Kvaratskhelia says reaching last 16 is ‘the best day of Georgia’s life’ Euro 2024

Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia said helping the Georgian team overcome many difficulties and reach the last 16 of the first major tournament gave the country “the best day of my life”.

Kvaratshelia scored inside 92 seconds before Georges Mikautadze converted a second-half penalty following a VAR review to beat Portugal 2-0 and secure Sunday’s clash in Cologne Spain’s knockout rounds. Georgia avoided elimination with a historic win over one of the favorites 68 spots above them.

“This is the best day in a Georgian’s life,” Kvalatkhelia said. “We just made history. No one will believe what happened, that we were going to beat Portugal, but that’s why we are a strong team. We just encourage each other and tell each other we can do it.

“When you wear the coat of arms of your country, you feel so proud. It’s the best day of my life. Even if there’s only a 1% chance, we’ve proven that you can achieve this.”

Georgia made some great defensive stops and their 23-year-old goalkeeper Georgi Mamardashvili was outstanding once again. “There was no individual best player, it was a team effort and we showed we could compete,” Kvaratskhelia said.

“I mentioned before that it doesn’t matter who we play because we want to win. We proved that we can do everything together. Unity makes us stronger. We bring joy to our supporters and show that we are united .

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has made nine changes in the last 16 tie, with Slovenia’s opponents confirmed in Frankfurt on Monday. Cristiano Ronaldo was the only outfield player to retain his place but he endured a difficult night, with the captain withdrawing midway through the second half after being booked for dissent.

“We started with a low intensity, which is what Georgia needed, and then we weren’t clear-headed enough on the final pass in front of the goal,” Martinez said.

“We didn’t underestimate Georgia. I thought their goalkeeper Mamardashvili did a great job. We tried to score but couldn’t, which gave Georgia more confidence. It was a well-deserved win.

Kvaratskhelia, who has idolized Ronaldo since he was a child and met him when Dinamo Tbilisi opened their academy in 2013, exchanged words with the 39-year-old striker at the final whistle. Jersey.

“There was a meeting before the game and he wished me success, which meant a lot to me because I never thought he would come to me and say something to me,” the Napoli striker said. “He’s a great player and a great person. He’s a great person inside and outside football.