It maybe comes as no shock, however Ligue 1 curiosity in Georgia has skyrocketed, in accordance with David Labrune, Worldwide Media Rights Director of the LFP.
Ligue 1 golf equipment have been shopping for Georgia’s most enjoyable gamers in latest months. Lyon-born Georges Mikautadze has turn out to be a staple within the top-flight. His exploits with FC Metz in Ligue 2 earned him a transfer to Ajax however simply months later, in January 2024, he returned to France, re-joining Metz earlier than then becoming a member of Olympique Lyonnais in the summertime. After a sluggish begin to life at OL, he has now discovered his rhythm, netting 13 targets and registering eight assists in all competitions.
Zuriko Davitashvili, like Mikautadze, additionally acquired his break in Ligue 1 with Girondins de Bordeaux. He too is excelling having registered 11 purpose contributions (seven targets, 4 assists) for AS Saint-Étienne this season, aiding Les Verts’ survival efforts.
Then there’s the star attraction – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. In contrast to his compatriots who ply their commerce in Ligue 1, Kvaratskhelia made his identify overseas for Napoli earlier than becoming a member of Paris Saint-Germain for €70m in January. He has made 14 appearances since becoming a member of PSG and performed an vital function within the membership’s development within the UEFA Champions League, at Liverpool’s expense.
There’s something of a Golden Age of expertise in Georgia and with three of essentially the most distinguished figures in that footballing revolution enjoying in France, eyes in Georgia are naturally mounted on Ligue 1.
“In Georgia, we aren’t distant from being the primary league. It’s a reward for our finer strategy, tailored to this exact market and boosted by the information (the arrival of Kvaratskhelia),” Labrune instructed . Compilations of the aforementioned three Georgian gamers have created an pleasure within the Caucasus state that’s now spilling over right into a extra normal curiosity within the league.
| Luke Entwistle