DORTMUND, Germany — Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has a nation's hopes on her shoulders at Euro 2024, but after helping Georgia qualify for its first major tournament since gaining independence from Soviet Russia in 1991, you might be surprised to find out she doesn't. feel no additional pressure.
Georgia first attempted to qualify for a European Championship in 1996 and, on its eighth attempt, earned a place among the continent's best. They arrived in Germany as the worst-ranked team in the tournament (75th in the world, according to FIFA), but in Kvaratskhelia they have a player considered one of the best on the planet, who came in 17th place in the 2023 Ballon d'Or. Or vote ahead of luminaries like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Martin Ødegaard.
So should the 23-year-old Napoli winger be under pressure to perform for his country on the biggest stage? Not entirely, because for many Georgians it has already done enough.
“There is no pressure on him from Georgia, the nation or the people, because we are already here,” Bachana Arabuli, Kvaratskhelia's former teammate at Dinamo Tbilisi, tells ESPN. “Even if we don't make it and lose every game, people are already satisfied with what we did. For us, everything else is extra.”
It has been a long road to this point for a small country of 3.7 million people that is located in both Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
The collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), beginning in 1988, led to the closure of state-funded football academies in Eastern Europe, leaving Georgians to develop the game almost from scratch for the last 30 years. years. The federation has focused on developing young players and infrastructure, hosting the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2017 and the Under-21 version in 2023 to aid its progress. UEFA grants have been used to improve training facilities.
Kvaratskhelia is the first superstar to emerge from this revamped system and, despite finishing behind Spain, Scotland and Norway in the standings, helped Georgia secure a playoff spot through a successful Nations League campaign. UEFA. And after a 2-0 victory over Luxembourg and a tense penalty shoot-out against Greece following a 0-0 draw in Tbilisi, Georgia was confirmed as a Eurocup participant for the first time.
“When Nika [Kvekveskiri]”When the ball hit the net, it was like something out of a movie.” Then the whole place erupted. The fans were on the field and there were many tears.
“It's given the whole country a big boost. They have a pretty good rugby team and are competitive in other sports, but you don't realize how important football is in Georgia until you're there. Half an hour later After the game, we were on the team bus to the square in Tbilisi and there were 50,000 fans cheering the team on. For the next few days, it was on all the news channels and people were still partying in the streets.
The party will also continue in Germany: Georgia will play its first Group F match against Turkey in Dortmund on Tuesday. Thousands of fans are expected to make the trip before continuing to Hamburg and Gelsenkirchen for matches against the Czech Republic and Portugal.
“After our independence, this was a dream for the previous generation, our parents and grandparents,” says Arabuli. “It's a huge thing for the country. Probably more than you think.
“We are hoping to advance to the next round. We can surprise people, especially if our best player is having good days. Kvaratskhelia is very important, as for Belgium, it is [Kevin] De Bruyne or for Portugal is [Bruno] Fernandez. 'Kvara' is one of the best players in the world.”
Like Georgia, Kvaratskhelia's path to the top has not been easy. After making his debut for Dinamo Tbilisi as a 16-year-old in 2017, the winger/playmaker spent time at another Georgian club, Rustavi, before being loaned out to Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow. He joined Rubin Kazan in July 2019 and was named Russia's best young player two years in a row in 2020 and 2021.
But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, his contract was canceled and Kvaratskhelia was forced to return to Georgia with Dinamo Batumi. He wasn't there for long, and eight goals in just 11 league games were enough to catch the attention of Napoli, who paid around €12 million in transfers to bring him to Italy in the summer of 2022. After just two seasons In Naples, his transfer value is now conservatively 10 times higher, something that could be tested with some of Europe's biggest clubs interested in his signature this summer.
“When I first met him, he was very young, maybe 15 or 16, when he was training with us at Dinamo Tbilisi,” Arabuli says.
“He had a lot of talent. He was very young, a little physically weak but very brave, when he joined the first team, but you could immediately tell that he had a lot of talent. I wasn't surprised when he moved and saw his level at Napoli.
“In his first season, everyone was like, 'Who is this guy?' because no one in Europe had heard his name, but he was sure that he would do well.”
In his first season in Italy, Kvaratskhelia scored 14 goals as Napoli won their first Serie A title in 33 years. His immediate contribution established his place as a cult hero in the city and earned him the nickname “Kvaradona”, a nod to another Napoli hero, Diego Maradona, and befitting a player known for exciting and labyrinthine dribble from him. The comparison, however, only fits on the playing field.
“He's not a crazy guy and he's not in that superstar mode,” Arabuli says. “He is a great professional and he contributes a lot to his football. I know that he is very motivated and that he will try to give his best and do well for the country.”
Webb adds: “He's a very quiet individual. He's obviously the star of the team in terms of what he's achieved with his club, but when you see him in training and how he is in the team, he's just one of the other lads. “He's a pretty calm person. When you work with him firsthand in training, you see how good he is.”
Of all the teams that came to Germany, Georgia, coached by former French defender Willy Sagnol, had the lowest possession average during qualifying. The key to their success in Group F will be a strong and stable defensive structure and fast and effective counterattacks. For this, Kvaratskhelia is essential.
“The group we're in is tough,” Webb says. “But we are not going to be just tourists. We are not going to go shopping. We are going to compete and play match by match. With the quality we have, we believe that we can at least get out of the group.
“We know that if we can get our attacking players into scoring positions, then we have a great chance. We have a real fighting chance.”
Webb said he expects “close games” in the group and, with qualification for the knockout rounds extended to the teams finishing third with the best records, it could all come down to the final game against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. For many Georgians, however, being part of the party is enough and on Tuesday they will see their country compete in a major tournament for the first time.
“There will be no cars on the street,” laughs Arabuli. “And if there is a car, the driver will hear it on the radio. It's something very, very important to us. It's history.”
