Page 29 - Soccer360 Issue 106

NICKNAME: CRUSADERS S360 PREDICTION | 24TH PLACE
GROUP F - UEFA EURO 2024
FACTFILE
POPULATION:
3.2 million
EURO FINALS APPEARANCES: 0
BEST FINISH: N/A
MOST MEMORABLE EUROS MOMENT: Qualifying for Euro 2024
HOW THEY GOT TO EURO 2024: Defeated Greece on penalties in a play-off, following a 0-0 draw.
LAST EUROS APPEARANCE: N/A
MOST CAPPED PLAYER: Guram Kashia, 112
LEADING INTERNATIONAL SCORER: Shota Arveladze, 26
HOW TO FOLLOW:
SHOTA ARVELADZE
VS TURKEY VS CZECHIA VS PORTUGAL JUNE 18TH JUNE 22ND JUNE 26TH 12:00PM | EST 9:00AM | EST 3:00PM | EST
FIFA RANKING 75TH
GEORGIA
Georgia head to their first major tournament as an independent nation as overwhelming underdogs but as Ian Waterhouse explains, they will be out to prove they are not just there to make up the numbers.
EURO APPEARANCES: 0
EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
THEIR BEST THREE EUROS
2024
2020
2016
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
UEFA EURO OVERALL RECORD PLD:0 W:0 D:0 L:0
THE COACH:
WILLY SAGNOL
A World Cup finalist with France in 2006, former defender Willy Sagnol was perhaps a surprise choice to be given the role of Georgia head coach back in 2021, but he has repaid the faith spectacularly by leading the team to unprecedented achievements. Georgia have been steadily improving for years, but he is the first person to secure a place for them at a major finals, courtesy of strong performances in the UEFA Nations League and holding their nerve where it mattered in the qualification play-offs.
KEY PLAYER:
KVICHA KVARATSKHELIA
Few members of this Georgian side can be considered household names, but Kvicha Kvaratskhelia is undoubtedly an exception. The playmaker emerged from obscurity
after joining Napoli and becoming one of the standout performers as they stormed to the Serie A title in 2022-23, making him one of the most highly prized in Europe in his position. Georgia’s hopes at Euro 2024 could depend heavily on his contribution.
GEORGIA ARE GO
When Georgia won a penalty shootout against former European champions Greece following a tense play-off to book their
spot in Germany, the scenes of celebration were absolutely wild. Former Bayern Munich defender and current Georgia head coach Willy Sagnol had seen his side achieve something unprecedented in the nation’s relatively short footballing history, as 31 years of falling short in trying to qualify for a major tournament came to a jubilant end. Now the even harder task of trying to break out of Group F gets underway as they face Portugal, Czech Republic, and Turkey - three teams with infinitely more pedigree. Few give them much chance of progressing
but there is attacking threat especially
on the wing thanks to Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. A moment of magic can turn a game and Kvaratskhelia is more than capable of that.
With over 100 caps to his name Guram Kashia will help provide enough know-how in defence to keep the side stable at the back and with the calm head of Sagnol at the helm Georgia will be quietly confident they will be able to spring a surprise or two. If they do have any designs on a place in the last 16, the opening match against Turkey is likely to prove pivotal.
All in all, the Crusaders are unlikely to go deep into the competition but as the only debutants in Germany, they are definitely one to keep a casual eye on to see just how far they have come in a short space of time.
PROBABLE STARTING XI
ZIVZIVADZE
KVARATSKHELIA
KAKABADZE
ABURJANIA
SHENGELIA
KITEISHVILI
CHAKVETADZE
KASHIA
KVIRKVELIA
MAMARDASHVILI
DVALI
SOCCER360 SUMMER 2024 27