Kvaratskhelia lifts lid on PSG v Inter Milan, a historic final | OneFootball

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 25-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia forward, spoke to Sports Illustrated to look back on the famous 2024-2025 Champions League final, won 5-0 against Inter Milan. He reflects on the build-up to the match, the strategy, and his special emotion.

Kvaratskhelia: “The most important thing is that we enjoy playing”

It is very difficult to win the Champions League; it may be the hardest trophy to win after the World Cup. I did not think I would win it in my first year.

The PSG family?

When we train, we enjoy being together. We try to train hard, and when we step onto the pitch, we know we are capable of anything. So, I think the most important thing is that we enjoy playing all together.

Inter?

I knew how Inter played because I had faced them several times. To beat them is not easy. They are very strong defensively and on the counterattack, and also from set pieces. We had to be ready to fight and stay very focused.

Before the match?

Everyone was calm and focused. There was not much time for jokes; everyone was serious. It was difficult to sleep.

Kvaratskhelia: “I remember his speech: ‘We are a big family.’”

How important was Marquinhos?

For him, this match was very, very important because he had already had several chances to win the Champions League. He is a true leader, and he gave us great motivation. I remember his speech: “We are a big family. We have worked very hard to reach the final. We have one step left to make our dreams come true. All our families, everyone is here, we have to play for them.”

What feeling did you have before the final?

At first you are a little nervous, but when the referee blows the whistle, you are locked in and you just have to do the job. The job you love.

Kvaratskhelia: “We kept attacking, without stopping.”

The special kickoff decided by Luis Enrique?

The match starts like that. Our strategy is to play in their half and be ready to press to win the ball back close to their box.

The big Champions League final win against Inter Milan?

“At 2-0, nothing was done. We had seen Inter beat Barca after coming back several times. They can score at any moment; it could have become 2-2 very quickly. I think the main reason we won 5-0 is because we kept attacking, without stopping.

Kvaratskhelia: “For us, it was like a gift. But they had no other options.”

Luis Enrique’s words at halftime?

We were very happy to be ahead, but I am pleased with the mentality. We wanted to score even more goals. We just wanted to kill the game. The coach told us to keep going the same way. I think we did a good job at halftime.

At 3-0, we knew we were close, but we had to stay very focused. With our style of play, opposing teams always sit deep in their box and leave us very little space. It is very difficult for us to attack because we lack space. But when we were 3-0 up, they knew they had to attack, and that gave us a lot of space to counterattack. For us, it was like a gift. But they had no other options.

Kvaratskhelia: “I wanted to make them happy. I am very proud.”

The goal I scored?

No Georgian had ever scored in a final, and I felt it was kind of my day. I really wanted to score (…) It felt like I ran for 10 minutes on that play (smile). I was the happiest man in the world, I did not know how to celebrate, Gonçalo Ramos came and hugged me, then everyone arrived (laughs). I am very proud. I come from a small country; it is difficult to have players winning major trophies. I knew everyone was watching me back home, and I wanted to make them happy. I am very proud. At that moment, I knew it was impossible to lose.

Kvaratskhelia: “We know that with this movement, it is difficult to press us and defend against us.”

The attacking setup?

We have Ousmane Dembélé up front. He has a lot of technical quality, he is fast, he can do whatever he wants on the pitch, so we give him the freedom to go wherever he wants. Since we know that Ousmane Dembélé is going to leave his central position, one of us has to come and occupy that space. If I am on the right side to get on the ball, then it will be up to Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola to move into the number 9 position.

But it does not work only with the attackers. If Nuno goes forward, one of us has to cover his position. I also create space for him by staying wide. It depends on the situation. We do not need to talk; we understand each other very well. We know that with this movement, it is difficult to press us and defend against us. We try to move around a lot.

Kvaratskhelia: “He told me after the final that he had said it before, and that we still have more to win.”

The celebrations?

It was a dream to win the Champions League, and I did it at 24. So I am very proud. When I arrived here, Luis Enrique told me that we could win everything. I trusted him, but it still seemed difficult to win the Champions League. He told me after the final that he had said it before, and that we still have more to win.

I will never forget that evening. Coming from a small country, I did not think I could become a champion of Europe. It was a crazy moment. Now it is in the past, and I know we can do it many more times. We want to win more titles for PSG.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.