Following Georgia's surprise victory over Portugal, manager Samuel Saniol attended a press conference to share the pre-match arrangements, the team's style of play and their outlook for the future.
Talking about his pre-match instructions to the players, Saniol revealed that he encouraged them to play in their own style, stay disciplined and play boldly in possession. The players exceeded his expectations by performing well on the field and he was very pleased with that.
When asked how he felt about reaching the World Cup final as a player for France in 2006 and leading Georgia to the last 16 of the Euros today, Saniol said it was difficult to make a direct comparison between the two. He emphasized that he is very proud of his players as they have shown Georgia's image to the fullest in the three matches of this Euro.
Speaking about the style of the Georgian team, Saniol noted that, as a so-called "small" team, they had nothing to lose and were therefore more fearless in the game. He specifically mentioned that the team's only responsibility is to make the Georgian people proud of their players, which he believes the team has done in the best possible way.
Regarding the next opponent, Spain, Saniol said that it is a huge challenge. He admitted that Spain may be the best team in the group stage, but Georgia will fight with all their might from the first minute, as they have done throughout the tournament.
Finally, when asked when he thought Georgia would advance, Saniol confessed that he wasn't really sure his team had advanced until the referee blew the final whistle. He explained that in soccer, even if you play a great game, you can lose at the last minute, so he kept a nervous eye on the clock and wasn't relieved until the game was over.
