Georgia have dismissed Willy Sagnol as head coach and appointed Ramaz Svanadze on a contract until the end of 2028, the Georgian Football Federation announced on Saturday after Friday’s 1–0 Nations League home defeat by Northern Ireland.
Svanadze steps up from Georgia’s Under-21 side, which he has led for the past five years, and will take charge of Monday’s Group B2 fixture against Ukraine in Tbilisi.
Federation confirms change
The federation’s press service said the national team will be led by the Georgian specialist until the end of 2028, with Svanadze replacing the Frenchman. Local outlets published the full statement, which thanked Sagnol “for every minute spent in the Georgian national team and for the emotions we went through together on this historic path.” Reuters reported the same decision and quote on Saturday.
Sagnol had been in charge since February 2021. Under him Georgia played 57 matches and reached a first major tournament at UEFA Euro 2024, advancing from the group stage before losing to eventual winners Spain in the round of 16. Results since then, including a World Cup qualifying campaign in which Georgia lost five of six group games and Friday’s late loss to Northern Ireland in Tbilisi, left the federation ready to move on.
Who is Ramaz Svanadze
Svanadze arrives with a clear youth pathway record. The federation noted he took Georgia’s Under-21s to the final tournament of the European Under-21 Championship twice. For the three remaining Under-21 qualifying matches, his assistant Giorgi Adamia will take temporary charge of the age-group side.
His first senior assignment is immediate: Georgia host Ukraine on Monday in Nations League B Group 2, then continue a busy October window. Northern Ireland’s stoppage-time winner in Tbilisi — Shea Charles after brother Pierce had saved a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia penalty — was Sagnol’s final match in charge.
What happens next
Monday’s home game against Ukraine is the first test of the new era. Georgia still face Northern Ireland again later in the window, while the federation’s long contract for Svanadze signals a preference for continuity from the Under-21 setup rather than another short-term foreign appointment.
BetAlert covered Friday’s result separately: Shea Charles strikes late for Northern Ireland in Georgia.