Football manager and trainer Pavel Stipidi believes that Dynamo Kyiv made a sensible decision by letting Georgian defender Sabu Sazonov move to Torino. He remarked that the transfer, valued at three million euros, should not be seen as a loss for either club or player, and he offered a blunt assessment of Sazonov’s abilities, noting that the defender had shown weaknesses. Stipidi emphasized that Sazonov is not a Russian player but a Georgian one, arguing there was no reason for ongoing controversy or personal attacks since his national allegiance lies with Georgia and not Russia.
On August 31, Torino announced the signing of defender Saba Sazonov, with a contract extending to the summer of 2027. The move followed the previous season, during which Alexei Miranchuk represented the Italian club.
During the last season in the Russian Premier League, Sazonov appeared in 24 matches for Dynamo and scored one goal. The Georgian player is a product of the Zenit Saint Petersburg academy, having progressed through its development system before making his move to Russia’s top flight.
In the summer of 2023, Sazonov took part in the European Under-19 Championships as part of the Georgian national squad. The team advanced to the quarter-final stage that year, illustrating the early potential that clubs have noted in the defender.
There have been discussions about the idea of a Georgian player signing with a Russian club being seen as a dream by some observers, a notion that underscores the often tangled dynamics of transfers between neighboring European leagues. The narrative around Sazonov’s career reflects broader themes in modern football: the stakes of European scouting, the valuation of young talent, and the evolving relationships between clubs in different nations. Attribution: industry reports and club announcements.