Mkhitaryan’s goal recognized the best in May in Bundesliga

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YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: The goal, scored by the midfielder of the Armenian national football team and the Dortmund Borussia Henrikh Mkhitaryan, was recognized the best in May in the Bundesliga.

In the result of the poll, carried out by the Bundesliga official website, the goal, scored by Mkhitaryan to the Werder’s net, was recognized the best, getting 56% of the votes. Armenpress reports that Bundesliga.com informed about it.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is an Armenian footballer who plays as a midfielder for the German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Armenia national football team. Mkhitaryan is Armenia's all-time top goalscorer. His previous clubs include Pyunik Yerevan, where he came through the youth system, Metalurh Donetsk, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Mkhitaryan was chosen Armenian Footballer of the Year in 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2012 he was voted as the best Shakhtar player of 2011–12 season by the fans, and Ukraine Premier League MVP. In 2012, Mkhitaryan was named in UEFA's Top 100 players by UEFA European Football Yearbook 2012–13. Mkhitaryan was voted the CIS Footballer of the Year for 2012, making him the first Armenian footballer to be named the best player from post-Soviet countries. Mkhitaryan received the nickname Heno from his fans in Armenia and has recently been nicknamed Micki by his Borussia Dortmund fans.

Mkhitaryan was born on 22 January 1989 in the Armenian capital Yerevan to Marina Taschyan and Hamlet Mkhitaryan, a prominent striker of FC Ararat Yerevan during the 1980s, who died of a brain tumor at age 33. His mother is the head of the national teams department in the Armenian Football Federation and his elder sister, Monica, works at UEFA's headquarters.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the Mkhitaryan family moved to France, where Hamlet Mkhitaryan played for the now defunct ASOA Valence helped them to be to be promoted to the second division League 2. The Mkhitaryans returned to Yerevan in 1995. Mkhitaryan graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture in Armenia. He currently studies economics at the Yerevan branch of the St. Petersburg Institute. Upon graduation, he plans to study there as a lawyer. Growing up, Mkhitaryan considered Zinedine Zidane his football idol. Due to his success in the 2009 Armenian Premier League at Pyunik Yerevan, he joined Ukrainian Premier League club Metalurh Donetsk.

On 30 August, he sealed a $7.5 million switch to reigning Premier League champions Shakhtar Donetsk.

On 25 June, Borussia Dortmund made a €25 million ($30 million) bid, but in confirming the offer Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin insisted that it fell short of the clubs valuation, which was a single payment of €30m (£25m). In the same press conference, Palkin confirmed the acquisition of Brazilian Fred from Sport Club Internacional for €15m (£12.5m), a likely replacement. On 5 July, it was reported that Borussia Dortmund has succeeded in talks with Shakhtar and Mkhitaryan was on his way to Germany for a medical test. On 8 July, Borussia Dortmund announced that it was set to sign a four-year deal with Mkhitaryan for €25 (£21.5) million. Shakhtar and Borussia officially "resolved all the necessary formalities" and agreed on €27.5 (£23.6) million, making him the most expensive purchase in the club's history. Mkhitaryan is capable of playing positions of both second striker and attacking midfielder. He thrives playing just behind the strikers, where he always looks to link up with his teammates in and around the box. Tearing apart opposition defenses time and time again, he makes space for the striker/wingers to exploit and create goal scoring opportunities. Mkhitaryan has been praised for his technique, movement, accurate passing, dribbling, creativity, ball control and work rate. He is equipped with a dangerous shot, trickery to beat defenders, and a superb vision to go for the pass.

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