Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 24-year-old striker from Georgia, has made a remarkable arrival at Paris Saint-Germain after signing from Napoli in January. He has established himself as a regular starter and helped the team win every title so far, with the Club World Cup still in his sights. And yet, o he is rarely seen in the media. David Webb, assistant coach to Willy Sagnol in the Georgian national team, presented his complete profile in an article published by L’Equipe on Wednesday.
“Kvaratskhelia showed he’s not just a dribbler”.
“I remember an action against Dumfries in the Champions League final, the match is almost over and Kvitcha makes a crazy effort to come back and get it in his own half. It shows his state of mind. To his extraordinary attacking qualities, he has added this string to provide defensive cover. He had to start working on this with Conte and it put him in the best possible conditions for PSG.
He’s shown that he’s not just a dribbler, a one-on-one player. He has such a rich range, and his sense of the game makes him formidable when it comes to permuting in all areas, on the sides, in the middle and between the lines. On the wing, he can break through and offer that extra protection.
If you saw him arrive at the national team, sit at the table and behave with the others, you’d find it hard to guess that he’s one of the best players in the country’s history. Kvitcha is simple, not arrogant, very professional. I don’t know what he’s like in real life, but I can tell what I see at rallies.
“Kvaratskhelia wouldn’t feel comfortable asking others to work to make him shine.”
He doesn’t want to be treated any differently, I’ve never heard him claim anything. He wouldn’t feel comfortable asking others to work to make him shine. He wants to be part of the team and do his bit like everyone else. I’ll even tell you, he’s the hardest to get off the pitch at the end of training.
Physically, he’s a phenomenon. I realized that against Greece (Euro play-off), they had given him shock treatment, but he took it, and we had to take him off during extra time to protect him, otherwise he could have injured himself. He can accelerate, hold his ground, go back and forth. For him, it’s part of the game and he doesn’t take it lightly.
“Kvaratskhelia is more of a leader through his behavior.”
He’s very confident in his qualities, but he’s not someone you hear. He’s more of a behavioural leader. After that, he’s capable of speaking up on the big occasions, even if it’s not natural. During the Euro play-offs, he made a speech, which I didn’t fully understand because it was in Georgian, but it was powerful, and the lads were pumped up.”
Kvaratskhelia is an exceptional player in many areas, but he never takes anyone or any team lightly. And yet, with his technical facility for dribbling, he could be decisive in both passing and scoring. And with his two feet, to be even more confusing for defenders.
Lhe Georgian is at ease in small spaces, accelerating, serving others, finishing alone… He has established himself at the top world level. And he never forgets to help defensively. Whether it’s pressing when he loses the ball or pulling back. Webb’s example of this defensive return against Dumfries in the Champions League final is excellent. Even at 4-0 up, he didn’t stop, and in fact came out on top.
Kvaratskhelia is a key player in his country’s national team, undoubtedly one of the strongest in its history and now a Champions League winner. The striker is as discreet as ever in the media and as combative on the pitch. An example of the kind of player we like to see in soccer.
However, he still doesn’t particularly like talking. That’s just the way it is, it depends on each individual’s character, and you can’t have a group of players who only want to talk. Everyone has a role to play. But that doesn’t rule out a few exceptions when necessary. Like in the national team, where he necessarily has a certain status. But Kvaratskhelia knows what he has to do for the team during a match, and always does it to the hilt. And that’s the main thing.
