Georgia and star Kvaratskhelia head to Euro 2024 after beating Greece in penalty shootout

AP , Tuesday 26 Mar 2024

Georgia and Napoli star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are going to their first major tournament after beating Greece in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in their European Championship qualifying playoff on Tuesday.

Georgia's forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia reacts during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying play-off final football match between Georgia and Greece in Tbilisi on March 26, 2024.Photo: AFP

Nika Kvekveskiri placed a decisive spot-kick low into the corner to seal Georgia’s 4-2 win in the shootout. Greece captain Tasos Bakasetas had his opening penalty saved and Giorgos Giakoumakis pulled his shot wide of the goal.

Kvaratskhelia, the talismanic Napoli winger known as “Kvaradona” to its fans, was watching from the sidelines after being substituted off in the second half of extra time.

Georgia will be a low-ranked outsider in the 24-team Euro 2024 lineup in Germany going into Group F with Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

It was Georgia’s eighth attempt to qualify for the European Championship as an independent nation since the Soviet Union broke up.

Georgian players from Dinamo Tbilisi were key to a high class Soviet Union team that went to the 1982 World Cup.

At Euro 2024, Georgia will start against Turkey on June 18 in Dortmund, then play the Czechs on June 22 in Hamburg, and finish against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on June 26 in Gelsenkirchen, at the home stadium of Schalke.

In playoff finals later Tuesday, Wales was hosting Poland and Ukraine was playing Iceland with places at Euro 2024 at stake. Ukraine was the “home” team in Wroclaw, Poland, for security reasons during the Russian military invasion.

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