Karlen Mkrtchyan
Friday, August 28, 2020Karlen Mkrtchyan (born 25 November 1988 in Yerevan) is an Armenian football player who most recently played as a midfielder for FC Pyunik in the Armenian Premier League.
Karlen Mkrtchyan is a graduate the Armenian football club school Pyunik Yerevan. Since 2007, he played for the first team. In the 2008 Armenian Premier League he played in all 28 games, and also took part in the final match against Ararat Yerevan, in which Pyunik won the Premier League. With Mkrtchyan as a member, Pyunik won the Armenian Premier League in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, the Armenian Cup in 2009 and 2010 and the Armenian Supercup in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
On 10 January 2011, it was reported that Karlen went to preseason camp in Turkey with Kuban Krasnodar. Together with Mkrtchyan on interest of Kuban was national team mate Gevorg Ghazaryan. In the test match against Astana Locomotive, Mkrtchyan was seriously hurt damaged, resulting in a surgery.
Metalurh Donetsk
On 1 April 2011, Mkrtchyan signed a contract with Metalurh Donetsk for three years. Following a vote held at the official site of Donetsk Metalurh, Mkrtchyan was voted the best player of the club in October, November and December 2011.
Anzhi Makhachkala
On 30 August 2013, Mkrtchyan signed for Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala.
Tobol
On 9 January 2015, Mkrtchyan signed a one-year contract with Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Tobol, leaving the club on 22 April of the same year through mutual consent. Following his release from Tobol, Mkrtchyan trained with FC Pyunik.
Anzhi Makhachkala
On 26 June 2015, Mkrtchyan signed a three-year contract to return to Anzhi Makhachkala.
On 31 January 2017, Anzhi removed him from their Russian Premier League roster.
Pyunik
On 17 August 2017, Mkrtchyan signed a one year contract with his former club Pyunik of the Armenian Premier League. On 2 July 2020, Pyunik announced that Mkrtchyan had left the club after his contract had expired.
International career
Since joining Pyunik he began to be involved in the Armenia U-21 youth national team, for which, in 2008 in a home game, he scored his first goal for the youth national team and the first goal of the match against the Turkey U-21 team. Armenia defeated Turkey 2-1. Since 2008, plays for the senior Armenia national football team. The first match held on 2 February 2008 in Malta's capital Valletta, against the local national team. The match ended 1-0 in favor of the Armenian team. Mkrtchyan scored his first goal for the Armenian national team on 14 November 2012 in a home friendly match against Lithuania at the 50th minute. Armenia defeated Lithuania 4-2.
Personal life
Following the 14 November 2012 Armenian national game, in which Mkrtchyan scored his first goal for the team, he headed back to Donetsk together with his wife and got married. His wife was a classmate of fellow Metalurh and Armenian national player Gevorg Ghazaryan.