Willy Sagnol, head coach of the Georgia national team, held a post-match press conference after winning over Greece in EURO 2024 play-off final.
The French coach talked about the match:
“In the past, many people may have thought that I had to leave the team but I was thinking of explaining that it takes time, months, years. I have not thought about leaving until now because I feel good here. I am working with professionals and it is nice for me to be here.
Difference between being a player and coach? Player summaries his result instantly, he gets the result on the pitch. Coach needs much more time for it. I can say that today our three-year work has paid off.
We practiced a lot on penalties but you never know who will finish the game and therefore, who will kick a penalty. So, before the penalty shoot-out we talked to the boys individually. Kochorashvili expressed his desire to take the first penalty which did not surprise me because he has a strong personality and after his appearance the situation has changed in the team. He is a leader of the team. Kicking a penalty requires big “balls”.
Dvali held a fantastic match and his penalty is a reflection of his game. Zuka and Mikautadze also had a good game and Kvekveskiri who cried a lot after losing to North Macedonia. He kicked the last penalty and scored. It shows his strong character. Many thanks to the boys”, - stated Sagnol.
The Georgians will compete in Group F at EURO 2024. They will face Turkey (June 18, Dortmund), Czech Republic (June 22, Hamburg) and Portugal (June 26, Gelsenkirchen).