Willy Sagnol has taken charge of the Georgian selection for several years, and achieved the feat of qualifying the country for the first international competition in its history.
This Tuesday, June 18, Georgia will play the first Euro match in its history against Turkey, in Dortmund. At the head of the selection, a Frenchman: Willy Sagnol. The former right back of the France team and Bayern took the reins of the Georgia team in February 2021. When he arrived in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, the sporting challenge did not interest many people. Neither in the major championships, nor even on site. Georgia had just been eliminated from the play-offs for Euro 2020 and the country was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Little by little, Willy Sagnol built a group capable of competing at European level, and qualifying for the first international competition in its history. With the support of the federation, in particular Levan Kobiashvili, the president, and Alexander Iashvili, his deputy, he renewed the squad by placing his trust in the young people. He was also able to count on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the prodigy of the selection who plays in Naples in Serie A. In an interview given to the newspaper The Teamhe explains in particular that he taught the players “the culture of the high level”, to the point that “Some have changed everything in the way they approach football. It’s a reward for them too, because they have believed in it for a long time.”
However, Willy Sagnol’s debut at the head of the selection was difficult. When he arrived, he had not coached for several years, and his career on the bench had so far not been crowned with success, whether with the France Espoir team or with the Girondins de Bordeaux. His debut with Georgia was also difficult, with seven losses in nine games. Then the machine got going, with a realistic style of play around a low block and counter-attacks, until the victory on penalties in the play-off against Greece, synonymous with qualification for the Euro 2024
Hope for Georgian youth
While football had always been relegated behind rugby in Georgia, the recent results of the national team have caused the popularity of the sport to explode in this former Soviet republic. But this attraction also comes from the work carried out by the Georgian federation over the past ten years. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of licensees increased from 14,600 to 37,600, an achievement for a country of less than 4 million inhabitants.
But qualifying for the Euro in Germany also resonates particularly in the national political context, which is very difficult. Following the promulgation of a pro-Russian law, demonstrations took place throughout the country and particularly in Tbilisi, and the situation is very tense. To the point that deputies came to blows in the hemicycle. This qualification was therefore a real breath of fresh air for the Georgian youth, who hope to see the dream of Willy Sagnol’s players continue.