Willy Sagnol’s six-year spell as Georgia head coach has ended, closing a historic chapter that saw the country reach its first European Championship and advance to the last 16.
The Frenchman was dismissed following Georgia’s 1-0 Nations League defeat to Northern Ireland, bringing an end to a tenure that transformed the national team’s fortunes.
Sagnol responded to his departure with a heartfelt thank-you letter to the country he has called home.
Sagnol’s message was warm and personal. He described the last six years as “unforgettable”, filled with emotions, special moments and experiences that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.
He reserved particular thanks for the Football Federation and his players, saying they had given him feelings he had never experienced before.
Reflecting on his departure, Sagnol said even the most beautiful story must come to an end and that he was leaving “with respect, gratitude and dignity”.
He also highlighted the friendships he had forged during his time in Georgia, saying he was leaving behind not only colleagues but genuine, deep friendships that he believes will last for decades.
He signed off with a promise rather than a goodbye: “We will meet again.”
Sagnol took charge in February 2021 and led Georgia through 57 matches, overseeing a period in which the national team established itself on the European stage.
The defining moment came in 2024, when Georgia qualified for the European Championship for the first time.
The debutants went beyond simply reaching the tournament, progressing through the group stage and into the last 16 - an achievement that had seemed almost unthinkable only a few years earlier.
The Football Federation thanked Sagnol “for every minute” and for the emotions shared during a historic journey.
For Georgia, the impact extended beyond results, giving a generation of players and supporters the experience of seeing their national team compete on one of football’s biggest stages.
Ramaz Svanadze will now take over as Georgia’s senior national team coach, with the Georgian appointed until the end of 2028.
Svanadze built his reputation with Georgia’s under-21 side, guiding the team to the European Championship finals twice. During his tenure, Georgia competed with teams including the Netherlands and Belgium and recorded a victory over Portugal.
His sides are known for high pressing and an aggressive approach without the ball, while also looking to build from the back through combination play. Svanadze has generally favoured a 4-3-3 formation and a possession-based approach.
He has also demonstrated tactical flexibility. In 2023, Svanadze switched to a five-man defence, allowing his side to defend deeper and counter-attack against stronger opponents.
Svanadze comes from a footballing family. He is the nephew of former Dinamo defender Zaur Svanadze, while his father, Mamuka Svanadze, played for Torpedo Kutaisi.
Svanadze already knows many of the players who now form the core of Georgia’s senior squad, having worked with them during their time in the youth ranks.
That familiarity means he takes charge with an existing understanding of their strengths, playing habits and development.
Meanwhile, assistant coach Giorgi Adamia will take charge of the under-21 side for the final three matches of its qualifying campaign, maintaining continuity within the national-team set-up.
Svanadze inherits a team significantly different from the one Sagnol took over in 2021. Georgia now have major tournament experience and a squad that has already shown it can compete on the European stage.
Sagnol leaves after six years, 57 matches and a landmark European Championship campaign - a period that has secured his place in Georgian football history.
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) will meet in Paris on Monday to assess whether the Democrats' gains in the U.S. midterm election...
At least seven people have been killed and more than 125 injured after two passenger trains collided in Egypt’s Giza province, south of Cairo...
A 24-year-old man who killed six people in Poland’s central city of Krakow had advanced military-style shooting skills, according to a s...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he hopes the country will have visa-free travel with the European Union (EU) by 2029, the country’s state news agency Armenpress has reported.
Azerbaijan, the United States and Armenia have launched trilateral technical planning groups to advance the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), marking another step towards implementing the regional connectivity project agreed at the Washington peace summit in August 2025.
Syria is aiding Riyadh with military advice and training as Saudi Arabia comes under attack by Yemen's Houthis, and has sent a limited number of military personnel to the kingdom, two Syrian military sources and a senior U.S. official said.
India's delivery of guided Pinaka rockets to Armenia is drawing renewed attention as analysts assess the military and strategic significance of one of New Delhi's most prominent defence export deals.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment