Georgia erupts in celebration at surprise Euro 2024 success ...
June 27, 2024, 9:13 AM UTC / Source: Reuters
By Reuters
The Georgian capital Tbilisi erupted in celebration on Wednesday after the national side completed a stunning victory over Portugal that propelled them into the last 16 of the European Championship in Germany.
Georgia’s 2-0 win over Portugal in their final group match drew people out onto the streets, waving national flags from car windows and letting off fireworks.It was the first time Georgia has qualified for a major men's international soccer tournament, let alone advanced beyond the group stage.
“It’s incredible, I can’t describe it in words. You should see what happens in the dressing-room,” Levan Kobiashvili, President of the country’s Football Federation, told Georgia’s Interpress.
In Tbilisi, amid blaring horns, people could be heard chanting “Sakartvelo!”, the local word for the country’s name.
“The boys really gave us a miracle. Everyone deserves more than thanks. It’s a wonder,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters.
“They fought until the end and apart from the fight, it was proven once again that Georgians have football talent.”
In Liberty Square, videos on social media showed hundreds of cars gathered, creating a traffic jam around the area, with fans climbing on the St George Statue to celebrate the moment.
“This signifies that wherever there is faith, purpose, selfless dedication, and the spirit of victory, there lies victory!,” President Salome Zourabichvili wrote on Facebook after personally congratulating the players.
The mood was very different for Ukraine’s national soccer team and its fans.
Hungry for success at Euro 2024 after more than two years of grinding war against Russia, they lamented their elimination on Wednesday, but expressed pride nonetheless at their effort.
Ukraine drew 0-0 against Belgium and finished the first round of with four points — not good enough to advance in a group that featured a blanket finish among the four teams.
Ukraine came close to knocking out high-ranked Belgium on Wednesday but fell just short.Thomas Kienzle / AFP - Getty Images“Being in the tournament was very important for our country. We showed the character of our nation, after nearly 900 days of the war,” Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov told reporters. “It’s very important to show people in Europe, people in Ukraine, that we are still fighting.”
Like many, he blamed the setback on allowing three goals in the team’s opening defeat to Romania, a gap which made an impact when it came time to calculate goal difference.
“It was not only the three points, but after 1-0, 2-0, we didn’t wake up....But in life you make mistakes,” he said.
“I saw the players. Unfortunately, they have no emotion anymore. We have a very young national team. I can see they are optimistic about the future.”
The national team has been a rallying point for Ukrainians throughout post-Soviet times and Euro qualification was a source of pride as the country’s military fights to contain the slow advance of Russian forces along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front in the east and south.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had hailed the team’s 2-1 defeat of Slovakia, was philosophical about the latest outcome.
“A strong nation is one that maintains unity and in which people always help one another. Both in times of defeat and in times of victory,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
“Despite the disappointing result, you fought for our country. Our victories still lie ahead. Victories for Ukraine. For now, let us stand firm, rise up and move forward to become stronger in the future.”
At viewing parties throughout the country, seasoned soccer fans and others simply there to back the team were disappointed, but determined to get behind future successes.
As a border guard regiment gathered at a compound in Donetsk region, a few miles from the front line, one soldier held his head in his hands and another cradled his weapon as they watched the match.
“I would have liked to see them win, but a game is a game,” said Roman, 33, a member of the regiment. “Some of us are playing sport, some of us are fighting. That’s the way things are.”
Reuters
Reuters
