Kvaratskhelia on Dembélé, Ruiz, Ballon d'Or, celebration and socks | OneFootball

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 25-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia forward, spoke to The Athletic about a number of topics. In particular, his teammates Ousmane Dembélé (29-year-old forward) and Fabian Ruiz (30-year-old midfielder), but also his celebration, his role as a role model in his country, and the way he wears his socks during matches.

Kvaratskhelia: “He always does things like that; for us, it’s nothing new. That’s Ousmane.”

The 5-4 against Bayern?

It was a crazy match. That game will remain in football history forever. It was a privilege to play in that match.

The World Cup?

I only watched my teammates’ matches. Sometimes, I couldn’t sleep because of them.

Dembélé’s hat-trick against Norway?

I watched that match. We see it in PSG games. He always does things like that; for us, it’s nothing new. That’s Ousmane.

Kvaratskhelia: “He is so underrated, because his understanding of football is truly incredible.”

Ruiz?

He is so underrated, because his understanding of football is truly incredible. I can’t remember who said this about (Sergio) Busquets: “When you watch a match, you don’t see Busquets, but when you watch Busquets, you see football.” It’s the same with Fabi: you don’t necessarily notice him, but his ability to understand the game and the way he controls it... the tempo he imposes is on a completely different level.

Is the Ballon d’Or a topic in the dressing room?

Sometimes. When I arrived here, when we had won everything and Ousmane had won the Ballon d’Or, I told him that I had come to help him win the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League.

Do you think you can win it?

If you ask any player, we don’t really think about individual trophies; they come as a result of the team’s success. As for the people who make the decision (for the Ballon d’Or), that’s their job.

Kvaratskhelia: “I scored a goal right after that, so I told myself it might be lucky.”

Why play with your socks rolled down?

It was my first match with Napoli and I started getting cramps after 35 minutes. Maybe I was stressed because it was my first game. Usually, I wore my socks high, like everyone else.

I thought lowering them might help relieve my cramps. I scored a goal right after that, so I told myself it might be lucky. Since then, I haven’t changed that habit.

Kvaratskhelia: “We respect everyone, but on the pitch, we just want to dominate.”

Why that celebration?

Basketball. Achraf (Hakimi) and I were playing NBA together and one day I told him that if I scored, I would do that celebration, inspired by those of most NBA players. After that, I simply kept it.

Any particular reason for PSG’s strength against Premier League clubs?

I don’t think there’s anything special. We respect everyone, but on the pitch, we just want to dominate.

Kvaratskhelia: “I show them that anything is possible”

Is there extra pressure in being a role model in Georgia?

It’s a pleasure to be a role model for Georgian children, but it obviously comes with a certain amount of pressure: every time you step onto the pitch, you have to set an example, because they watch our every move. Coming from a small country and succeeding means being an example. I show them that anything is possible and that if you have a dream, you can achieve it.

Kvaratskhelia: “I had never seen that before arriving here.”

Your favorite nickname?

My favorite is Kvaradona. I’m really proud to have played in Naples. Being called that is both a privilege and a pressure, because it is very difficult to deal with a comparison to one of the best footballers in history. No one can compete with Maradona, but it’s a pleasure.

What would you like to take from Dembélé?

His ability to play with both feet, the way he keeps the ball and accelerates with it. I had never seen that before arriving here. His talent is on another level.

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