Temur Lortkipanidze is considered as one of the best specialists in children’s football. He brought up many players, including Giorgi Kinkladze. We talked to Lortkipanidze about childhood of “Kinki”.
Lortkipanidze is an assistant of Gia Tsetsadze in Georgian U-19 team. Of course, it is also his merit that these boys made the whole country happy and got among European 8 best teams.
Here is an interview of “World Sport” with Lortkipanidze.
- Let us start with Kinkladze. As we know, you coached me for some years.
- I coached him from 1983 to 1987 in “Norchi Dinamoeli”. Giorgi was 10 years old when he got in my team and I coached him for 4 years. His first coach was Avto Khelashvili. Then, Otar Gegechkori coached him. When I came, only 6 children were practicing. Most of them went to the 35th football school. I was told that one boy left football. I asked other children to bring him. The boy came with his mother. He went in for dancing. His father Mr. Robinzon worked in Moscow. His mother Mrs. Khatuna told me she wanted the boy to go in for dancing. I told her that the boy can have 3-3 days for dancing and football. We reached agreement. I returned Kinkladze to football.
- What was your first impression about him?
- I knew that he was special. He was a leader.
- He was a quiet leader. Is it right?
- Yes, he was a quiet boy. He played with great confidence. He was a forward in my team and I gave him freedom. I knew he would become a great football player. On weekends I took the boys out of town and practiced them with little tennis ball.
- What were their results at foreign tournaments?
- They won all tournaments in Nalchik, Yerevan…
- Did Kinkladze miss practices?
- No, he did not. At first he played for “Mretebi” and then “Dinamo” Tbilisi transferred him. I worked for the 35th school. I was going to Finland and I met his father. He told me Giorgi was in “Mretebi” and asked me to transfer him somewhere else. Rezo Dzodzuashvili transferred him to “Dinamo”.
- So, Kinkladze and self-advertisement was unimaginable?
- He did not show himself and was very quiet. He was very sensitive too. Giorgi could not distinguish himself in German “Saarbrucken” because if he did not feel warm and love, he did not show initiative. Francis Lee saw his possibilities and Giorgi made miracles in “Manchester City”.
- Have you had a talent like Kinkladze?
- I had many talented boys but Giorgi was different. For example, Anchabadze, Janelidze, Goderdzishvili, Gudushauri were among born in 1973 but Kinkladze was the best. I had a good team born in 1977. You might remember Davit Datvadze, Gogoberishvili, Kheteshvili, Magladze, Gemezashvili and others. It was a good generation.
- Do you work for the 35th school again?
- No, I do not because I work in U-19 team. I practice children individually.
- Now about U-19 team. What was the reason of its success?
- United system. We convinced the boys that they had to play as No.1. The Portuguese tournament was a turning point where we lost the first match to Portugal but we had good moments. The boys believed that they could play European one of the best teams.
- It is pleasant and tough to play as No.1
- Defense starts on the half of the opponent. When you manage to do it, you control the ball. Who controls the ball and is active on the half of the opponent, wins the match. It is fact. “Bayern” continues work of “Barcelona”. It started aggressive play.
- You said a lot about Kinkladze. What can you say about quality in children now and then.
- The system is different because children were free from fees. Now the accent is made on quantity. The system must be changed.
Ilia Nanobashvili
