Ramaz Svanadze: "The Successes of Georgian Football are the Result of GFF Reforms"

Georgian football has stood out since the Soviet era with its alumni and successes. Even after the collapse of the empire, Georgian football players were recognized worldwide.

There would be few football fans who haven't heard the names of stars like the Arveladze brothers, Georgi Kinkladze, Temuri Ketsbaya, Kakha Kaladze, and Levan Kobiashvili.

But after this "golden generation," a void and stagnation arose. It was as if football had died in this land of talent. Finally, the generation of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giorgi Mikautadze, and Giorgi Mamardashvili grew up and carried the Georgian national team to the final stage of the European Championship for the first time in its history.

İdman.biz reports that Sports.az learned the opinions of Ramaz Svanadze, who previously worked at Tbilisi "Dinamo" and the Georgian U19 national team, and is currently the head coach of the U-21 national team of the neighboring country:

"I cannot agree with the idea that Georgian football will ever be forgotten by everyone. Georgians have always played good football. Even after the 1990s and in the 21st century, we had players who performed at the highest level. It's just that their individual achievements in the 90s and later years were not reflected in the results of the national team. However, during this period, we had the chance to fight for big goals.

In general, I would not call the generation change process a break or a pause. There are always striking periods - this is part of football not only in Georgia, but in any other country.

The formation of a new generation and a new structure for national teams is the result of the reforms carried out by the Georgian Football Federation team, the changes in youth football, and the development of club academies. It is difficult to make real progress in football without a synchronized approach.

The new standards established in the structure of the national team have made a significant contribution to the development of the national team. Technical and logistical updates, a unified playing philosophy, improved transition processes from youth teams to senior teams - these are just a few of the steps that create the necessary ecosystem to achieve high-level competitive goals. I am personally involved in this process and can talk about it based on my experience.

Also, behind this development are several important projects implemented by the GFF in recent years. For example, the GFF academy project, initiatives in mass football and significant growth, infrastructure projects, and many other sub-sectors important for creating a healthy environment in football."

İdman.biz