The Armenian footballers will pursue a ticket for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States with John van ’t Schip. The 61-year-old Dutchman is the new head coach of the Eastern European country. He has signed a one-season contract with an option for an additional season. Van ’t Schip brings along his former teammate and ex-international Aron Winter as his assistant coach.
John van ’t Schip had a distinguished career as a player, representing Ajax and Genoa. He was also part of the Netherlands national team that won the European Championship in 1988. With Ajax, he won the national championship four times, lifted the domestic cup three times, and secured the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Cup.
Van ’t Schip has also been successful as a coach. He served as the Netherlands' national team coach alongside Marco van Basten and was the head coach of Greece. At the club level, he managed, among others, Melbourne City and PEC Zwolle and had two stints as Ajax’s interim coach.
Starting March 1, 2025, Van ’t Schip will take charge of the Armenian national team. In addition to aiming for World Cup 2026 qualification, securing promotion to the B tier of the Nations League is another key objective.
Capital Sports, on behalf of the Armenian Football Federation, led the search for a new head coach, initiated the first contact between the involved parties, and facilitated negotiations between the Armenian federation and Van ’t Schip’s management. Thanks to the coach’s impressive track record, the deal was quickly finalized.
