The head coach of the Armenian national football team, John van 't Schip, gave his first interview on public television in his new role. After two heavy defeats against Georgia in the Nations League, with a combined score of 1-9, the Dutch specialist found the strength to speak with journalists from FastSports.
From John van 't Schip's interview with FastSports.
On the Ranos situation – "He can call me, and we will discuss his possible return"
"A 21-year-old footballer who has played only 30 minutes in the second Bundesliga over the last four months tells the coach: if I'm not in the starting lineup, I’ll leave the national team. In my entire coaching career, I have never seen anything like this.
He should be happy that he was called up to the national team. I told him he would get a chance to play in the second match, but not from the first minutes.
After the incident, Ranos’ statement and what he told me personally do not match. Once again: he told me—if I don’t start, I’m leaving.
I have no information on whether he discussed this with the team captain or other players beforehand. The captain did not approach me with such a question.
He is 21 years old; he previously played well for the national team. Despite the fact that he has only played 30 minutes in the last four months, we called him up, but he did not appreciate the gesture and left.
After this incident, I gathered the players and explained what had happened. I told them: what does it mean to refuse to play for the national team? Sometimes, you have to be on the bench or even in the stands.
He is young and can make mistakes. I am open to discussion—he can call me, and we will talk about his possible return."
On his appointment as Armenia's coach and future goals
"In late February, I received a call from the Armenian Football Federation. We had a constructive conversation. It was a difficult time in my life; I had decided to take a break from football, but this offer was a great opportunity to return.
My main goal is to bring new energy and motivation to the Armenian national team, which is currently facing challenges.
Our top priority is the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. We need to be competitive in our qualifying group. Portugal is the main favorite in the group. If we fight, we will have a chance to secure a spot.
The national team has issues, and my coaching staff's goal is to raise the players’ level so that we have a real opportunity to compete for a place in the World Cup," said the Dutch coach.
On the matches against Georgia (0-3, 1-6)
"In the first 30 minutes of the match in Yerevan, Georgia had only one shot on our goal. However, due to individual mistakes by our players, the opponent created chances and scored. In the second match, under high pressure from the opponent, we also made mistakes that led to conceded goals.
Several players made errors in situations where they normally wouldn’t. This affected our confidence.
Even if Eduard Spertsyan and Lucas Zelarayán were in the squad, we cannot say that the results would have been better. The Georgian national team is a step ahead of us. They have players competing in top European leagues.
We need to grow. You have heard that the atmosphere in the team is not good. I spoke with all 25 players. I told them: what matters is who you are on and off the field.
Becoming a team is a process that extends beyond the pitch—communication and training camps are important. In the Armenian national team, things are a bit different: outside the pitch, there are separate groups of players. Our goal is to unite them.
It is important for the national team players to be united as one," said the Dutch coach.