Sports
Former Mancity striker set to become Georgia’s Far Right president
Georgian ex-footballer turned far-right politician Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become Tbilisi’s next figurehead president in an indirect election denounced as “illegitimate” by the current pro-EU leader
Picked by the governing Georgian Dream party as a loyalist, the former forward for the English Premier League’s Manchester City is known for his expletive-laden parliament speeches and tirades against government critics and LGBTQ people.
He is expected to be voted into the role by an electoral college controlled by Georgian Dream, after the party abolished the use of popular votes to elect the president under controversial constitutional changes passed in 2017.
Kavelashvili being catapulted to the role comes at a dramatic moment as thousands of anti-government protesters have flooded Tbilisi for weeks, furious at Georgian Dream for shelving EU accession talks.
Protesters have described Kavelashvili as a “puppet” of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder, who in turn has called him “the embodiment of a Georgian man”.
Sporting a moustache and combed back hair, his comments on LGBTQ people have raised alarm, as Georgian Dream has adopted Kremlin-style laws curbing their rights.
The ex-footballer slammed the West for wanting “as many people as possible (to be) neutral and tolerant toward the LGBTQ ideology, which supposedly defends the weak but is, in fact, an act against humanity.”
Football roots
Born in Georgia’s tiny southwestern town of Bolnisi in 1971, Kavelashvili began his career as a professional footballer in the 1980s, playing for clubs in Georgia and Russia and becoming a striker for his country’s national team.
The 53-year-old played for Manchester City between 1995-1997, scoring on debut against bitter crosstown rivals Manchester United.
He then joined Swiss club Grasshoppers, where he spent most of his time on the bench, before stints elsewhere in Switzerland at Zurich, Luzern, Sion, Aarau and Basel.
Kavelashvili was disqualified from running for president of the Georgian Football Federation in 2015 due to a lack of higher education, a requirement for the role.
He has served as an MP for Georgian Dream since 2016 and was elected to the legislature on the party’s list in October 2024 polls — which opposition groups say were rigged and do not recognise.
In 2022, Kavelashvili, alongside other Georgian Dream lawmakers, established a parliamentary faction called People’s Power — an anti-Western group that officially split from the governing party but was widely seen as its satellite.
far-right ideologies.
‘Oligarch’s puppet’
He is known for obscenity-laced statements against opponents and has accused Western leaders of trying to drag Georgia into Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Georgian Dream nominated Kavelashvili for the largely ceremonial post in late November, aiming to strengthen its grip on power.
But the nomination outraged many in Georgia, especially those who have been taking to the streets daily for two weeks to protest Georgian Dream’s drift from its aim of joining the EU.
On the 14th day of mass protests this week, demonstrators did not hold back in expressing their disdain for Kavelashvili.
“I can hardly imagine anyone less suited for the role of head of state,” historian Nika Gobronidze, 53, told AFP.
He said Ivanishvili, the businessman widely believed to be pulling the strings in Georgian politics, chose Kavelashvili as a tool he could control.
“Caligula wanted his horse to be a consul, our oligarch wants his puppet Kavelashvili to be a president,” he said, referring to the Roman emperor.
‘Illegitimate’
The new electoral process makes it a foregone conclusion that Kavelashvili will be the next president, with incumbent Salome Zurabishvili set to lose office.
But Kavelashvili will see his legitimacy undermined from the onset, with constitutional law experts — including an author of Georgia’s constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladze — saying the election will be “illegitimate”.
Tbilisi is currently engulfed in a constitutional crisis, with Zurabishvili demanding a re-run of October’s parliamentary elections.
Parliament had approved its own credentials in violation of a legal requirement to await a court decision on Zurabishvili’s bid to have the election results annulled.
Zurabishvili has declared the new parliament and government “illegitimate” and vowed not to step down at the end of her term on December 29 if Georgian Dream does not organise a fresh vote.
AFP
Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie emerged as some of the standout winners at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.
Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, clinched the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year title, beating contenders such as Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy.
South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams dominated the night, bagging both the Men’s Interclub Player of the Year and the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, known for her stellar performances, was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Full List of CAF Awards 2024 Winners
CAF Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe
Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly FC
Men’s National Team of the Year: Ivory Coast
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi
Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Faé
Goal of the Year: Mabululu (Angola)
Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed he wants to become president of the country’s football governing body to address a “deep crisis” the sport is facing nationally.
“I have hundreds of motivations, but I think the biggest of them is really to restore international respect to Brazilian football,” he said in an interview on Monday with the Globoesporte website.
Ronaldo said he wanted to be an “alternative for significant change” as candidate for the job of running the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
“O Fenomeno” (“The Phenomenon”), as the 48-year-old became known over the course of his 1993-2011 career, said he wants to use the CBF presidency to help Brazil’s national team to regain its glory as five-time world champions.
“The Selecao has to recover its prestige. I’ll do everything so that the players understand the historic importance of playing for the national team,” he said.
Ronaldo scored both goals when Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, and was twice winner of the Ballon d’Or.
To lodge his CBF candidacy, he needs the support of Brazilian regional clubs and federations.
To get those, he promised to travel “all around Brazil” and share the “incredible plans” he has for the sport.
The date of the next CBF election has not yet been set, but should happen between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Brazilian media.
‘Much deeper problem’
Current CBF chief Ednaldo Rodrigues has been criticized for slotting in temporary coaches for the national team after Tite’s 2022 exit while waiting for Carlo Ancelotti to arrive — something that did not happen when the Italian decided late last year to extend his contract as manager of Real Madrid.
Currently coached by Dorival Junior, the Selecao are fifth in South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup tournament, seven points behind leaders Argentina.
“My problem is not Ednaldo. The problem is much deeper. My goal is to bring the people closer to the Selecao. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays,” Ronaldo told Globoesporte.
“I am an alternative of significant change for Brazilian football, which is going through a deep crisis,” he said.
Ronaldo, a former star for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, already has leadership experience.
In 2018, he took majority control of Spain’s Real Valladolid, and in 2021 did the same for Cruzeiro, the Brazilian club where he started his career.
He sold his Cruzeiro stake in April this year.
In his interview, Ronaldo said he was in talks to “very soon” sell his Valladolid stake to avoid “any obstacle” to his CBF candidacy.
AFP
Alejandro Garnacho’s breathtaking bicycle kick against Everton has officially been crowned the 2024 FIFA Puskás Award winner, recognising the most spectacular goal of the year.
The Manchester United forward’s acrobatic effort, which left fans and pundits in awe, has etched his name into football history.
A Premier League video statement and announcement revealed this on Tuesday night.
The Manchester United winger’s breathtaking bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023 has now earned global recognition, solidifying its place in football history.
A club statement obtained from its website also disclosed this.
The announcement was made by football legend Alessandro Del Piero at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar.
Garnacho’s stunning strike, which had already claimed Manchester United’s Goal of the Season and the Premier League’s Goal of the Season for 2023/24, has now been deemed the very best in the world during the August 2023 to August 2024 qualifying period.
Reflecting on the incredible goal, Manchester United praised Garnacho’s moment of magic:
“Our no.17’s goal was simply stunning, as he somehow contorted his body to connect with Diogo Dalot’s cross in the early stages of our meeting with the Merseysiders.
The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect, leaving Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford helpless and all those in attendance – and watching on screens further afield – open-mouthed at the sheer brilliance of what they’d just witnessed.”
Garnacho’s achievement carries historic weight for the club. He becomes only the second Manchester United player to win the prestigious Puskás Award, following in the footsteps of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
United’s former iconic no.7 was the first-ever recipient of the award in 2009 for his long-range strike against Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Manchester United celebrated the milestone, emphasizing the caliber of past winners:
“Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Mohamed Salah, and Son Heung-min are among the iconic names to have followed in Ronaldo’s footsteps in the intervening years, although there have been some less-heralded winners, given the award’s nature, as it encompasses all levels of senior football.”
The voting process for the award was a combination of fan participation and deliberation by a panel of FIFA legends. Garnacho’s strike ultimately rose above 10 other nominated goals to claim the accolade, a testament to its technical brilliance and the moment’s significance.
The club concluded their statement with a message of pride and gratitude:
“Well done to our no.17 and thanks to all those who supported him. It’s a goal that we’ll cherish for years to come.”
For Garnacho, this recognition is not just a personal triumph but a moment of inspiration for Manchester United fans worldwide, celebrating what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable goals in recent football history.
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