Glorious Georgia at Euro 2024, remarkable debut run, fearless Georgia – these are just few of the headlines about Georgian National Football Team during Euro 2024. So let’s look at what was going on the stadiums, in Georgia and how will it impact Georgia in the long run.
You can listen to The Caucasus podcast also on main podcasting platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you like 'Georgia at Euro 2024′ episode, share it with one friend who is also interested in the Caucasus …. or football.
How was Georgia at Euro 2024?
Let’s start with the facts. In the qualifications phase Georgia beat Greece in penalties in play-offs and qualified for the first time in the history of independent Georgia, so since 1991. That night and the days after the whole Georgia, all big and smaller cities just turned into one huge celebration. To be qualified was already a huge success appreciated by the Georgian football fans.
Then the first game happened, with Turkey. Although Georgian national team lost the game 2 to 1 for Turkey, Georgians were celebrating the first goal ever on European Football Championships. Then, the second game happened, this time with Czech Republic. Although it was a tie, Georgian football fans, i.e., already the whole country and all Georgians on emigration, celebrated the first point ever received at EURO.
Then the game with Portugal happened and although many Georgians were hoping for the victory, the probability was not that high. And they won two to nothing with Portugal and were qualified to the knockout stage. The surprise, joy and excitement was so high that I cannot recall similar situation in over 30 years of Georgian independence, not even during the Rose revolution in 2003.
Although they lost to Spain in the round of 16 the Georgian football players already became stars of the championships, receiving awards and recognitions after each game and becoming the national heroes in Georgia.
How Georgians celebrated and were supporting Georgian National Team?
I won’t lie to you, I am not a big football fan – the last whole championship I watched was when Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davis were playing, so it was some time ago. But what I do know is sociology, political science and stuff. And I don’t recall such unity and pride and joy in any nation for a very long time.
Georgians were ones of the most proud fans you could have seen. Before each game was a sea of marching Georgians, dressed in national flags and national team’s t-shirts in Germany, in cities where the games were. Germans were commenting that there were huge areas where you could hear almost only Georgian language.
The same was happening in other countries where Georgias live. They were organizing places to watch the game together in e.g. USA, UK, France, Greece, Poland or even in Iceland. The same was happening in Georgia – on the main stadiums there were outdoor screens, so people were sitting on the actual stadium and cheering up and experiencing together all the wins and losses. In almost every town or village, even in the remote Great Caucasus ones, there were beamers and Georgians were sitting together and watching the game. Almost the whole nation became the biggest football fan.
What often happens when the team doesn’t win the game is that the fans are bad-mouthing the players. Here was the opposite. Georgians – which in my opinion is an extraordinary reaction – were happy and grateful for everything: for the first goal (even when they lost 2 to 1), for receiving the first point (even if it was the tie).
And when the team lost to Spain and got eliminated all the social media was snowed under the “thank you, guys!” posts instead of blaming anyone for anything. The unity among Georgians we were observing when cheering Georgia at Euro 2024, no matter the region, political beliefs or mindset – everyone supporting and applauding “golden boys”, as the football team was named after the second game.
‘Where is Budu?’ so how politics (allegedly) entered football?
However there was one viral hashtag that started to appear after the first game – with Turkey and intensified after the game with Czech Republic and that was: Where is Budu and let Budu play. This was the first political part of Georgia at Euro 2024.
They were referring to Budu Zivzivadze, very popular football player from Kutaisi, member of the national team, who scored two goals in Euro qualifying semi-finals with Luxembourg in March. When the protests were happening in Tbilisi this spring against the so called Russian law he mentioned in one of the interviews his indirect support for the protesters and against usage of such a power by the law enforcement in Georgia. His words were instantly quoted almost everywhere and as a result created lots of noise and mixed reactions among Georgians. Long story short, allegedly he asked to remove his statement and not to quote him anymore so that he can focus on the preparations for Euro.
And then this beloved, successful player was on a bench throughout almost the whole first game. That’s why some people started posting that the Georgian Dream, the ruling party, indirectly wanted to punish him and not to let him play. When he was not in the first line-up during the second game, the conspiration theories arose and some believed it’s a coincidence, some that indeed he is being shown what he can and cannot do and say.
The allegations were that some main politicians form the Georgian Dream are strongly connected with the national team and could have this level of influence if wanted. There were even t-shirts some football fans were wearing to the games asking where is Budu. Probably to lessen the tension, both coach and Budu spoke with press explaining that this had nothing to do with politics, just with the winning strategy for the Euro. As a result, the hashtag practically stopped appearing after the 3rd game, maybe also because everyone focused on the success.
3 outcomes of the Georgia at Euro 2024 phenomenon and successes
Georgia lost the game with Spain so it means they are no longer on EURO 2024. However this does not mean that nothing changes and Georgians come back to their daily lives, as they were before the football madness started.
Why football may become much more popular in Georgia?
Firstly, the direct results of fenomenal play of Georgia at Euro 2024 are already visible for the main football players, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giorgi Mikautadze and a goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. For sure Georgian football players have been recognized across Europe as fighters who can achieve (almost) impossible. They have been already receiving lots of transfer offers with much higher money involved. Their international successes may be also impacting the way football is perceived in Georgia.
Already after the March games when Georgian team qualified for Euro the public debate started on how to teach and coach the Georgian children better, to be future football stars and how to build a more modern infrastructure around it and intensified when Georgia at Euro 2024 was already playing. Georgia is already after the football championship so we’ll see whether the discussions die out or result in some real improvements and what will be the long-term impact of Georgia at Euro 2024
One of the examples why the facilities and infrastructure are needed was the photo from 2013 when Ronaldo came to Tbilisi to open football academy for young boys. On the photo with him were 4 of this year’s first line-up players, as boys who were just starting their trainings after school. And now they won with Portugal (Ronaldo’s team). Now, every boy in Georgia wants to play football. We’ll see what the future holds.
Hopes for further unity in October elections in Georgia
Besides the future of football, some Georgians started also discussing how to use this unity to build a better future in general for the country. Keeping in mind the October 2024 elections in Georgia and the massive protests just before Euro, many public figures say that now one needs to keep this unity and vote for better future, not only at Euro but in Europe. They refer to the package of changes the ruling party has partially introduced, e.g. Offshore Law and so called Russian Law. Also, the Georgian Dream has been voting on some of them, including so called Anti-LGBTQ+ Law while the Georgian society was focused on the Euro.
On the other hand the ruling party not only underlined that in the coming month this unity is needed for the better future of Georgia – which means in their context more a less to vote for Georgian Dream, as a united nation and with no protests. Prime Minister Kobakhidze underlined that this is also the success of Levan Kobiashvili, who leads Georgian Football Federation and is one of the top members of the ruling party. Also, the founder of Georgian Dream said he will give a prize of EUR 10M to the National Team, as they advance into playoffs. More about the Georgian politics before the elections we’ll cover for sure in the next episodes like this.
Georgia more recognized in the world as a country
I remember the times when almost no one knew where Georgia is and it was confused all the time with the US state of Georgia. Along the last 20 years it has been changing from e.g. touristic perspective and also as a place for digital nomads. I have been observing and analysing the mainstream news in many European countries and noticed that the amount of positive publicity Georgia received in the last two weeks is superb. And this is the direct result of the performance of Georgia at Euro 2024.
The headlines were about what Georgians are the most proud of – bravery, fighting spirit, celebration and phenomenal joy. Not about protests, danger, revolutions or the law-breaking Georgians as immigrants in EU – the last one, sorry to say, but is present from time to time.
It’s hard to say how it will precisely impact Georgia and reputation of Georgians in the long run. However, having several top-class world-famous football players does a lot to the country’s further positive publicity. I see the same with the country I am from – Poland and football player Robert Lewandowski. It serves well the reputation of the country and its popularization all over the world.