A significant chapter is closing for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The 25-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward sent a particularly warm message to Willy Sagnol following the Georgia head coach’s departure, sharing his thoughts in a social media post. The two men will forever be linked to a historic period in Georgian football.
Kvaratskhelia: “We did it together and became part of history.”
“Thank you, Willy! We went through so much together and overcame various challenges. My teammates and I personally fulfilled a childhood dream by taking our country to the European Championship.
We did it together and became part of history. The joy and emotion we shared with the Georgian people will always remain a truly special memory.
Kvaratskhelia: “We will never forget this footballing journey.”
I want to express my special gratitude for this period and the years we spent together. We will never forget this footballing journey. I wish you every success for the future… we will meet again.”
Beyond the personal tribute, Kvaratskhelia’s words speak volumes about what the Sagnol era meant for the entire national team. Taking charge of Georgia in 2021, the Frenchman guided a generation that achieved the feat of qualifying the country for its first major international tournament—Euro 2024—and even reaching the Round of 16. It was an especially meaningful journey for Kvaratskhelia, who became one of the faces of this rise.
Now the national team captain, the PSG player also embodies the next chapter of this story. His message to Sagnol thus feels as much like a thank-you as it does the closing of a chapter—the one in which Georgia transformed from a small European nation into a team capable of experiencing, and giving an entire country, its first great international nights.
