Former Spartak Moscow coach Valery Gladilin discusses Georgia’s potential in EURO 2024
Valery Gladilin, once at the helm of Spartak Moscow, shared his assessment of the Georgian national team in an interview with socialbites.ca. He believes Georgia has shown enough quality to challenge for a place in the play-offs at the 2024 European Championship held in Germany.
According to Gladilin, Georgia, led by coach Willy Sagnol, is placed in a group where any opponent is beatable. The coach notes that the team now has greater freedom to pursue ambitious targets after delivering notable results. Georgia has built a strong reputation as a capable side that does not rely on a single power team; the group features competitors across the board, creating real opportunities for progression from the round-robin phase.
Gladilin emphasized that the Georgians can set a wide range of goals and that the team is in a position to compete with high level opponents. He stated that even in the event of tough results, a high-quality, solid performance would itself count as progress for the squad, highlighting the tangible improvements Georgia has made in recent campaigns.
On March 26, Georgia won the right to participate in the European Championship path through a final qualifying match against Greece. The game in normal time and extra time finished with a 0-0 score, and Georgia emerged victorious in the subsequent penalty shootout due to greater accuracy. This result underlined Georgia’s competitiveness and their potential to challenge stronger teams in the finals path.
The EURO 2024 final tournament is scheduled to take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14. A total of 24 teams will contest the group stage, and Georgia has been drawn into a group with Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. The Georgian team has already stirred interest by making a strong impression in the qualification rounds and is expected to be a challenging opponent for their European rivals in the finals.
Earlier discussions about Georgia’s performance in Euro 2024 have underscored the rising expectations for the squad, with many observers highlighting the potential for a notable run in the tournament. The team’s progress has been the subject of ongoing analysis, with coaches and pundits weighing Georgia’s tactical versatility and collective resilience as key factors in their continued improvement.