I had the opportunity to watch the three matches played by Georgia’s U21 team during the U21 Euro. Despite two solid performances and a third match played with a numerical disadvantage, Ramaz Svanadze’s men finished their campaign in 3rd place in a group that included Portugal, France, and Poland.
Against Poland and France, the young Georgians were set up in a 4-3-3 formation with a deep-lying midfielder during possession phases. They consistently favored short build-up play despite the pressing applied by their opponents and showed patience in their attacking moves. Without the ball, the formation shifted into a 4-5-1, with the wingers contributing defensively. The team maintained a high line, engaging in counter-pressing before falling back into a defensive block if they couldn’t recover possession quickly.
The final match against Portugal was affected by a red card given in just the second minute, which forced the Georgians to abandon their usual style, opting instead for long balls and retreating into their own final third.
Luka Kharatishvili
Club: Dinamo Batumi (Georgia)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Goalkeeper
Date of Birth: 11 January 2003
Luka Kharatishvili started several times during the competition, alternating between reassuring phases and moments of fragility. While he was not always well protected by his defense, his performances reflect a profile still in development, seeking consistency and composure.
Physically fit, Kharatishvili shows good reflexes on his line. He gets down quickly, allowing him to make several close-range reflex saves. His explosiveness on the ground is an asset when diving or reacting to surprise shots. However, his one-on-one interventions lack sharpness: often too late or hesitant, they expose his defense to dangerous situations.
With the ball, he shows a relatively clean short passing game. He willingly participates in the first phase of buildup, without taking excessive risks. His mid-range passing is used appropriately, though it still needs improvement. On the other hand, his long distributions are often inaccurate, lacking direction and technical quality. In aerial play, he catches some crosses with authority but still alternates with more nervous moments, as shown by a costly handling error.
In reading the game, Luka shows a desire to anticipate and be involved in the buildup. He positions himself well during possession phases, offering a short option to his defenders. Mentally, his tournament revealed a goalkeeper capable of staying focused and responding at key moments, with decisive saves in important situations. He shows some psychological resilience after mistakes, without collapsing entirely.
Luka Kharatishvili shows interesting potential, particularly through his agility and involvement in the passing game. However, technical and mental gaps still appear too frequently to be reassuring about his short-term ability to reach a higher level. He will need to improve his handling of one-on-one situations and the consistency of his performances to take on greater responsibilities.
Irakli Azarovi
Club: Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukrain)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Left-back
Date of Birth: 21 February 2002
Irakli Azarovi played as a left-back in the three matches observed. A clearly offensive-minded player, he regularly tried to energize the game through his initiative.
With a small build, Azarovi stands out for his liveliness and explosiveness. His acceleration is impressive, allowing him to outrun opponents in just a few strides. Agile and quick, he changes pace rapidly and uses his physique effectively to get past stronger opponents. However, his light frame can sometimes be a limitation in defensive duels and physical challenges.
Technically, Azarovi offers an overall interesting game, though at times inconsistent. Capable of impressive actions, particularly with cross-field passes, he can also lack consistency in simple passes, occasionally delivering them too softly or inaccurately. Conversely, he often demonstrates comfort on the ball through successful dribbles and quick turns. His ball control frequently allows him to attack while on the move.
Tactically, Azarovi shows a high work rate, regularly making himself available to receive the ball and actively contributing to offensive transitions. His forward positioning often creates interesting overlaps, though he can sometimes be late in pressing or in defensive recoveries. That said, he shows a good ability to intercept passes and can make decisive defensive runs.
Azarovi displays a proactive and determined attitude on the pitch. He does not hesitate to take offensive risks and often attempts difficult moves, showing strong confidence in his technical ability.
Irakli Azarovi has a profile clearly geared toward offense, taking advantage of undeniable quickness and technical ease. While he still needs to improve the consistency of his actions and his defensive efficiency, his ability to energize the left flank could appeal to teams looking for a modern and enterprising full-back. In the long term, he could establish himself at Shakhtar Donetsk and play for a club competing in European competitions.
Saba Sazonov
Club: Empoli (on loan from Torino)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Centre-back
Date of Birth: 01 February 2002
Saba Sazonov played as a right-sided central defender for Georgia against Poland and France. After a difficult season due to an ACL tear, Saba played 90 minutes for the first time this season, twice in a week.
Towering at 1.94 meters, the Georgian giant dominates in the air, with decent jumping ability. Sazonov’s heading game is solid, both in terms of power and timing, which earned him a header goal against France. Strong on his feet, he’s very hard to knock off balance in shoulder-to-shoulder duels. He physically dominated his opponent throughout the match. Saba finished the game with a bandage on his right knee.
Despite his imposing frame, Saba Sazonov is not clumsy with his feet. His ball control is clean, allowing him to follow up with his head up, keeping the game flowing. He’s capable of breaking lines with his passes into the heart of the play and plays with confidence and composure. While he prefers short passes, he also played some accurate long balls.
Saba Sazonov puts a lot of intensity into his game, constantly sticking to the receiver to prevent them from turning or picking up speed. At times, this intensity turns into aggression, with several heavy fouls, where he charged opponents from behind. Overall, it’s clear the tall center-back enjoys tough duels, often using his elbows and hands in battles.
Focused throughout the match, some moments of anger tainted his performance. He managed to completely throw the Poland’s striker off his game, so thoroughly did he dominate him in every aspect of play. Beyond the two fouls already mentioned, Saba Sazonov could have conceded a penalty against Poland after a regrettable action, placing his hands around an opponent’s neck, and did concede one versus France
Saba Sazonov is a kind of brute force who gladly accepts physical battles, especially in the air, relishing contact and imposing his physical presence. Despite that, he has genuine technical ability on the ball. After a season without appearances and a serious injury comeback, the U21 Euro was an opportunity to kickstart his career again—with the goal of convincing a club for next season, if Torino no longer believes in him. He left the pitch hurt in the last seconds of the France’s game and was out for the opposition with Portugal.
Luka Gagnidze
Club: Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Central midfielder
Date of Birth: 28 February 2003
Luka Gagnidze played an important role in the build-up phase within Georgia’s tactics versus Poland. He also played 55′ against France, before been bench against Portugal.
Relatively short, about 1.75m, Gagnidze doesn’t have an imposing build and seems light in certain duels, often knocked off balance easily upon contact. Endurant, he was able to maintain his effort for the full 90 minutes, until he was subbed off in the very final seconds of the match. Neither slow nor fast, his physical mobility is interesting thanks to his quick footwork and relatively low center of gravity, allowing him to turn efficiently. Despite his height, he’s able to extend his leg well for effective tackles.
There’s nothing particularly flashy about Luka Gagnidze’s game on the ball, apart from his technical accuracy. Very few turnovers, a clean and simple style of play that drastically reduces mistakes. Luka is capable of holding up the ball under pressure with his back to goal, and can even turn to beat his man — though he rarely utilizes this aspect of his game.
The young Georgian’s strengths lie in his off-the-ball play. Indeed, his tackling and positioning — both in possession and in defensive phases — are the cornerstones of his game. A true ball-winner, Gagnidze relieves his defense by often being in the right place at the right time, helping his team recover possession through tackles, blocks, or by pushing opponents back.
These traits, combined with a high level of combativeness, add significant value to the player, who also shows cognitive qualities in tactical understanding. On several occasions, Luka Gagnidze was seen giving tactical instructions to his teammates, showing a certain degree of leadership.
A true ball-retriever, Luka Gagnidze is a workhorse behind the scenes — a profile that often proves vital in the sporting success of clubs. However, his physical shortcomings and current lack of boldness in his game could significantly limit interest from clubs. Much like I reported on his compatriot Saba Sazonov, this U21 Euro was a key moment to reignite his career, which has been inconsistent recently.
Nobar Lominadze
Club: Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Central midfielder
Date of Birth: 04 april 2002
Positioned at the heart of the midfield in the three matches observed, Nodar Lominadze mainly played as a ball-winner, occasionally showing interesting qualities in building up play.
Athletically, Lominadze presents a solid profile, capable of holding his own in duels, although he often seemed to struggle physically towards the end of matches, notably appearing exhausted by the 77th minute of the second game. Despite his fighting spirit, his stamina appears to need improvement over the full course of a match.
Technically, some standout moments emerged from his performances, particularly in shielding the ball. However, frequent technical errors affected his overall output, such as unnecessary fouls following poor ball control. His technical level remains mixed, showing both effective moves and avoidable turnovers under pressure.
Lominadze stands out especially for his ability to win back possession. He makes numerous decisive interventions thanks to smart positioning and consistent tackling. His sense of anticipation often allows him to act effectively in key moments of the game. Comfortable in the buildup phase, he is capable of playing the ball out cleanly under pressure, contributing to the team’s fluidity and security in possession.
On the pitch, a certain nervousness occasionally emerges in his play, as shown by moments of frustration toward opponents. This also translates into avoidable yellow cards. Nevertheless, he is capable of staying composed in crucial situations, as seen in his goal against Poland and the defensive actions that followed.
Overall, Lominadze has an interesting profile as a defensive midfielder, an excellent ball-winner with good game reading. His ability to handle pressure and distribute the ball cleanly is a real asset. However, to take the next step, he will need to improve his technical consistency and, above all, better control his emotions to avoid unnecessary fouls and manage his physical effort over a full match.
Giorgi Kvernadze
Club: Frosinone (Italy tier 2)
Nationality: Georgia 🇬🇪
Position: Center forward
Date of Birth: 07 february 2003
Positioned as the central striker in the matches observed, Giorgi Kvernadze displayed a playing style defined by constant physical commitment and notable mobility.
Highly intense in duels, the Georgian forward is particularly aggressive physically, constantly seeking contact. He also stands out for his activity in aerial play, effectively using his athletic abilities. His great mobility allows him to move frequently across the entire attacking line, mainly favoring the right side.
Technically adequate overall, Kvernadze managed to produce some interesting actions, such as a well-placed shot on target. Despite these rare flashes, he remains limited in technical control under high pressure, with numerous turnovers that reduce his effectiveness in key areas of the pitch.
His positioning is one of his strengths, especially when he drops back to support his teammates. Nevertheless, when faced with compact and physical defenses, he often struggled to find solutions, forced to make tactical adjustments that were sometimes imprecise. His ability to drift wide, drop deep, and look to get behind the defense gives him a tactically versatile profile.
The mental aspect of Kvernadze is complex. He shows constant, sometimes excessive aggressiveness, which frequently leads to unnecessary bookings — collecting two yellow cards in three matches. His impulsive attitude puts him at risk of being sent off, revealing a hot-headed temperament. However, this same intensity can also serve to energize his team during key moments of a match.
His strong character and scrappy style are valuable for a team under pressure. I would have liked to see him more often in front of goal to better assess his finishing and decision-making in the final third. Currently playing in Italy’s second division, Kvernadze has an interesting potential for progression and could play in the top tier in the future.
Target Scouting 