John van't Schip's Press Conference after Montenegro – Armenia (2:2)

Armenia national team head coach John van't Schip summed up the friendly match against Montenegro, which ended in a 2:2 draw. He gave a positive assessment of the team's performance, especially highlighting the work of the wingers, debutant Daniel Agbaljan, and young players.

Press Conference of Armenia's Head Coach

"I believe we were able to significantly improve our game. The wingers played particularly well — they applied high pressure on the defenders, which allowed us to defend more confidently.

We scored an early goal but also conceded quickly. It was an even game, but we looked better and created more scoring opportunities. Shagoyan and Serobyan had good chances, and in the end, we managed to equalize.

I'm pleased with the performance of debutant Daniel Agbaljan and highly rate his display in this match. He played as a number eight in the first half and as a holding midfielder in the second. He performed well in both roles. We saw things in his game that we really liked. But I think he still has room to grow — he can become an important player for the national team.

Araik Eloyan is a very good young forward. He scores many goals in the league. I think this match was very important for him. He could have even scored a goal and did well in that moment working together with Spertsyan."

On Defense and Squad Competition:

"We still have three months before the official match. The players must still prove themselves in their club matches, after which I will choose the optimal central defensive pair. Today we saw a great performance from Varazdat Haroyan. We have competition in the center-back position, so everyone needs to be in good form to make the starting lineup."

On the Striker Position:

"If we don’t have a striker in good form, we will use a false nine. But ideally, we want a true striker in that role. Miranyan didn’t have match practice at his club, but he had a good training camp with us. He has all the attributes to be a starting player. But he needs more game time to compete with the others."

The Armenia national team continues preparing for official matches, and according to the head coach, the coming months will be decisive for many players.

On September 6, Armenia will play their first 2026 World Cup qualifier against Portugal.