Giorgi Tsitaishvili: "I didn't want to play for the Ukrainian national team"

Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Giorgi Tsitaishvili, who is currently playing on loan for Dynamo Batumi, spoke about his decision to change his football citizenship and not play for the Ukrainian national team.

- One of the highlights of your career is probably the World Youth Championship. Do you agree?

- Well, at the moment, from what I have played, this is one of the most memorable moments. But we also played for Georgia U-21 at the Euros for our country historically. The way we passed the group for the first time and reached the play-offs. And I think we had less than 1% chance of getting out of that group. That is, if we compare the favourites or not. But I think the most interesting things are yet to come. So I hope that there will be moments to be proud of.

- Artem Milevsky recently spoke about the $150,000 bonus he received for the 2006 World Cup. What did you receive for the Youth World Cup?

- I don't really like talking about finances. But I will say that it was much less than the amount you mentioned. I don't know how it was before, but I will say that after we were given the reward, it was not a fundamental topic or a major factor for us. The most important thing then was the victory and the World Cup that we have. It's great to have such an achievement. And the federation is doing its best. And that's all I'm thankful for. They could have given nothing, no one would have said anything, I think.

- Did you consider yourself a successful footballer after that moment?

- No, I didn't. Somewhere deep inside you consider yourself successful and feel that you have achieved what very few people can do. But success is still far away. Winning the U-20 World Cup is not the end of your career. I thought I was a successful player at the youth level. But not at the adult level. U-20 is still youth football.

- We have often seen that promising players after such triumphs at the youth level were lost later.

- Well, yes, that's what I'm saying. Adult football is unpredictable. You can stand out among young people, but then you won't be able to develop. Every footballer has his own time when he manages to open up. Someone is 18 years old, another is 23 years old, and the third is 28 years old. And there are many examples of people who did it late. You can even remember Leicester and half the team there. You have to work and wait for the moment to come, and then it will be where it should be.

- Is the psychological factor the main one at this time? It is to outgrow youth football.

- Yes, it is. Both psychology and playing time, self-confidence. The situation in the team, how the coaches treat you. If you feel needed in the team, there will be progress. It's just like in life. If your family doesn't need you, you won't feel comfortable. You won't grow as a person. There are footballers who were once said not to be in big football because they didn't have those virtues. Or some incredible data and speed, technique... But they play big football. Everything is decided by mentality, psychology and self-confidence. It gives a lot, I think, 70% of your success.

- Now you are a player of the Georgian national team. But you could play for Ukraine. What can you say about Serhii Rebrov's current team?

- I know Serhii Rebrov and all his assistants. They worked with me at the academy. I think that the current squad of the Ukrainian national team is not even 2% complete. Well, this is my opinion, because I know the coaching staff and they can give a lot to the national team of Ukraine. We just need a little more time for them to set up their tactics and game and for everyone to understand. I follow the matches of the Ukrainian national team, of course. It's a very good team and most of the players play in the top championships. I think all the top teams that play against Rebrov's team are never relaxed. Because you can expect anything from the Ukrainian national team.

- What chance does this team have of making it to the European Championships?

- If I were asked about my team and what chance they have, I would not answer this question. It's not very nice when people say loud words about a particular team and talk about the uncertainty of another. I think it's wrong. But I think the advantage is on the side of the Ukrainians. We'll see when the match takes place. I am rooting for, hoping for and worried about the Ukrainian national team. I have lived in Ukraine for a long time and was part of this team. Not the main team, but all age groups.

- Do you see yourself in this team's playing model? Would you be able to play?

- I could fit into Serhii Rebrov's tactics. But at the moment I don't think I would be called up to the national team camp. The way my career is not going up yet. It is either stable or in decline. If we evaluate it objectively, I believe that I would not get my chance to join the Ukrainian national team now. When I was in Poland, at Lech, I could have received an advance at some stage. There are many players in my position who play in top clubs. But it was not my priority to be called up as soon as possible. I'm talking about the period when I was still playing in Ukraine. My goal was to play for the Georgian national team. It didn't matter whether I had competition in the Ukrainian national team or not. I just wanted to play in the Georgian team.

- Had you made this decision for yourself long ago?

- Well, I had this goal in mind and my family knew about it. At that time I was in Ukraine and I had a Ukrainian passport. Why did I have a Ukrainian passport? Before that, I had a Georgian passport. But I gave it up. Because I needed a Ukrainian passport for the Dynamo Kyiv Academy to stay at the club. I had a dream to get into the first team of Dynamo Kyiv, so I took a passport. But I didn't have a dream of getting into the Ukrainian national team. It was only later, after the fact, when the years passed, that I was called up to the youth national teams of Ukraine, as I stood out. I had to play for these teams. I'm not saying I didn't want to. I wanted to help because I considered myself to be a Ukrainian in some way. But now I came with a Georgian passport because it is my dream to play for the Georgian national team. If someone says that I was not called up to the Ukrainian national team and I changed my passport, it is not true.

Nazariy Shmigil