Ligue 1 interest skyrockets in Georgia | OneFootball

It perhaps comes as no surprise, but Ligue 1 interest in Georgia has skyrocketed, according to David Labrune, International Media Rights Director of the LFP.

Ligue 1 clubs have been buying Georgia’s most exciting players in recent months. Lyon-born Georges Mikautadze has become a staple in the top-flight. His exploits with FC Metz in Ligue 2 earned him a move to Ajax but just months later, in January 2024, he returned to France, re-joining Metz before then joining Olympique Lyonnais in the summer. After a slow start to life at OL, he has now found his rhythm, netting 13 goals and registering eight assists in all competitions.

Zuriko Davitashvili, like Mikautadze, also got his break in Ligue 1 with Girondins de Bordeaux. He too is excelling having registered 11 goal contributions (seven goals, four assists) for AS Saint-Étienne this season, aiding Les Verts’ survival efforts.

Then there is the star attraction – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Unlike his compatriots who ply their trade in Ligue 1, Kvaratskhelia made his name abroad for Napoli before joining Paris Saint-Germain for €70m in January. He has made 14 appearances since joining PSG and played an important role in the club’s progression in the UEFA Champions League, at Liverpool’s expense.

There is something of a Golden Age of talent in Georgia and with three of the most prominent figures in that footballing revolution playing in France, eyes in Georgia are naturally fixed on Ligue 1.

“In Georgia, we are not far away from being the number one league. It is a reward for our finer approach, adapted to this precise market and boosted by the news (the arrival of Kvaratskhelia),” Labrune told L’Équipe. Compilations of the aforementioned three Georgian players have created an excitement in the Caucasus state that is now spilling over into a more general interest in the league.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle