Yes, we did it!
For the first time in history, the Georgian national football team will participate in the continent’s main football championship, UEFA Euro 2024 which will take place across ten world-class stadiums in Germany from the Olympiastadion Berlin to the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg from 14th June to 14th July this summer. Our team secured their place in Group F alongside Czechia, Portugal and Türkiye.
Photo Credit: Giorgi Ebanoidze
Qualifying for the main European cup – it was a dream that took more than 30 years to become an indescribable reality. Our national team started playing international matches in 1990, but Georgian football has a bigger history as Georgian players were playing for the Soviet Union team and clubs.
Photo Source: Archive.gov.ge
The brightest highlight was 1981 when Dinamo Tbilisi of the Soviet Union won the European Cup Winners’ Cup final against Carl Zeiss Jena of East Germany. (Author: It was a 1st tier cup as European Cup, later known as the UEFA Champions League)
The famous phrase of this milestone was Georgian actor and sports commentator Kote Makharadze’s words, “Georgia’s capital celebrates, as does our entire country!”. A phrase eventually brought the attention of authorities as KGB agents were questioning him which country he meant by that, as It would seem an open statement of Georgia’s aspiration to Independency.
Photo Source: Archive.gov.ge
Dinamo Tbilisi’s historical win became a national celebration. It was something the Georgian nation needed so much, and as a part of the Soviet Union, it really was an unofficial statement of wishing for Independence, desire to be free. This victory had a great impact on everyone, especially the youth. More people became interested in football. Every Georgian kid had a ball, playing in every corner of the streets. The 90’s were a bit rough with the economical crisis, corruption and poverty affecting every aspect of life. No wonder why Georgian football did not have any success throughout the decades.
Photo Source: sandiegouniontribune.com
Until the recent success of Georgian phenomenal football player Kvicha Kvaratskhelia. No one could imagine such a blow-up of his career when he was transferred from Dinamo Batumi to Italian football club Napoli. He accomplished so much in his debut season that he became one of the most discussed players of the football world. Khvicha played a key role in Napoli’s success as they became Italian Serie A champions after 33 years. One should mention Khvicha’s nicknames to understand what really happened, the list goes Kvaradona, as a tribute to legendary Argentinian and Napoli player Diego Maradona, Kvaravaggio as his artistic style of play.
Photo Source: transfermarkt.com
Khvicha’s achievements and success sparked a new hope in fans and the whole nation got chained to screens, watching his every game. And every match our national team played, was sold out, stadiums – full. There is a saying that a fan is a 12th player, as it takes 11 players to make it on a pitch. It might be one of the reasons why the Georgian national football team couldn’t beat the Macedonian team in the 2020 Euro Qualifiers Final as the stadium was empty because of the Coronavirus Pandemic restrictions. It was the first time when we were 1 step away from the Euro cup.
Photo Source: 1tv.ge
But there was no other way than winning against the Greece national team. The whole country got united to stand with our team, they heard us, they felt that energy coming from tribunes. And after the final winning penalty kick, that energy needed to be released as the fans stormed the pitch, making it on every European leading football e-journal.
We won – Pheola! (sorry, only Georgians will get this movie reference).
Photo Credit: Giorgi Arjevanidze
Now we are impatiently waiting for June, when the whole world will hear our voice through the Georgian National Anthem that will be played a minimum of three times. Guten Abend Deutschland! We are coming!
