Hviča Kvarachelja cutting inside and dribbling towards the opposition goal is one of the most thrilling sights in football and the Georgian superstar hopes his magic from the wing can inspire Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.
“I play football because I love it and I’m always happy to be on the pitch,” the 25-year-old former Napoli man said on the eve of Monday’s first leg against the German champions in Paris.
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If the Premier League has become more focused on physicality and set-pieces this season, teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern have shown with their performances across Europe that football at the highest level is still a real pleasure to watch.
“Football has changed and it’s not the same game anymore, but of course it’s important to do beautiful things and I’m proud to do that,” added Kvaratskhelia, arguably the main driving force behind PSG’s surge to the brink of another Champions League final.
Kvaratzhelja, signed from Napoli in January last year, played a leading role in Luis Enrique’s side reaching the final and beating Inter Milan 5-0 to make PSG European champions for the first time.
He has had the most prolific season of his career this season, scoring 15 goals between Ligue 1 and the Champions League, surpassing the 14 he scored in 2023 when Napoli won the Serie A title.
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Eight of his goals this season have come in Europe, from a stunning strike against Atalanta in September to knockout goals against Chelsea and Liverpool.
This finishing ability combined with his immense work rate makes the player nicknamed “Kvaradona” by Napoli fans an absolute nightmare for opposition defences.
– Absent from the World Cup –
“I think technically I was doing just as well at Napoli, but with Luis Enrique I really improved defensively. He really pushed me,” said Kovaracchilia, who admitted that comparisons with Diego Maradona brought some pressure.
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“It’s also difficult to compare to Maradona sometimes because every time you go on the pitch you need to live up to that.”
However, Kvaratskhelia has hit his peak form at the right time, scoring seven goals in his last eight games.
Luis Enrique rested PSG on Saturday as they beat Angers 3-0 to take a big step towards retaining the Ligue 1 title – leaving them six points ahead of Lens with four games remaining.
But the Champions League is the main target and he will return against Bayern alongside Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé as PSG look to seize the advantage and win next week’s second leg against Munich.
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“We played a lot last season, so we were a little tired at the start of this season, but now I think we’re in really good physical shape,” Kovaratskhelia said.
As the World Cup approaches, it is regrettable that even if the size of the competition is expanded to 48 teams, players who are not strong enough for Georgia to advance will not be able to participate.
The Champions League is therefore more important to him, although Luis Enrique is adamant the World Cup will not distract any of his players from the prospect of more European glory.
“That’s the magic of the Champions League – it gives the players a special energy and everyone wants to play and make the most of this competition,” the Spanish coach said.
AS/BC
