Georgia head to Germany this summer, where they will compete in their very first major international tournament.
Having qualified through the play-offs, the small Caucasus country will have a chance to impress on the biggest stage.
Currently finding themselves 75th in FIFA’s World Rankings, they will be the lowest-seeded country at this summer's tournament.
Under the tutelage of former France international Willy Sagnol, however, the Georgians will feel they are not at the Euros to be whipping boys or to make up the numbers.
Having a top European goalkeeper in Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili and a genuine superstar in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they are certainly able to ruffle some feathers in an interesting group alongside Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
So, can the tournament debutants cause an upset and make a historic run out of the group, or will their first Euros experience be a humbling one?
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Sagnol searches for more Georgian history
A familiar name to many, Frenchman Willy Sagnol is a former Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, having also represented Saint-Etienne and Monaco in his playing career.
Having represented Les Bleus in the 2004 and 2008 editions of the tournament, Sagnol knows what it takes to go deep in the Euros, but this will be the first time he has managed on the international tournament stage.
His managerial career includes stints as under-21 boss for his birth nation, as well as a two-year period at Bordeaux and a spell as an assistant under Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern.
During his three years in charge, Sagnol has won 16 of his 33 games with Georgia.
The most momentous win of that tenure, a 2-0 home victory against Sweden, came at the end of 2022.
An intriguing aspect with Sagnol is that he has heavily been linked with the vacant Republic of Ireland job, so perhaps this may be the last dance for the 47-year-old, which he would want to end on a high with a solid performance in Germany.
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Play-off shootout joy
Georgia found themselves in a tricky qualifying group for Euro 2024 alongside Spain, Scotland and Norway.
The difficulty of the qualifying task was somewhat eased by the fact that they already had a play-off berth secured, having topped their Nations League group, also containing Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Gibraltar, the year before.
Home draws against Scotland and Norway were the highlight, whereas a 7-1 humbling in Tbilisi at the hands of Spain could be either seen as a freak result or a major cause for concern against a top nation.
It all came down to the play-offs, and with Georgia being the top seed, it was a case of two home wins being enough to progress.
The first step was a confident 2-0 victory against Luxembourg with Karlsruhe striker Budu Zivzivadze bagging a brace in the absence of suspended star man Kvaratskhelia.
The second, and final, game if they were to qualify was a tense affair against Greece.
The Greeks, led by former Brighton and Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, were huge favourites for the game but with minimal chances created by either side, it went a full 120 minutes with no goals.
A penalty shootout followed, which saw the hosts score four of their five spot kicks.
Mamardashvili saved from Tasos Bakasetas and Giorgos Giakoumakis dragged his attempt wide, and victory was sealed when Nika Kvekveskiri calmly slotted in his effort, sparking bedlam in the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena.
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‘Kvaradona’ - the key to success
If the Georgians are to have any joy at this tournament, there is no doubt who the key man will be.
While aforementioned goalkeeper Mamardashvili will be important and Metz striker Georges Mikautadze has the potential to catch fire, Kvaratskhelia is the undoubted star of this team.
Following spells in his homeland and Russia, Kvaratskhelia burst onto the scene during Napoli’s historic Serie A-winning campaign in 2022-23. His 12 goals and 10 assists helped deliver the Scudetto to Naples for the first time in nearly 25 years.
Dubbed ‘Kvaradona’ by Neapolitans, an ode to the one and only mercurial Argentine, the 23-year-old also claimed Serie A MVP and Champions League Young Player of the Season.
Much like his club side, Kvaratskhelia’s form took a dip this season, however, he did finish the season strongly, only finishing one goal shy of his tally from the previous campaign.
For his national team, he was the top scorer in qualifying with four goals and has found the back of the net in just over half of his international caps.
A pacy and skilful winger, Kvaratskhelia will never be afraid to take on a full-back, whether that be on the outside or cutting infield on his favoured right foot.
He also has a tendency to drop into space in the middle of the field and drive at defences. Do not be surprised to see him attempt a rasping drive from long range, a skill he most definitely has in his locker.
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Predicted Line-up
(3-4-3): Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Lasha Dvali (APOEL), Guram Kashia (Slovan Bratislava), Solomon Kvirkvelia (Al-Okhdood), Otar Kakabadze (Cracovia), Giorgi Kochorashvili (Levante), Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz), Levan Shengelia (Panetlikos), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli), Georges Mikautadze (Metz), Giorgi Chakvetadze (Watford).
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The Group
Georgia open their campaign against Turkey in Dortmund on June 18, at 5pm on BBC1.
They then take on the Czech Republic in Hamburg on June 22, at 2pm on BBC1.
They finish the group stage against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen on 26 June at 8pm on ITV.
Georgia head into the tournament with nothing to lose, having made history by simply booking their spot in Germany.
However, now that the have made it, Sagnol’s troops will be keen to show they can compete at this level.
The fixtures fall relatively kindly for them with Group F’s big boys, Portugal, not coming until the last game.
If Georgia can get a result against either Turkey or Czech Republic in the opening two contests, they will fancy themselves to finish in either second or third.
With third spot potentially being in play for the knockout rounds, there could be a scenario where the Georgians go into the Portugal game with qualification already secured.
They have proven they can be competitive against a higher level of competition, however, this may just be a step too far and it will be a surprise to see qualification from this group.
Regardless of whether they qualify to the Round of 16, Georgian fans will flock to Germany in huge numbers to witness history and will hope this is just the start of major tournament participation for their country.
