Cristiano Ronaldo gave his shirt to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the game
Cristiano Ronaldo was brimming with sportsmanship before Portugal were taken apart by Georgia in one of the biggest European Championship shocks of all time. Victorious Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has shed light on his pre-match chat with Ronaldo, whose mood soured when he was hauled off midway through the second half.
Many of Georgia’s hopes heading into Euro 2024 rested on Kvaratskhelia’s shoulders, as the nation’s star player. And he opened his tournament account with a confident finish inside two minutes against the Portuguese.
Georges Mikautadze doubled the underdogs’ lead from the spot in the second half, notching his third goal of the summer. Shortly afterwards, with Portugal chasing the game, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was subbed off.
He tried to keep his cool but the grimace on his face told the whole story. And after frosty handshakes with Portugal’s coaching staff, Ronaldo finally lost it and booted a bottle on the touchline.
The incident, coupled with Kvaratskhelia’s account of his pre-match meeting with Ronaldo, shows just how quickly things went south for the Portuguese, who were defeated 2-0 on Wednesday. “Before the game there was a meeting [with Ronaldo] and he wished me success,” explained Kvaratskhelia.
“I’d never imagine he would come and talk to me. He’s a great player and a great person. That’s why he’s a great personality in and out of football. I have so much respect for him, he’s one of the best players in the world. When he comes to talk to you before the match, that’s amazing. That helped us believe we could do something today.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was upset at being substituted against Georgia
The victory sent Georgia, who are ranked below the likes of Burkina Faso and the United Arab Emirates by FIFA, through to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 as one of the four best third-place teams.
Turkey finished second in Group F, with Portugal going through as table-toppers despite their disappointing defeat. Next up for Georgia is a clash with tournament favourites Spain, who have been flawless in Germany thus far, and Kvaratskhelia is ready for another day in the spotlight.
“I got Ronaldo’s jersey and we’ve made it through to the next round,” he continued. “This is the best day in the lives of Georgian football fans. We’ve made history, no one would believe we’d make it happen.
“No one would believe we could beat Portugal but that’s why we’re a strong team; if there’s even a 1 per cent chance, we’ve shown we can make it happen.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1915978/cristiano-ronaldo-euro-2024-georgia-portugal