1087 days have passes since Georgia won official qualifying match. This happened on October 17, 2007, when team of Klaus Toppmöller won over Scotland 2:0. After this, Georgian team has won neither home nor away.
According to public opinion, these terrible series should stop today. It is the third round of Euro qualifying match and Georgia (2 points) hosts Malta (no points). Yesterday Georgian players started training at "National" stadium at 19:00. The training included "squares" and two-goal. During the two-goal the teams played with the same staff like they did at "Mikheil Meskhi":
I team: Revishvili - Salukvadze, Asatiani, Amisulashvili, Kaladze - Daushvili, Ananidze, Koshkadze, Klimiashvili - Iashvili, Siradze.
II team: Loria - Kvekveskiri, Lobjanidze, Kakubava, Kvirkvelia - Kobiashvili, Khizanishvili, Gogua, Merebashvili - Dvalishvili, Gelashvili.
Goalkeepers and defenders were in the 1st team, midfielders and forwards were in the 2nd one.
Lawn of "National" stadium is not in perfect condition but it is better than it was a month ago. Before and after the match against Israel on September 7, Temur Ketsbaia expressed his dissatisfaction about lawn.
After Georgians, Maltese players started training at "National" at 21:00 and they closed training after 15 minutes. 15 minutes before the training, John Buttigieg, head coach of Malta, held press conference at conference hall of "National". Michael Mifsud, the best forward of Malta, attended the conference. He does not play for any clubs now. Mifsud scored all 2 goals in friendly match against Georgia last year (2:0).

John Buttigieg: - Qualifying matches are always difficult. We are looking forward to tomorrow's match.
- Last year you beat Georgia 2:0. How has your team changed since then?
- Our staff has not changed much. Head coach and mentality have changed in Georgian team. Also players have changed.
- What result will satisfy you in the match against Georgia?
- Victory is the best result but draw will not be bad for us.
- You lost both two qualifying matches. Did you have a chance to gain points in the matches against Israel or Latvia?
- We did not play well against Israel. We played much better against Latvia and we really could have gained points.
- Can Georgian team fight for going through the next round?
- Georgian has never been at final tournament but they have progress this year and perhaps, they have a chance. I do not exclude it.
- Which player is the best in Georgian team?
- Perhaps, Kaladze. But I know, that you have talented young players.

Mifsud: - I think, the match will be interesting, I am looking forward to this match.
- Perhaps, you will do your best to score goals against Georgia.
- The most important is to achieve good result. We will do our best for it. Of course, I will be happy to score a goal.
- When will you play for club?
- Yet, I am concentrated only on national team. When team matches finish, name of my future club will be found out.

It is interesting, that Swedish journalists, a man and a woman, attended press conference and Georgians' training. Swedish man journalist put Buttigieg a question: "What can you say about chances of Malta going through the next round"? Head coach got angry and asked: "Are you joking?" But Swedish journalist was not joking. Buttigieg answered: "I do not think, it is an actual question. We are small country".
Here are presumable main staff of both teams:
Georgia: Revishvili - Salukvadze, Asatiani, Amisulashvili, Kaladze - Khizanishvili, Kobiashvili, Gogua, Merebashvili - Gelashvili, Dvalishvili.
Malta: Hogg - Herrera, Agius, Caruana, Mamo - Bajada, Fenech, Briffa, Pace - Schembri - Mifsud.
Today's match will start at 21:00. Northern Irish Alan Black will referee the match. Georgian Public Broadcasting is going to broadcast live match.

Group F of Euro Qualifying 2012

Georgia - Malta - 5 matches: 3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, ball difference 7:4. Here is statistics of matches between Georgia and Malta.

La Valeta. February 10, 1994. "Ta' Qali" stadium. 12 000 spectators
Malta - Georgia 0:1 (0;1)
Malta: Cluet, Buhajar (31, Saliba), Camiler, Guchi (46, Galea), Brinkat, Buttigieg, Gregor, Vella, Spiter (74, Cardona), Laferla, Sker.
Georgia: Zoidze, Revishvili, Tskhadadze (cap), Shelia (75, Beradze), Kudinov (55, Sidamonidze), Kavelashvili, Nemsadze, Jamarauli, Ketsbaia, Kinkladze, Kizilashvili.
Head coach: Aleksandre Chivadze.
Yellow card: Spiter, Tskhadadze, Shelia, Kavelashvili.
Goal: 0:1 Ketsbaia (16, pen).
Referees: Darko Iamsek (Slovenia), Jo Camiler, Jo R. Atard (Malta).

Tbilisi. July 19, 1994. National stadium. 35 000 spectators
Georgia - Malta 1:1 (1:1) International tournament
Georgia: Zoidze, Revishvili, Nemsadze, Shelia, G. Jishkariani, R. Arveladze, Inalishvili (46, Kavelashvili), Jamarauli (cap), Tugushi (46, A. Arveladze), Kinkladze, Sh. Arveladze).
Head coach: Aleksandre Chivadze.
Malta: Cluet, Vella, Buhajar (85, E. Camiler), Galea, J. Camiker, Buttigieg, K. Buzutil, Saliba, Carabot, Laferla, Spiter (55, A. Buzutil, 76, Suda)).
Yellow card: Nemsadze (32), J. Camiler (34), Jamarauli (44).
Goals: 0:1 Spiter (33), 1:1 Sh. Arveladze (37, pen).
Referees: U. Mayer, E. Felder, G. Kodon (Switzerland).

La Valeta. February 10, 1998. "Ta' Qali". 2 500 spectators.
Malta - Georgia 1:3 (0:1) S. T.
Malta: Muskat, Magri Overend, Chetkut, Siksmis, Sant (46, Suda, 76, Rabot)), Zahra, Brinkat, Terner, Saliba (64, Giglio,), Agius (76, Sultana), Nvoko.
Head coach: Iosif Ilich.
Georgia: Gvaramadze, Chikhradze (46, A. Iashvili), Shelia, Silagadze (79, Tskitishvili), Kaladze (79, Khvadagiani), Shekiladze, Jamarauli (77, Gakhokidze), Nemsadze (cap), Ketsbaia, Kinkladze, Kavelashvili.
Head coach: Vladimir Gutsev.
Yellow card: Brinkat (18), Chikhradze (19), Shelia (27), Ketsbaia (56), Chetkut (66), Silagadze (67), Gakhokidze (85), Giglio (85).
Goals: 0:1 Kavelashvili (13), 1:1 Magri Overend (58, pen), 1:2 Jamarauli (71), 1:3 Kavelashvili (74).
Referee: B. Prega (Albania).

La Valeta. March 1, 2006. "Ta' Qali", 2 000 spectators
Malta - Georgia 0:2 (0:2) friendly
Malta: Haber, Brifa, Dimech, Velman, Azopard, Camenzul (46, Barbara), Matoks (46, Cohen), Siantar, Malia, Agius, Mifsud.
Georgia: Revishvili, Mchedlishvili (55, Bjalava), Gvinianidze, Popkhadze, Tskitishvili, Kobiashvili (cap), Kankava, Mujiri (61, Kakha Makharadze), Ganugrava, Revaz Gotsiridze (82, g. Nug. Chelidze), Martsvaladze.
Head coach: Klaus Toppmöller.
Yellow card: Popkhadze (35), Kankava (48), Kobiashvili (57), Agius (63), Makharadze (66), Revishvili (72).
Sent off: Kankava (58).
Goals: 0:1 Martsvaladze (9), 0:2 Kankava (18).
Referee: V. Banar (Moldova).

La Valeta. August 12, 2009. "Ta' Qali", 1 500 spectators.
Malta - Georgia 2:0 (0:0) friendly.
Malta: Mario Muscat (46, Hogg), Alex Muscat, Azzopardi (60, Briffa), Said, Andre Agius, Gilbert Agius (90, Fenech), Michael Mifsud, Andrew Cohen (82, Bajada), Schembri (46, Woods), Sammut (60, faila), Pace.
Head coach: John Buttigieg, Carmel Buzutil.
Georgia: Lomaia, Guram Kashia, Gvinianidze (82, Teimuraz Gongadze), Tskitishvili (64, Davit Devdariani), Khmaladze, Dvalishvili, Kenia, Khizanishvili, Seturidze (68, Merebashvili), Kobiashvili (cap), Giorgi Popkhadze (84, Sanaia).
Head coach: Hector Raul Cuper.
Yellow card: Sammut, Khizanishvili, Devdariani.
Goals: 1:0 Mifsud (64), 2:0 Mifsud (74).
Referees: Panicos Kailis; Filip Agius, Ingmar Spiter (Malta).




Ilia Nanobashvili