The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), the governing body for football in Armenia, updated its logo in January 2024. The refreshed emblem retains the core symbols of its predecessor: the image of Mount Ararat, the FFA abbreviation in Armenian script, and the organization’s name in a circular Latin-letter inscription. The federation announced that the update was driven by contemporary design expectations, noting that logos are now expected to feature finer lines, smoother transitions between elements, and a refined combination of nuances and colors. The symbol that had accompanied the FFA and national teams for years was presented in this new form starting in 2024. [1]
Design and History
The FFA’s visual identity has undergone notable changes since the federation’s early years. The original emblem, in use from the federation’s founding era, featured a stylized depiction of Mount Ararat, a national symbol of Armenia. [2]
In September 2008, the FFA presented a new logo and kits for all national teams. According to the federation’s executive director at the time, Armen Minasyan, the logo’s philosophy symbolized state support for football development. The design incorporated motifs from the national coat of arms of Armenia, featuring an eagle and lion holding a shield painted in the red, blue, and orange of the Armenian flag, with the letters “FFA” and a football at the center. [3] The presentation came just before a World Cup qualifier between Armenia and Turkey on September 6, 2008. [4]
The removal of Mount Ararat from the emblem sparked public criticism, with some political figures interpreting it as a concession related to the Turkish president’s visit to Yerevan for the match. FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan denied any connection to the Turkey match, stating that the decision to change the logo had been made well before the draw placed Armenia and Turkey in the same qualifying group, and that a competition for the new logo had been announced a year and seven months earlier. He nonetheless acknowledged the change was a mistake and apologized to fans and the public. [4]
In October 2008, Hayrapetyan announced that Mount Ararat would return to the emblem. He presented four preliminary logo variants and said a final version would be adopted at the federation’s annual conference in November. He also noted that the logo would be used for administrative purposes, while the national team’s jerseys would carry the original version of Armenia’s coat of arms. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
Mount Ararat has been a recurring and significant element in the FFA’s identity. The mountain, a national symbol of Armenia, was part of the federation’s early emblem and was restored after its temporary removal in 2008. [2] The 2024 update kept Mount Ararat as one of the main symbols of the logo, alongside the Armenian-script abbreviation and the circular Latin-letter name. [1]
The federation’s official regulations describe the FFA symbol as a circular design in red, blue, and orange, with “FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF ARMENIA” inscribed in uppercase English letters in blue from the lower-left to the lower-right section of the circle. [6]
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