It is almost 5 months that Archil Arveladze is a sports director of the Georgian Football Federation. One of his responsibilities is to resolve strained relations between Temur Ketsbaia and football players. Last time there happened so many things that it was necessary to talk to Arveladze.
“World Sport” talked to Archil Arveladze:
- A month ago, we learned that between the leadership of the federation and Ketsbaia should be held a meeting in the middle of November. At which the parties should talk about the previous qualifying circle and the plans for the future. Have you already talked?
- It will be held in December. Zviad Sichinava said that he has some questions to Ketsbaia. Let’s see, probably, there will be a lot to speak.
-And why do not they talk now?
- Temuri was came on one day. The discussion will be held. There is a lot to talk about.
- What can you say about the misunderstanding between Aleko Amisulashvili and Temur Ketsbaia?
- I called Amisulashvili and he told me, that he wants to talk to Ketsbaia. Personally and not by phone. This misunderstanding was not today’s or yesterday’s, it is an old story.
- Amisulashvili said that he will not work with this man and left the team. Amisulashvili is not the first who has a conflict with the coach.
- I will say one thing: most of the responsibilities for this misunderstanding lies on Temur. Communication is needed. No matter what does child at school, most of responsibilities imposes on teachers and parents. The same is in football.
- What can you say about the meeting of Ketsbaia and journalists at the public broadcaster?
- Temur is such and he cannot change. He is extra-energetic and emotional. What can I say more?
- We are interested in your opinion, for example, about the results: Ketsbaia says that the team took the 4th place, which is better result compared to what was before, however we got only 5 points and scored 3 goals.
- 9 out of 10 words he said correctly, but what you asked me now, I do not agree with him. This is a bad result. If you ask me, I would like to score 15 goals, fight for the secession from the group and take 5th place, than score 3 goals and finish in the 4th. However, I am not a coach.
- Players, except one or two, does not say loudly that they have a problems with Temur Ketsbaia.
- After all, Khizanishvili and Amisulashvili said about it publicly. And the rest are silent. When 9 players out of 11 do not like somethin then they should say so too. When you have a personal problem with a coach, you cannot say that you have trauma, or you have pain in your heart or leg and that’s why you cannot come, this is incorrect. I tell everyone, tell me and I will try to fix it. But nobody says anything…
- We did not have time to ask this during the aforementioned broadcast: if Ketsbaia stay for the next qualifying too, he would try to mend relations with the players or the door will be closed for them to the national team?
- Ketsbaia says himself – I wish they play football and let them not to like me. In this regard, there will not be problems, but football player should want to play for the national team. Who want to play for the national team and deserves it, Ketsbaia will call them up.
- During the last years, our age teams show excellent results. Many people thinks that when 18-year-old Georgian player wins over 18-year-old Dutchman or Englishman, this is an ordinary case, because there is a small difference between ages. But what happens to them afterwards? We have our explanation and we wrote about this many times – these players are not able to manifest themselves in our Championship and they even cannot go abroad. How can you partially solve this problem?
- I agree with you, 18 –year-old Georgian should not win over 18-year-old Dutchman logically. Over the past 3 years we have overcome the first qualifying stages with 100 per cent, and U-17 team played also in the semifinal of the final stage. During 20 years this was impossible. The reason of this is not only the talent of young players, but that the federations is able to allow them participate in various tournaments. Our age teams played in 112 international matches in total and they are fully prepared for the qualifying.
- Ketsbaia often said that it would be fine if these boys will be given the opportunity to play. Cannot federation oblige clubs to have at least two U-21 player in the list?
- The board can make such decision. But there are very few private clubs and it will be a bit difficult to oblige them to do so. It would be good if everyone agree on this issue. The idea seems to be acceptable for all. I offered to do so at least at the Cup. Let’s see, the important thing is to have a will.
- In Netherlands and in many other countries, teams are working on identical tactics and the adaptation of the player, who moved from the youth team to the national team, is easy. Probably you will agree with us, that our national team plays in a different way of the age team. Have you though to unify it in the schemes?
- This would be perfect. Age teams really play the same, only Ketsbaia, makes players play in a different way. He thinks so and what can you do. Let’s take for example goalkeepers: in each team we have experienced coaches of the goalkeepers – Mamuka Abuseridze, Davit Gvaramadze, Zviad Sturua, etc. As a result of it, if we always had problems with the goalkeepers, now you see that in the national and age teams they went good goalkeepers. I congratulate age teams such a good game and results.
- We talked, but solutions of the problem are still not visible. 17-year-old Georgian boy plays fine, but then he does not grow and this happens not only because of laziness, as many believe. After all, not everyone is lazy. They need to somehow help, simply give the opportunity to play.
- Of course, it is not just laziness. There are many of them who wants to play with all his heart and they do everything. We should develop government program and I have such program, which I introduced to Levan Kipiani. According to the program, money will be given by the system of earned points in the Championship. For example, in Turkey, for every win you get a million lire.
- A million lire for one victory? This is very much.
- Yes. For example, if “Kasimpasa” of Shota wins over “Bursaspor”, it will get million lire, and in case of draw - 400 000 lire. 400 million is a prize fund of Super League there. They reached this stage by stage. What sense is here to give each club 2 million per year? So nothing happens. For example, 24 million is allocated every year. 4 million would go to TV projects, banners and so on. And the remaining 20 million would have been a prize fund. It is incorrect to give 2 million to the club which spends 4 million a year and give the same sum of money to that club which spends 200 000 a year. In this way the sports principle will be abrogated. Let the fund be and the money be distributed. This project must be linked to television. Let the plays be for example on the second channel.
- When does this project start in Turkey?
- In 1994. Then the prize fund was 15 million, but they earned and now is 400 million. When there will be a sports principle and the money will be awarded depending on taken places, there will not have also desire to lay the matches. All of the above includes also the First League, but the amount will be lower. I think it will be correct.
Ilia Nanobashvili
