The Georgian national team reached the final of the Joint Path of Euro 2024, where they will play on March 26 in Tbilisi with Greece. The Georgians solved the problem in the semifinals, despite the loss of their main star, the disqualified Khvichi Kvaratskhelia. Furthermore, in the semi-final against Luxembourg, Willy Sagnol’s team would not have looked like a clear favorite even with the former Lokomotiv and Rubin player in the line-up. In the qualifying phase, the Georgian team in the group stage won only two wins in eight rounds and scored eight points. The Luxembourgers won five times in 10 games and added 17 points. However, Kvaratskelia, who served the sanction, and his friends are in the final. Thanks to a double, completely unknown to a wide circle of fans, striker Budu Zivzivadze.
If you think Zivzivadze is just another young Georgian talent ready to conquer Italy or any other major league in Europe, you are wrong. I’m turning 30! He waited for his best moment on the Georgia team for more than seven years.
The match against Luxembourg was only Zivzivadze’s second start in the qualifying round for Euro 2024. Before that, he only entered the starting lineup in the home match against Cyprus, which the Georgians won 4-0. But in that match Budu, after spending a whole hour on the field, did not take any effective action. Before the playoffs, he only scored one goal against Norway in Oslo: with the score 0-2 he responded with his own goal to the goals of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, but his precise touch after a cross from the left and a brilliant breakthrough of the party did not help the Georgians to save themselves.
In the match against Luxembourg, Zivzivadze opened the scoring before half-time after a corner kick from the Georgian team. The ball bounced off the opponent directly towards the forward, who was unattended in the goalkeeper’s corner. I will touch it by touching it. And at the end of the hour, Zivzivadze scored a double, completing the rapid attack developed by the left flank. Levan Shengelia crossed to the forward, who managed to get away from the defender and sent the ball into the net as he fell. Simple but very effective actions.
I WILL BE ZIVZIVADZE
Photo: Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images
Zivzivadze is originally from Kutaisi and a graduate of Dynamo Tbilisi, and began his professional career at the Samtredia club in the city of the same name. Following the results of the 2016 season (shortened due to the transition to the “spring-autumn” system), at that time the 22-year-old forward was recognized as the player of the year in Georgia and made a gigantic contribution to Samtredia. winning his first and still last championship title. In the “golden” championship of Georgia, Budu scored 11 goals in 11 matches and became the top scorer in the league.
After a successful season, Zivzivadze tried himself abroad, but failed to establish himself in Danish side Esbjerg and a year later returned to Georgia. He scored a lot while on loan at Dynamo Tbilisi and then, after moving as a free agent to Torpedo Kutaisi. In 2018 he once again became the best sniper in the league with 22 goals, or rather, he shared the first place.
In the summer of 2019, Zivzivadze decided to make a second attempt in Europe: he went to Hungary. Mezőkövesd bought it from Torpedo for 100,000 euros, the Georgian settled in Hungary and a year later Fehervár bought it for 350,000 euros. He also spent six months on loan at Hungarian side Ujpest, where Budu scored like a machine under Serbian coach and former Rostov player Milos Kruscic: 11 goals in 14 games.
Only on the threshold of his 30th birthday did Zivzivadze find himself in a top-level football country: Germany. It’s true, only in the Second Bundesliga. The Georgian from Fehervar bought Karlsruhe, not sparing 150,000 euros on the striker. Bud showed himself to German scouts in the Conference League qualification, where he scored 5 + 1 in six matches. He scored two goals against the Azerbaijani Gabala and three against the Moldovan Petrocub, in addition, he scored a goal and an assist in the match against Cologne. Fehervar, thanks to Zivzivadze, unexpectedly defeated the Bundesliga representative at home with a score of 2:1, but then suffered a heavy blow at home against Cologne with a score of 0:3.
In the first half of the season in the second Bundesliga, the Georgian only scored once, but then he knew how to adapt. This season Zivzivadze has 10+2 in 24 games. Karlsruhe is in the fight for promotion to the First Bundesliga and Budu himself is among the top 10 scorers.
The tall forward (Zivzivadze’s height is 189 cm) is not so strong at heading the ball, but he is well equipped technically, which allows him to solve situations in the other’s area.
“Since I was little I dreamed of being a soccer player,” Budu said. “No one in my family played sports, so I didn’t have anyone to follow.” But when he was a child, every day he played soccer in the street with other children. One of our neighbors saw my game. And it was following his advice that I began to seriously practice this sport…
When I started watching football I realized that I wanted to be a footballer, appear on television and in stadiums. When I was 12-13 years old, my goal was to get to Barcelona. I fell in love with football mainly because of Ronaldinho. Then Iniesta became my favorite and lately I like Pedri. I don’t mention Messi just because he is not from this planet. Since then I have been constantly watching Barcelona games. I started playing as “ten”.
Details of the Euro 2024 semi-finals:
A night of destruction and drama. All participants in the Euro Cup final have been determined.
Zivzivadze has been playing for the Georgian national team since January 2017. To date he has made 24 appearances and scored seven goals. Before, Budu had scored in friendly matches and in the Nations League, but now he scored a double at the most important moment. Now the coaching staff of the Greek team will rack their brains thinking about who to fear more: Kvaratskhelia or Zivzivadze. The attacking duo of Napoli and Karlsruhe can lead Georgia to the first European Championship in its history.
Zivzivadze felt it himself: the path from obscurity to fame can be very short.
