Germany's GELSENKIRCHEN—Georgia's hero Khvicha Kvaratskhelia believes that his team's confidence in being able to beat Portugal and advance to the round of 16 of Euro 2024 was strengthened by their pre-match meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo. At the Arena AufSchalke, Georgia defeated the reigning Euro 2016 champions Portugal with a score of 2-0. Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring after just 92 seconds, while tournament's top scorer Georges Mikautadze added the second goal via a penalty. With this victory, Georgia advanced to the knockout stages in their first-ever major tournament, and Kvaratskhelia received Ronaldo's shirt. The win also set up a clash with Spain.
"I got Ronaldo's jersey and we're through to the next round," Kvaratskhelia declared through a translator at a press conference prior to the match. He called the Portugal No. 7 his childhood hero. "For Georgian football fans, this is the greatest day of their lives. Nobody would have predicted that we would make history. Nobody would have thought we could defeat Portugal, but that's what makes us a formidable team—we've proven we can succeed even in the slimmest of chances. I never thought Ronaldo would come and chat to me, but we met before the game, and he wished me success."
"He's a terrific guy as well as a tremendous player. For this reason, he's excellent both on and off the football field. He's among the best players in the world, and I have the utmost regard for him.
"When he comes to talk to you before the match, that's amazing; it helped us believe we could do something today."
The 23-year-old Kvaratskhelia has experienced success in club football, having won the Italian Serie A with Napoli in 2023. However, he claims that making history for his nation was the highlight of his life.
"The Scudetto was a memorable moment for me, but I'm happier today because when you're playing for your country, it makes you so proud, though I was so happy with both," he stated.
"Today is the happiest day of my life; I always dreamed of winning the title and being here. I'm just so delighted that it's hard to express how I feel."
Willy Sagnol, the coach of Georgia, recently disclosed that he was recalling Manchester United's remarkable comeback in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich in the final moments of the game. This occurred a year before he joined the German team. Sagnol admitted that he didn't believe they had qualified until the final whistle blew. He stated at a press conference, "To be honest, the only time I believed was when the referee blew the final whistle."
"Many football stories like that have been made. One example is when you think you are winning but end up losing in the final seconds. Think of Bayern against United. Every ten seconds, I was checking the time and at the end, I just felt so empty.
"We didn't think it was possible, but we were hoping to qualify. Although I believed that we qualified in March and were at our best, football is never predetermined."
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