Who are Chelsea's Conference League opponents FC Noah - manager, location & meaning behind name? | OneFootball

Chelsea face off against FC Noah in the Conference League, who were founded years after the Blues won the Champions League for the first time.

Enzo Maresca's side sit top of the Conference League heading into the game against FC Noah, following victories over KAA Gent and Panathinaikos.

With the Italian opting to heavily rotate his squad for the European games, the likes of Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk are all likely to come back into the starting XI to face Noah on Thursday night.

After Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Manchester United in the Premier League, the Blues will be keen to get back to winning ways when they return to Stamford Bridge.

While Maresca will have done his research on Chelsea's Armenian opponents, Blues fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about their Conference League opponents.

Chelsea host FC Noah at Stamford Bridge in the Conference League / IMAGO / Crystal Pix

What country and league do FC Noah play in?

FC Noah compete in the Armenian Premier League, the top division of Armenian football. They currently sit fourth in the league table, seven points behind the league leaders.

The club are based in Armenia's capital city of Yerevan, playing their home matches at the Armavir City Stadium, which has a capacity of just 3,300.

After their formation, FC Noah finished second in the Armenian First League in their inaugural season, earning promotion to the Armenian Premier League , where they then finished 8th.

Their first major trophy came in the 2019-20 season, winning the Armenian Cup on penalties. This led to the Armenians qualifying for the Conference League for the first time in their history. They also lifted the Armenian Super Cup the following season, beating Ararat-Armenia 2-1.

When were FC Noah founded?

FC Noah were founded just seven years ago, back in 2017. At this time the team was originally based in Stepanakert, Armenia.

This makes Chelsea's opponents 112 years younger than the Blues, who were founded in 1905 in London. The club was also founded five years after Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time, and just four years before the Blues won it for a second time under Thomas Tuchel.

When FC Noah were founded seven years ago, they were formed under a different name - FC Artsakh. However, after a change of ownership in 2019, the club was re-branded and renamed FC Noah - for a fascinating reason that fans may not be aware of.

FC Noah Rui Mota (middle) talking to Goncalo Silva (left) during their Conference League match / IMAGO / Michal Fajt

What is the meaning behind FC Noah’s name?

The name “Noah” holds significant cultural and historical resonance in Armenia, and many fans have joked that the club are named after Noah's Ark.

These fans will no doubt be surprised to know that it really is that simple! FC Noah's name is inspired by the biblical story of Noah's Ark, which, according to tradition, came to rest on Mount Ararat after the Great Flood.

Since their rebranding, FC Noah have gone from strength to strength under owner Karen Abrahamyan, the former Minister of Defence of Artsakh in Armenia.

Their most impressive achievement so far has been qualifying for the Conference League league phase after beating Ruzomberok in the play-off round.

This put FC Noah's name in the history books as they became the first club in Conference League history to successfully navigate all four rounds of qualification, having beaten Shkendija, Silema Wanderers and AEK Athens in the previous rounds.

Who is FC Noah’s manager?

45-year-old Rui Mota is the head coach of FC Noah, having had previous experience with clubs in Europea.

Mota spent four years as a scout in Portugal from 2012 until 2016, before spells as assistant manager at various clubs alongside Ricardo Sa Pinto.

The pair were together at Al-Fateh, Atromitos, Standard Liege, Legia Warszawa, SC Braga, Vasco da Gama, Gaziantep, Moreirense and Esteghlal before Mota made the leap to become a manager of his own.

His first managerial role was with Georgian side FC Dila, where he played just 18 games before departing for FC Noah this summer.

This season he has navigated his side to 13 wins, two draws and five losses in all competitions, with the Armenians coming into Thursday's game off the back of consecutive victories in the league.

Mota led his side to their second biggest win, a 7-0 thumping of Sliema Wanderers in the Conference League second round, and also boasts a 6-0 and 5-0 victory on his resume at the club, having only been in charge for a matter of months.