UEFA Euro 2024 Team Previews: Georgia
UEFA Euro 2024 is just weeks away from kicking off in Germany. Over the next 17 days, we will be previewing each team that will be taking part in Europe’s biggest football tournament. Check out all of the team previews that have been done so far. Up next is Georgia.
Only one nation will be making their debut at Euro 2024 and that is Georgia. The Eastern European team managed to put their dire history behind them and a fourth-place finish in their qualifying group to make the playoffs thanks to their UEFA Nations League results. In the playoff, the “Jvarosnebi” (Crusaders) managed to beat Luxembourg 2-0 in the semifinal before knocking off Euro 2004 winners Greece on penalties. When Nika Kvekveskiri scored the winning penalty Georgians flooded the field in a historic celebration. Now it is up to the newcomers to shock the world.
Euro Appearances
Georgia has never qualified for the Euros before this year.
Best Finish at the Euros
N/A see above.
Key players
The heroes of Georgia that got them to their first-ever Euros come from clubs all over the world. The captain of the “Jvarosnebi” is Guram Kashia. The Slovan Bratislava defender is also Georgia’s most-capped player with 113 appearances for his nation. Georgia varies their look defensively having played five in the back as well as three at times. Along with Kashia, Saba Kvirkvelia started virtually every Euro 2024 qualifying match. As for the goalkeeper, 23-year-old Giorgi Mamardashvili, who plays for Valencia, played every match of qualifying and saved the first penalty against Greece.
A two-headed attack was crucial for Georgia. Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia led the way in qualifying with four goals, giving him 15 for Georgia which is the third-most. Right beside him was Georges Mikautadze of French side Metz, who scored three goals in qualifying. There is one MLS player on the “Jvarosnebi” in Atlanta United’s Saba Lobzhanidze. Elsewhere in the midfield, Nika Kvekveskiri who scored the winning penalty against Greece has made 60 appearances for Georgia and needs two more to move into the top 10.
Manager
Willy Sagnol had a pretty impressive playing career before moving to the managerial side of things. He started the 2001 UEFA Champions League Final for Bayern Munich while playing 184 matches for the German giants. While briefly being an assistant coach at Bayern Munich, he worked under Carlo Ancelotti. Clearly, he has brought some of that experience to the Georgian team by qualifying them for the Euros for the first time. Since taking over Georgia, Sagnol has guided them to 17 wins in 34 matches.
Biggest Group Game – vs Turkey on June 18
This is by far the biggest game for Georgia at Euro 2024. That is solely because this will be their first-ever match at the Euros or World Cup. Plus playing a neighboring rival will mean just that more to the “Jvarosnebi.” Georgia has won just one of their five meetings against Turkey, but a win here would erase any prior defeats.
Prediction
As cool as it would be to see Georgia have some success at Euro 2024, I need to be realistic here. They were very lucky to even make the playoff after a brutal group stage. Now, the “Jvarosnebi” will have to face three teams in Group F that are far better than them. I think that they may get a draw somewhere but will still go out in the group stage.
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