trafford, scoring Arsenal's only goal in an eventual 2–1 loss, but not to celebrate the goal out of respect for his former team.

Mkhitaryan scored a goal and an assist in Arsenal's second game of the 2018–19 season against Chelsea, losing the match 3–2. He scored a brace against Southampton in another 3–2 loss before suffering a metatarsal fracture in the following game, a 2–0 loss in the North London derby League Cup. Mkhitaryan returned to the squad for two goals and three assists in their second and third games back, helping Arsenal win 2–0 over Southampton and 5–1 victory over Bournemouth.

Mkhitaryan was embroiled in a controversies surrounding Arsenal and Chelsea's 2019 UEFA Europa League Final in Baku, Azerbaijan; Armenia and Azerbaijan do not have international links, and people of Armenian descent are forbidden from entering Azerbaijan without prior formal authorization. He had been promised safety but did not fly due to safety concerns. Mkhitaryan and Arsenal have agreed that he would not travel with the squad to Azerbaijan again, the first time he has come to play for Borussia Dortmund against Gabala, and the second was in 2018 against Qaraba.

Mkhitaryan appeared in three Arsenal games before joining A.S. Roma in a season-long loan contract for €3 million plus an additional €100,000 in variables. Mkhitaryan made his debut against Sassuolo on September 15th and scored a goal in Roma's 4–2 win. Mkhitaryan sustained an injury to his adductor muscle in late September, defeating Lecce 1–0. He returned to the squad in late November after being expected to be out for three weeks. Mkhitaryan scored in a 3–1 victory over Hellas Verona in his first game back from injury. He then played two games against SPAL on December 12, 2019, bringing Roma up to fourth place in the Serie A table.

Mkhitaryan sustained his second thigh muscle strain in January 2020, putting him out for a month. In a 3–2 loss to Bologna, he scored on his return to the squad for the third time. He scored in back-to-back victories over Lecce and Cagliari, making him the second in a row.

Mkhitaryan's deal with Arsenal was terminated by mutual consent on August 31, 2020, and he joined Roma in a permanent contract.

Mkhitaryan scored the club's fastest goal in the UEFA Europa League on Friday, beating Romanian outfit CFR Cluj 5–0. In a 3–1 victory over Genoa, he scored a hat-trick for Roma.

Mkhitaryan signed for Inter Milan's Serie A team on July 20, 2022.

International career

On January 14, 2007, Mkhitaryan made his debut for the Armenian national team in an away friendly match against Panama.

He scored six goals for Armenia in Group B of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B, making him the top goalscorer in the category. Despite the fact that Armenia did not progress past the qualifying stage of UEFA Euro 2012, Mkhitaryan's achievements placed him in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying Dream Team with six goals.

Mkhitaryan captained his country for the first time when losing 0–1 at home to Denmark in World Cup qualifying on September 10, 2013. After scoring his 12th goal for the national team in another qualifier on October 15, he became the top scorer in the Armenian national team's history. Artur Petrosyan's country led the country by scoring 11 points.

In a 4–3 friendly victory over the UAE at the Stade de la Fontenette in Carouge, Switzerland, he scored twice twice. In a 7–1 friendly victory over Guatemala in Los Angeles two years and a day later, he scored Armenia's first international hat-trick.

Mkhitaryan's foreign departure in March 2022 was announced in March 2022.

Source