Parties, Kvaradona & ex-York boss - Georgia's Euros journey

As a shot team, you person achieved thing typical erstwhile an impromptu parade and ceremony successful nan centre of your superior metropolis is organised astatine 2am.

Those were nan scenes successful Georgia, aft nan nationalist squad beat Greece connected penalties to suffice for Euro 2024 – their first awesome elder tournament.

“Within astir an hr [of full-time] we were told 'get connected nan coach, we are going to do a triumph parade done Tbilisi',” adjunct head David Webb tells BBC Sport.

“I’ve ne'er seen thing for illustration it - nan streets were lit up pinch fans. A thrust that usually takes 10 minutes took astir an hr to get into nan centre. Then we were connected Freedom Square, it was incredible.”

Those scenes followed Georgia beating nan 2004 European champions connected penalties successful Tbilisi, having earned a spot successful nan play-offs done winning their Nations League group successful League C.

And triumph connected spot-kicks aft a goalless tie earned Georgia a first awesome finals spot astatine nan 15th clip of asking, aft they grounded to suffice for a tourney since independency from nan Soviet Union successful 1991.

"It was nan champion time successful my life, and nan champion time for galore Georgians,” Saba Sapanadze, Georgia instrumentality and presenter of nan YouTube transmission Geo Team, tells BBC Sport.

“I’ve ne'er seen specified emotion before. The crippled vanished astatine midnight, and until 7am group were still stepping nan streets, each crying and hugging each other.”

As good arsenic being a historical first for Georgia, it besides exorcises nan demons of 4 years agone erstwhile they reached nan play-off last to suffice for Euro 2020 – but were beaten 1-0 astatine location by North Macedonia.

Georgia person now taken nan adjacent step, and a ample information of this is being put down to nan guidance squad of Willy Sagnol and adjunct Webb.

Sagnol, a Champions League victor pinch Bayern Munich and 2006 World Cup finalist pinch France, was recruited by Georgia successful 2021 and oversaw their promotion to League B of nan Nations League for nan first clip – successful nan process earning their play-off spot which led to nan Euros.

“He is simply a winner,” Sapanadze says of Sagnol. “He gave america a winning mentality. He is very brave, giving galore young players chances to play for nan nationalist team.

“The past coach, Vladimir Weiss, was not brave for illustration Sagnol. He ever preferred knowledgeable players.”

It has not ever been easy for Sagnol, however. Georgia vanished 4th successful their Euro 2024 qualifying group down Spain, Scotland and Norway. In September 2023, they were thumped 7-1 astatine location by nan Spanish.

This led to backroom changes, and Sagnol called connected Webb – who, having been sacked from his erstwhile occupation arsenic head of National League broadside York City aft 11 games, did not look nan evident choice.

But nan 44-year-old Englishman has years of acquisition arsenic a younker coach, scout and method head for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth, and has known Sagnol for years aft a chance brushwood while scouting a younker lucifer successful France.

“We stock shot philosophies, nan aforesaid measurement of processing players and nan measurement we for illustration nan crippled to beryllium played,” Webb says of his narration pinch Sagnol.

“I person a Masters [degree] successful sports psychology; he said 'you could really activity connected nan one-to-ones and nan group dynamics' - it really complements his role.

“Also we person really sewage connected arsenic people. If you are going to beryllium successful specified adjacent proximity you person sewage to person a bully moving relationship.”

Webb joined Sagnol’s squad successful November 2023, splitting his clip betwixt Surrey, Tbilisi and scouting Georgian players crossed Europe.

It has been a civilization daze for Webb, who is grateful for training sessions being tally successful English.

“I’ve learned immoderate small bits of Georgian, but it is simply a difficult language.”

Are location immoderate peculiar phrases he has mastered? “No, and I don’t want to embarrass myself by doing immoderate now!”

While his Georgian needs work, Webb’s coaching skills person been praised by nan nation’s shot journalists arsenic a cardinal logic for their qualification.

“Sagnol needed to bring acquisition to nan squad - Webb has brought that,” Georgian shot journalist Edo Badalashvili tells BBC Sport. “We needed those who played and coached astatine nan highest level, Sagnol and Webb were besides bully friends. Sagnol knew what he was doing - it was a awesome choice.”

“When they mislaid to Spain 7-1, we were truthful sad and surprised,” adds Sapanadze. “But aft this game, galore things changed. The players showed bully character, and Webb has helped them show amended mentality. He is simply a very important personification successful nan nationalist team.”

Webb, who ne'er played shot professionally, studied sports psychology astatine assemblage earlier taking his first occupation successful shot arsenic a younker coach astatine Crystal Palace aged 22.

Across 2 decades successful shot he has maintained a passion for processing a stronger mentality successful players – thing which proved captious successful nan shootout against Greece.

“I was ever fascinated by nan thought of players’ characters, their environments, and them arsenic people,” he says.

“Working pinch Willy, he wanted to bring successful different dynamics. At different stages of nan camps we tried to attraction connected different things – successful nan past 1 pinch nan play-offs it was astir being calm nether pressure, shutting retired nan sound and conscionable doing our job.

“I deliberation that really helped. I did it successful a position format pinch nan group, past connected a one-to-one ground pinch immoderate of nan unit and players. It was astir filtering down our connection and keeping calm heads.

“The emotion tin sometimes get nan amended of players, particularly erstwhile playing successful Georgia wherever nan extracurricular sound was incredible.”

While they whitethorn person ne'er played astatine a awesome tournament, Georgia person a fewer potent threats arsenic they purpose to navigate a tricky Group F besides featuring Portugal, Turkey and nan Czech Republic.

Prime among those is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Serie A victor pinch Napoli and skilful winger extraordinaire.

"Many group deliberation Maradona is nan top subordinate successful shot history - we person Kvaradona,” enthuses Saparadze.

Having a debut nation’s weight connected your shoulders tin beryllium reliable for a player, but Kvaratskhelia – pinch Champions League and Serie A acquisition to his sanction – is backed to grip that by Webb.

“He plays a cardinal role,” Webb says. “He is rather quiet, though astir of them [Georgian players] are. He is simply a apical subordinate and shows that done training and dedication - he ever wants to enactment and believe aft training, things for illustration finishing drills.

“He has that existent hunger that filters done nan group. Khvicha is simply a silent leader.”

Georgia are not a one-man squad either, pinch notable names including midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze who has impressed successful nan Championship pinch Watford this season, and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Signed arsenic Valencia’s fourth-choice stopper successful 2021, Mamardashvili took advantage of injuries astatine Mestalla Stadium to found himself successful nan team. The 23-year-old is now Valencia skipper and regarded arsenic 1 of La Liga’s finest keepers.

Georgia’s Euros debut marks a historical infinitesimal for a federation 3 decades retired of nan Soviet Union but still uncovering an identity, betwixt a European outlook and ties to Russia.

Relations pinch Russia person ever been adaptable – pinch nan nadir coming successful nan 2008 warfare – while Georgia has seen weeks of protests complete a divisive "foreign agent" law which critics telephone nan 'Russia law' and opportunity could beryllium utilized to frighten civilian liberties.

“Everything changed - shot stopped here,” says Badalashvili. “It felt Europe had forgotten astir Georgia; no-one needed Georgian players.

“In Georgia we cognize really to play football. But Europe forgets astir this.”

Webb says nan squad are alert of nan protests but will instrumentality to shot alternatively than issues they person nary power over, while Sapanadze says this tourney is an opportunity to look to nan early alternatively than nan Soviet past.

“Always we wanted to say, 'Georgia is Georgia',” he says. “Now astatine Euro 2024, we person a bully chance to opportunity that to group who don't cognize Georgia. We are a mini country, but we person a large heart.”

Georgia are rank outsiders for Euro 2024, pinch immoderate bookmakers offering likelihood of 750-1 to assistance nan trophy successful Germany.

But Sapanadze thinks they could origin an upset, pinch a peculiar oculus connected their awesome tourney debut against Turkey connected 18 June successful Dortmund, past their fixture versus nan Czech Republic successful Hamburg 5 days later.

"I deliberation we will beryllium a astonishment for galore countries successful this Euros,” he says. “The first 2 games will beryllium very important. We tin get points against Turkey and nan Czech Republic.

“Portugal is favourite successful our group, but our purpose is 2nd aliases a best-third-place finish.”

Webb meantime says that while his broadside will not beryllium going to Germany arsenic tourists, nan accent is connected enjoying nan acquisition without undue pressure.

“We haven’t said we person sewage to qualify, we are taking it crippled by game.”