Armenian national team and German club Kaiserslautern forward Grant-Leon Ranos addressed fans on social media following yesterday’s incident.
As a reminder, during the pre-match press conference before the game against Georgia, Armenia's head coach John van't Schip stated that Ranos had left the team after requesting a place in the starting lineup and being denied.
Today, Grant-Leon Ranos clarified the situation in his statement:
"Everyone who knows me understands that playing for my country, Armenia, is the greatest honor for me.
Yesterday, I had a private conversation with the head coach to discuss my situation. I wanted to make it clear to him that I am in excellent shape, fully motivated, and ready to help the team.
To my surprise, the coach informed me that he did not plan to use me in the upcoming match. This was a big disappointment for me. Since game time is especially important for me right now, and there was no prospect of getting it, we mutually agreed that I would return to Kaiserslautern to prepare for the next game.
I want to emphasize that nothing is more important to me than representing my country—Armenia. And it will always be this way!" wrote Grant-Leon Ranos.
