The Georgia Euro 2024 squad are defying all expectations - long may it continue.
Barely anyone expected Georgia to even qualify for Euro 2024. Even fewer thought they'd manage to win a game at Euro 2024. A tiny proportion of people expected them to even reach the last 16 of the tournament - but they have, and beat Portugal in the process, too.
While they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Turkey in the nation's first-ever European Championship match, Georgia impressed with their intensity and guille in Dortmund. A 1-1 draw was just reward in their game against Czech Republic, too, keeping them alive as they headed into their final Euro 2024 group game.
And alive they were. Pulling off a stunning 2-0 win against one of the pre-tournament favourites, Georgia put on a remarkable performance to secure their spot in the last 16 of the tournament as one of the best third-placed sides.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran riot in forward areas, Georges Mikautadze was clinical in front of goal and Giorgi Mamardashvili managed to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix. Not bad.
Spain are their opponents in the next round of the tournament, and while they lost 7-1 to them in qualifying, another upset could truly be on the cards here.
Willy Sagnol featured prominently as France's right-back at Euro 2004 and Euro 2008 and played all of the 2006 World Cup Final in Germany, so he knows the score even if his players don't.
A surprising choice in 2021, with Bordeaux (2014-16) his only previous managerial spell, he has delivered the dream assisted by former York gaffer David Webb.
At just 23, Khvicha Kvaratskhella is already Georgia's all-time most famous player beyond their own borders, partly because the world isn't familiar with the greats of the Soviet era.
Spectacular in Napoli's historic scudetto triumph, he has been the sole positive of their poor title defence and his mesmeric dribbling should light up Euro 2024.
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
