With Mkhitaryan and without him — these are two different teams” — Haroyan on the national team’s leaders and his own future

Captain of the Armenian National Team and Yerevan's Pyunik, Varazdat Haroyan, gave a candid interview to Fast Sports TV, in which he spoke about his return to his homeland, the prospects of the Armenian league, the current situation in the national team, and the role of foreign players.

Return Home

After nine years abroad, Varazdat Haroyan decided to return to Armenia, where, according to him, he feels most comfortable:

“I spent a lot of time playing in foreign clubs and wanted to return to Armenia. Pyunik had a change in management—people came in who I knew from my time at Ural. I’m happy to be back with my home club. I think I’ll end my career here, in Yerevan.”

On the Foreign Player Limit and the League Level

Haroyan proposed reconsidering the foreign player quota in the Armenian Premier League:

“There are many young and promising players in the league. If given a chance, they’ll make the most of it. Right now, we have many foreign players of average or below-average level. Changing the foreign player rule wouldn’t hurt the league’s quality.”

According to the captain, the overall level of the league has improved, but high-quality foreigners are rare:

“You can count on one hand those who really stand out. The rest are just filling the roster.”

National Team: After the Loss to Georgia

Haroyan didn’t make excuses for the national team’s recent poor showing against Georgia:

“The new coach had only three training sessions, but that kind of result is unacceptable. After the game, I spoke with the players at length. I told them I’m not willing to go through something like that again. I’m sure they understood me. We must all do everything to prevent a repeat.”

Team Atmosphere and Mentality

According to the defender, the atmosphere in the team is under control:

“No one can spoil the atmosphere as long as I’m on the team. The issue may lie in mentality. We have players who weren’t born in Armenia, but we try to instill in them what it means to play for the national team. Tiknizyan and Spertsyan, for example, integrated very quickly and genuinely want to contribute.”

The Grant-Leon Ranos Situation

Haroyan believes the situation around the national team striker has been exaggerated:

“The whole Ranos situation got too much attention. It’s normal for a player to ask the coach if he’s needed. But I don’t know how that conversation went. Again, it’s a question of mentality. Ranos, who grew up in Germany, didn’t ask me whether he should approach the coach. Maybe I would’ve told him to go ahead. But he didn’t ask. He’s an ambitious guy and always wants to help the team. He approached the coach, but maybe due to the tension after the home loss, the conversation didn’t go well. Still, I think it’s totally normal for a player to ask the coach why he isn’t getting playing time.”

Mkhitaryan, Spertsyan, and Hopes for Khoren Bayramyan

The captain emphasized the importance of key players for the national team:

“With Mkhitaryan and without him — these are two different teams. Same with Spertsyan. When they’re on the field, it’s easier for us defenders. They control the ball, and we can catch our breath a bit.”

Haroyan also expressed hope for Khoren Bayramyan’s return to the national team:

“He’s been playing in Russia for years, at Rostov. He does a lot of hard work. In terms of quality, we’re behind Ireland, Hungary, and Portugal, but we can achieve success through hard work and patriotism. And Khoren is exactly that kind of person.”

Spain, Cádiz, and Choosing the National Team

Haroyan also spoke about his time in La Liga:

“I always knew I’d play in a top league. I got to Cádiz thanks to Joaquín Caparrós. But I left because I wasn’t guaranteed playing time. And as a national team player, I need to stay in shape. That’s why I chose a club where I could play regularly and help the national team.”