Georgia's extraordinary octopus caretaker jets off to set a new European Championship record
Georgi Mamardaschwili set a new record for Georgia in EURO history, successfully blocking numerous attacks from the Czech Republic, a feat that has not been seen before in EUROs. Fans have recognized the 23-year-old talent, as he came close to joining FC Bayern Munich last year. He blocked shots left, right, and center, using both his feet and head: Giorgi Mamardaschwili was almost omnipresent, securing a new record for Georgia with his impressive goalkeeping performance. "We were the better team, but the goalkeeper stopped us," lamented Czech player Patrik Schick. The 26 shots fired by Schick and his teammates failed to score a goal in the end. More than Schick's goal for the 1:1 final score emerged.
What left the Czechs in despair meant a new record for Georgia - or rather, for Mamardaschwili. According to "Südeutsche Zeitung," no team at an EURO had given away such a high number of shots without scoring a win since record-keeping began. It's no surprise that Georgia's EURO rookies were mainly celebrating their Kraken-like goalkeeper. "He played fantastically," said national coach Willy Sagnol in admiration.
"He would have been a worthy successor to Neuer"
Fans are not unfamiliar with Mamardaschwili. The 23-year-old came close to joining FC Bayern Munich last year, as he himself admitted, even scouting out homes in Munich. However, the deal ultimately failed due to the reported 35 million Euro transfer fee being too high for the German record champions. Mamardaschwili's performances did not falter, as he has been delivering week after week for FC Valencia in Spain since then.
German record national player Lothar Matthäus cannot understand why Bayern did not sign him at the time. "He would have certainly been a worthy successor to Manuel Neuer," Matthäus said at MagentaTV: "We missed out on a very, very good goalkeeper there." By now, the 1.97-meter-tall giant is already on the radar of other European top clubs. Mamardaschwili's EURO performances could drive the price even higher. "Good players who win titles cost more than 35 million."
Mamardaschwili is currently not thinking about his future, focusing instead on the EURO. The Georgians, who were noticeably present in the catacombs of the Volksparkstadion over the weekend, are not yet finished. The group finale against already EURO quarterfinalist Portugal is not the last chapter of Georgia's EURO fairy tale. With a win on Wednesday, the round of 16 beckons. Mamardaschwili is the key.
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Despite his impressive performance at the European Championship 2024, Georgi Mamardaschwili missed the opportunity to join FC Bayern Munich last year due to a reported high transfer fee. With his current EURO performances, Mamardaschwili is gaining interest from other European top clubs, potentially driving his price higher for the European Football Championship 2024.
