# 2018–19 Armenian First League

The 2018–19 Armenian First League season was the 27th since its establishment. The season was launched on August 6, 2018, and concluded on June 13, 2019. Junior Sevan were reigned as champions, however, they did not gain promotion to the 2019–20 Armenian Premier League, due to not meeting the requirements of the Football Federation of Armenia to take part at the Armenian Premier League competition. Instead, runners-up Yerevan gained promotion, as they met the above-mentioned requirements.

## Team changes

5 new teams have joined the 2018–19 Armenian First League season:
* FC Yerevan from Yerevan, existed between 1995 and 1999, re-founded in 2018.
* FC Lokomotiv Yerevan from Yerevan, existed between 2002 and 2005, re-founded in 2018.
* Junior Sevan FC from Sevan, a newly-founded club in 2018.
* Banants-3 from Yerevan, reformed in 2018 as the 3rd team of FC Banants.
* Ararat-Armenia-2 from Yerevan, formed in 2018 as the reserve team of FC Ararat-Armenia.
Promoted to 2018–19 Armenian Premier League:
* Lori FC as 2017–18 Armenian First League champions.
* Artsakh FC as 2017–18 Armenian First League runners-up.
* FC Ararat-Armenia as 2017–18 Armenian First League 3rd-place winners

## Summary

A total of 12 clubs have entered the competition with only 4 clubs -Erebuni, Lokomotiv Yerevan, Junior Sevan and Yerevan- being eligible for promotion, while the rest 8 teams were the reserve teams of clubs from the Armenian Premier League.
On 28 February 2019, the FFA suspended the rights of Erebuni SC to continue competing in the second part of the 2018-19 Armenian First League and the club was expelled from the competition, plus a fine of AMD 500,000. Their matches of the second part of the season were given to their opponents by 0–3.
Although Junior Sevan were reigned as champions, they did not gain promotion to the 2019–20 Armenian Premier League, due to not meeting the requirements of the Football Federation of Armenia to take part at the Armenian Premier League competition. Instead, runners-up Yerevan gained promotion, as they met the requirements.

## Stadiums and locations

12 teams will take part in this season's competition, of which only 4 teams -Yerevan, FC Lokomotiv Yerevan, Junior Sevan, and Erebuni- are eligible to get the promotion right to the 2019–20 Armenian Premier League by the end of the competition. The remaining 8 teams are the reserve teams of the football clubs currently participating in the Armenian Premier League competition.
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Erebuni | Yerevan (Erebuni) | Hmayak Khachatryan Stadium | 544 |
| Junior Sevan | Dzoraghbyur (Kotayk) | Dzoraghbyur Training Centre$^1$ | n/a |
| Lokomotiv Yerevan | Yerevan (Shengavit) | Mika Stadium | 7,250 |
| Yerevan | Vagharshapat | Vagharshapat Football Academy$^2$ | n/a |
| Alashkert-2 | Dzoraghbyur Ashtarak | Dzoraghbyur Training Centre Kasakhi Marzik Stadium | n/a 3,600 |
| Ararat-2 | Dzoraghbyur (Kotayk) | Dzoraghbyur Training Centre | n/a |
| Ararat-Armenia-2 | Yerevan (Avan) | Football Academy Stadium | 1,428 |
| Banants-2 | Yerevan (Malatia-Sebastia) | Banants Training Centre pitch#3 | 600 |
| Banants-3 | Yerevan (Malatia-Sebastia) | Banants Training Centre pitch#3 | 600 |
| Gandzasar-2 | Kapan | Gandzasar Training Centre | n/a |
| Pyunik-2 | Yerevan (Kentron) | Pyunik Stadium | 780 |
| Shirak-2 | Gyumri | Gyumri City Stadium | 2,844 |
* $^1$Junior Sevan will play at the Dzoraghbyur Training Centre, Dzoraghbyur, due to the ongoing construction of their new home venue Sevan Football Stadium, Sevan.
* $^2$Yerevan will play at the Vagharshapat Football Academy, Vagharshapat, instead of their original venue Yerevan Football Academy Stadium, Yerevan.

### Personnel and sponsorship

| Team | President | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Erebuni | Tigran Ayvazyan | Sevada Arzumanyan (matchday 1 to 18) | Sos Tadevosyan | Joma | |
| Junior Sevan | Hayk Grigoryan | Syarhey Herasimets | Gor Martirosyan | 2K Sport | DI Group |
| Lokomotiv Yerevan | Hrachik Kananyan | Vahe Gevorgyan (matchday 1 to 18) Anatoliy Piskovets (matchday 19 & onwards) | Arman Zeinalyan | Givova | |
| Yerevan | Karen Harutyunyan | Samvel Sargsyan | Yevgeni Skoblikov | Nike | |
| Alashkert-2 | Bagrat Navoyan | Sergey Erzrumyan | Artashes Arakelyan | Joma | Bagratour |
| Ararat-Armenia-2 | Poghos Galstyan | Tigran Petrosyants | Albert Khachumyan | Joma | Tashir Group |
| Ararat Yerevan-2 | Hiraç Yagan (until Sept. 2018) Hrach Kaprielian (from Oct. 2018) | Georgi Andriasyan (matchday 1 to 18) Albert Safaryan (matchday 19 & onwards) | Sergey Mkrtchyan | Jako | |
| Banants-2 | Hrach Aghabekian | Aram Hakobyan | Erik Vardanyan | Adidas | |
| Banants-3 | Hrach Aghabekian | Tigran Arakelyan | Mikayel Mirzoyan | Adidas | |
| Gandzasar-2 | Garnik Aghababian | Ashot Manucharyan | Tigran Ivanyan | Adidas | ZCMC |
| Pyunik-2 | Artur Soghomonyan | Albert Sarkisyan | Vigen Begoyan | Nike | Gold's Gym |
| Shirak-2 | Arman Sahakyan | Tigran Davtyan | Artur Amiryan | Adidas | |
    1. ^ On the back of the shirt.
    2. ^ Left the team at the end of the 1st half of the season (after matchday 18).

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Junior Sevan (C) | 33 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 90 | 26 | +64 | 81 | |
| 2 | Yerevan (P) | 33 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 112 | 46 | +66 | 70 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 3 | Banants-2 | 33 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 65 | 31 | +34 | 70 | |
| 4 | Ararat-Armenia-2 | 33 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 70 | 40 | +30 | 61 | |
| 5 | Alashkert-2 | 33 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 63 | 39 | +24 | 55 | |
| 6 | Lokomotiv Yerevan | 33 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 61 | 37 | +24 | 55 | |
| 7 | Pyunik-2 | 33 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 47 | 56 | −9 | 40 | |
| 8 | Shirak-2 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 18 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 37 | |
| 9 | Banants-3 | 33 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 38 | 57 | −19 | 33 | |
| 10 | Gandzasar Kapan-2 | 33 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 43 | 94 | −51 | 27 | |
| 11 | Ararat Yerevan-2 | 33 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 40 | 94 | −54 | 25 | |
| 12 | Erebuni | 33 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 12 | 103 | −91 | 4 | |

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of match played 13 June 2019
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Stanislav Yefimov | Yerevan | 46 |
| 2 | Ivan Latishev | Yerevan | 17 |
| 2 | Mher Harutyunyan | Gandzasar-2 | 17 |
| 2 | Karapet Manukyan | Lokomotiv Yerevan | 17 |
| 5 | Erik Petrosyan | Banants-2 | 16 |
| 6 | Sultan Aksanov | Junior Sevan | 15 |
| 7 | Akhmed Jindoyan | Alashkert-2 | 14 |
| 8 | Aram Kolozyan | Ararat-Armenia-2 | 12 |
| 9 | Vardan Bakalyan | Ararat-Armenia-2 | 11 |
| 9 | Sargis Metoyan | Ararat Yerevan-2 | 11 |
| 9 | Mikayel Mirzoyan | Banants-3 | 11 |