Georgia sack coach Sagnol after Northern Ireland defeat

The Nations League has only just begun, yet it has already claimed its first “victim.” Georgia’s 1-0 defeat to a side like Northern Ireland pushed the federation’s leaders to make a major decision: sacking Frenchman Willy Sagnol. He will be replaced by Ramaz Svanadze, the U21 coach.

In recent years, Georgia have made great strides in training and developing young talent. It is no coincidence that they qualified for Euro 2024 for the first time in their (short) history. The tournament even exceeded expectations, reaching the round of 16 after navigating a tough group with Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

In the knockout stage, however, Georgia immediately faced the eventual winners, Spain, who dominated the match with a 4-1 victory. The squad is starting to look good, with Kvaratskhelia, Kvernadze, Mikautadze, Kochorashvili and Mamardashvili playing alongside each other.

Sagnol’s work, who took over the team in 2021, has also helped Georgia compete for a place at the World Cup.

The latest defeat, however, brought the coach’s departure.