Picture caption: Georgia have certified for the knockout stage of the European Championship for the primary time
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the previous prime minister of Georgia, has pledged to offer £8.4m to the nation’s soccer staff after they beat Portugal at Euro 2024.
Georgia, managed by former French defender Willy Sagnol, overcame Portugal 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday to qualify for the last-16 stage, the place they may face Spain.
Ivanishvili, who based the ruling Georgian Dream political occasion and have become prime minister of the nation in 2012, stated the win towards Portugal was a “historic and dream victory”.
The 68-year-old stated he would donate an extra £8.4m (30 million Georgian Lari) to the squad and training employees ought to in addition they beat Spain.
Ivanishvili was born in Georgia and established his fortune in Russia within the Nineteen Nineties with investments in banking, computer systems and metals.
His wealth is estimated by Forbes at round £3.87bn and the Georgian Dream occasion says the donations will come from Ivanishvili’s charitable basis.
Though he stepped down as prime minister after simply 12 months within the job, Ivanishvili nonetheless has an affect throughout the nation’s ruling occasion as its honorary chairman.
In April, many gamers from Georgia’s Euro 2024 squad spoke out towards the Georgian Dream occasion after the announcement of a regulation on “international brokers”.
The regulation, which was enacted in parliament in June, sparked among the greatest protests seen in Georgia for the reason that nation declared its independence in 1991 as critics stated the invoice threatened their civil liberties.
Georgia, who’re competing on the European Championship for the primary time, face Spain in Cologne on Sunday at 8pm BST.