Sagnol sacked by Georgia has brought an end to Willy Sagnol’s tenure as national team coach after the side suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Northern Ireland in its Nations League opener.
The decision was ratified on Sunday by the Georgian Football Federation, who have ended Sagnol’s tenure after over five years in charge. The former France international assumed leadership of the national team in February 2021 and has stepped down after overseeing the best ever era in Georgian football.
In 2024, Sagnol led the Georgia team to their first-ever European Championship qualification. The team then broke new ground in Germany, getting to the knockout phase from their group. But the last time the federation embarked on an international campaign, it was with a poor home record and one immediate change was made in the dugout.
The federation confirmed that Georgian coach Ramaz Svanadze will be staying until the end of 2028 as his replacement from Sagnol. “Svanadze will head up the squad replacing Frenchman Willy Sagnol as coach,” the federation says in its official statement.
The 48-year-old Sagnol played 58 international games for France and was a key player for Bayern Munich as a right-back. The qualification journey to a major European tournament and the first in Georgia’s history was a highlight of his coaching career. The Georgian federation expressed their appreciation for his work and the good times he had with the national team.
Previously, Svanadze had been in charge of the Georgia under-21 team, and now leads the senior team. He has had two spells as coach of the youth team in the European Championships.
His first job will be to put the senior team on a more solid footing following their rough start to the Nations League campaign. Now Georgia will be preparing for their next matchups under a new coach and Svanadze is determined to stay until 2028.
