EURO 2024 Team Guide - Group F - Georgia
Appearing in their first ever European Championships, Luka Lagvilava talks us through why Georgia will not be content with simply making up the numbers.
Country:
Georgia
FIFA World Ranking:
76
Qualification Record:
4th Place
W2, D2, L4
Goals For – 12
Goals Against – 18
Qualified to the tournament via Nations League C division playoffs*
Group:
Group F
Highest Ever Euros Finish:
First time appearance
Previous Euros Appearances:
0
Top International Goal Scorer (in Squad):
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (15)
Squad:
Full 26-man Squad:
Goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Giorgi Loria (Dinamo Tbilisi), Luka Gugeshashvili (Qarabaq)
Defenders: Luka Lochoshvili (Cremonese), Lasha Dvali (Apoel), Guram Kashia (Slovan Bratislava), Solomon Kvirkvelia (Al-Okhdood), Jemal Tabidze (Panetolikos), Giorgi Gvelesiani (Persepolis), Giorgi Gocholeishvili (Shakhtar Donetsk), Levan Shengelia (Panetolikos), Otar Kakabadze (Cracovia)
Midfielders: Anzor Mekvabishvili (Universitatea Craiova), Nika Kvekveskiri (Lech Poznan), Gabriel Sigua (Basel), Giorgi Kochorashvili (Levante), Sandro Altunashvili (Wolfsberger), Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz), Giorgi Chakvetadze (Watford), Saba Lobjanidze (Atlanta United)
Forwards: Zuriko Davitashvili (Bordeaux), Giorgi Tsitaishvili (Dinamo Batumi), Budu Zivzivadze (Karlsruhe), Georges Mikautadze (Ajax), Giorgi Kvilitaia (Apoel), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
The Gaffer:
Willy Sagnol (Appointed: February 2021)
Gaffer Bio:
The former France international right back started his footballing career in his hometown club Saint-Étienne and only after 81 Ligue 1 appearances for Saint-Étienne and Monaco, it was the €8M move to the Bavarian giants Bayern Munich that elevated his profile. Having spent 9 years in Germany, winning 12 titles with Bayern while also finishing second with France at the 2006 WC Sagnol bid farewell to playing football in 2009.
58 caps as a starting right back for France helped Sagnol get involved with the National Team
As technical director between 2011-13 before taking the interim role as a U20 manager for France and leading the U21 side through the U21 EURO qualifying campaign in 2014, with 6 wins and 2 draws.
It was the Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux which was a first club side opting for Sagnol’s services in 2014, finishing 6thin his debut season and securing a spot in the UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round, before parting ways with Les Girondins in July 2016 having finished 11 in the campaign.
After around a year off football, Sagnol reunited with Bayern Munich as an assistant coach under Carlo Ancelotti. In late September that season, Ancelotti was sacked by Bayern with Sagnol taking over as an interim manager for one Bundesliga match against Hertha, the Frenchman left the club by the end of the month with Jupp Heynckes’ appointment as the new Bayern coach.
Following his departure from Bayern, Sagnol tried a new venture as a football pundit on French television, before eventually agreeing to lead Georgia in February 2021, managing the side through an underwhelming WC qualifier that year, before helping Georgia secure its longest ever unbeaten streak of 11 matches in 2022, winning the Nations League group in what turned out to be Georgia’s pathway to the EURO 2024 group stages.
A victory over Luxembourg in the EURO 2024 playoff semis and a penalty shootout win over Greece that put Georgia into dreamland, as the nation will be playing in a major footballing tournament for the first time ever.
Who Could Do with Him?
Republic of Ireland have been linked with Sagnol as the successor to Stephen Kenny, but the Frenchman has stated his desire to stay in Georgia for at least another cycle. There’s no guarantee of him returning to club football, but some would say that he could help his boyhood club St. Etienne return to the French footballing elite if the two decided to link up once again.
Formation / Style of Play:
5-3-2 / 3-5-1-1
Willy Sagnol’s key to success and consistency with Georgia was the switch from a 2CB pairing to 3. Holding a low block against superior opponents and thriving on direct counter-attacking football with the likes of Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze and Chakvetadze in the team.
The 5-3-2 formation that proved to be a viable option helped Georgia get defensive stability despite the lack of personnel in that area. The two fullbacks, who in reality are wingers converted down, pull forward while attacking, with one of the 2 strikers getting in behind as the other drops down in a free roaming position in the final 3rd. The only time Sagnol decided to switch back to a defensive quartet was against Spain in September 2023 in what was Georgia’s biggest ever loss at 7-1.
Strengths:
The forwards for Georgia are the key to their success with 4 of the nations top 15 scorers being the current members of the team. A young core of players with a skillset complementing each other’s attributes gives the team the ability to attack in different ways.
A tall N9 in Budu Zivzivadze is great for aerial duels and pressing the opponent, deceptively rapid and technically sound Georges Mikautadze can finish off inside the box from any sort of point, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia possesses a unique presence of an old-school winger, shifty on and off the ball, great with both feet and being a danger both inside and outside the box.
Weaknesses:
Middle of the park is the area Georgia struggle in terms of depth right now. Although the duo of Kiteishvili and Kochorashvili are great on the ball and cover a lot of ground, their frame of both being under 5’10 could be exploited by other, rather physical midfielders.
Player to Watch:
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia-
The talisman in Napoli’s Serie A triumph last season had a pretty decent showing this term as well, being at the summit of wingers in Italy in terms of completed Dribbles, Expected Goals, Touches in the box, Progressive runs and Attacking actions, while being second in non-penalty goals, offensive duels and fouls suffered. A few other names such as Georges Mikautadze and Giorgi Mamardashvili deserve an honourable mention here as well.
One for the Future:
Gabriel Sigua –
Besides the “big boys” mentioned above, the 18-year-old Gabriel Sigua is a player deemed as the next great Georgian midfielder. Sigua was picked up by Swiss outfit Basel last summer from Dinamo Tbilisi and despite quite an injury derailed season, the young Georgian managed have an impact on his new side, scoring 3 goals in just 530 minutes of play, earning 7 points for Basel from his goals.
Unlucky to Miss Out:
David Khocholava –
One of the pillars of Georgia’s success in the 2022 edition of the Nations League, the Copenhagen defender proved himself as one the most consistent players for Georgia in the last few years.
Unfortunately injuries stalled his career for more than a year now, and a player that could’ve been considered as a starter in every scenario for Georgia, will be sidelined from the tournament entirely.
Likely Line Up:
Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Kashia, Kvirkvelia, Dvali, Shengelia; Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili, Chakvetadze; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia;.
Fixtures:
Matchday 1 – Turkey vs Georgia– 18th June
Matchday 2 – Georgia vs Czechia – 22nd June
Matchday 3 – Georgia vs Portugal– 26th June
Verdict:
Drawn to Group F with Turkey, Czechia and Portugal this Georgia side may actually be within a shot of advancing through to the knockout stages on their first ever appearance at a major international tournament. With that being said, the lack of tournament experience may also be difficult to overcome, as all the teams mentioned above have already been there and performed quite well during different periods of time.
A push for the top 3 spots does look like a real possibility, but a group stage exit isn’t far away from reality.
Luka Lagvilava (@GeorgianFooty)