Czech Republic's forward #09 Adam Hlozek (2L) kicks to score his team's first goal which was later disallowed after a VAR review next to Georgia's goalkeeper #25 Giorgi Mamardashvili (R), Georgia's defender #03 Lasha Dvali (C) and Georgia's defender #02 Otar Kakabadze during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group F football match between Georgia and the Czech Republic at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on June 22, 2024. (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP)
VELBERT: Willy Sagnol ranked just qualifying for Euro 2024 with Georgia as one of the finest achievements in his impressive football career, but the Frenchman topped that by leading the tournament’s rank outsiders into the knockout stages where they face Spain today.
The country of 3.7 million people in the Caucasus sits 74th in the FIFA rankings and had never been to a major tournament since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
“I thought we reached our maximum by qualifying in March,” Sagnol admitted after Georgia beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the last 16.
“To be here was already a big challenge. To qualify for the last 16 we maybe dreamt about without thinking it was doable.”
Georgia got to the Euros in a rather roundabout way, finishing fourth in their qualifying group behind Spain, Scotland and Norway.
However, their impressive performances in the Nations League gave them another crack at making it via the playoffs, in which they beat Luxembourg and then defeated Greece on penalties.
“In emotional terms, qualifying for the Euros meant as much to me as winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich. I consider it to be a title. It is my first trophy as a coach,” Sagnol told French newspaper L’Equipe.
Just after taking charge, Sagnol’s Georgia played Spain at home in a 2022 World Cup qualifier.
They went ahead, but Spain came back to win 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time goal.
Spain beat them 4-0 at home in that campaign, and won both meetings in qualifying for this tournament, including a 7-1 victory in Tbilisi.
That shows the size of the task awaiting Georgia in Cologne, even if they have outstanding players beyond Kvaratskhelia in striker Georges Mikautadze – top scorer in the group stage with three goals – and Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
“When you are the small team of the competition, you know you have nothing to lose,” said Sagnol.
“The only thing we said before the competition was that, whatever happens, we don’t want to have any regrets.
“We don’t have pressure. The only responsibility we had at the beginning of the competition was to make the Georgian nation proud of our players. I think we have done it the best way.” — AFP
