Georgia finished fourth in Group A behind fellow finalists Spain and Scotland as well as Norway but claimed a ticket to the big time via the playoffs.
They suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat at home in Tbilisi to the Spanish, but that didn’t break their resolve. In the playoffs, they eliminated Luxembourg, who were aiming to qualify for the first time themselves, 2-0 in the semi-finals before edging past Greece on penalties 4-2.
During the qualifiers, the Georgians averaged the lowest possession percentage of all the finalists.
Tournament Record
Georgia were previously part of the Soviet Union and this tournament will mark their debut in the European championship.
The Manager
When Willy Sagnol took the reins of Georgia, some frowned, but the Frenchman guided the country to their first major tournament, be it via the backdoor. His side sits deep and plays with wing-backs.
He managed French national youth teams and served as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti before taking a break from the game. As he player, he featured in the 2006 World Cup final for Les Bleus and won the Champions League with Bayern Munich.
The Star Player:
Famously nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s talisman. He has inspired boys and girls around the country to play football and in essence, popularised the game after his move from Dinamo Butami to Napoli where he won the Serie A title. Kvaradona also had spells with Lokomotiv Moscow and Rubin Kazan in Russia. Comes from a football family.
What to Expect
Georgia seized the opportunity and pathway offered by the Nations League to qualify for the continental finals for the first time and make a dream come true after the country narrowly missed out on a ticket to Euro 2020.
They are very much unheralded debutants with a nucleus of young players who sprung a surprise at the U-21 European championship. The Georgians have quality with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and won’t be the whipping boys, but rely heavily on their key players and there is space to be exploited in behind their wing-backs.
Major tournaments can be daunting at the best of times, but the opponents in Group F – Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic – are not insurmountable. At the same time, the 7-1 thrashing by Spain in the qualifiers suggests there is still a gulf of class between the Georgians and the elite. By all means, Sagnol and his charges will saviour the moment and seek to leave a lasting impression on the tournament.
Schedule
Tuesday, June 18 – Turkey – Georgia – BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6pm
Saturday, June 22 – Georgia – Czech Republic – Volskparkstadion, Hamburg, 3pm
Wednesday, June 22 – Portugal – Georgia