What do you need to become a cherished household name? Vast quantities of talent usually help, but often it takes a catchy moniker to seal the deal. Think Elvis, The Rock or the recently departed Pelé. Punchy, brief… and ripe for slapping on a poster. Every now and again, however, an individual can make the almost unpronounceable trip off the tongue, forcing their way into conversations thanks to a fabulous set of deeds. Hence why Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the name on a lot of lips this season.
Few players embody the word ‘revelation’ in this Champions League campaign. From being welcomed with “Who?” and “Kva-what?” upon joining Napoli from Dinamo Batumi last July, the Georgian winger has emerged as one of the competition’s most devastating weapons, announcing his arrival with two goals and three assists in his first ever group stage. And to think, last season the only ‘KK’ on people’s minds in the Bay of Naples was Kalidou Koulibaly, the much-loved, Chelsea-bound central defender, while the left flank was the property of captain and local boy Lorenzo Insigne.
It’s tricky to think of a relative unknown who has made such an instant splash in Italy. Andriy Shevchenko monstered defences during his first year in Serie A but had already shone with Dynamo Kyiv. Kaká took to calcio with ease having previously lifted the World Cup as a junior member of Brazil’s 2002 squad. No one knew what to expect from Kvaratskhelia, and replacing Insigne – who left Europe for Toronto FC – looked to be a daunting task… on paper. Half a year later, KK mark II is the darling of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and his admirers aren’t limited to Azzurri fans.
Fabrizio Ravanelli, who won the Champions League with Juventus in 1995/96, has described Kvaratskhelia as part of a dying breed, an unpredictable attacker who refuses to follow patterns or routines. “I want to thank Fabrizio for his kind words,” ‘Kvara’ tells Champions Journal. “This is the first time I’ve heard that. It’s very nice to be praised by a person like him. I don’t really like talking about myself in general, so I’ll leave that to the media and the people who understand football well.”
Luckily, it doesn’t take deep knowledge of the game to appreciate his gifts. The left winger combines supersonic pace with excellent end product, providing for others or finishing in a variety of styles with either foot. Luciano Spalletti’s swashbuckling Napoli team play direct, vertical football, snaring rivals before launching quicksilver counterattacks. If you lose the ball near the halfway line and it rolls into KK’s stride, the next thing on your agenda is pain.
Liverpool and Ajax really suffered at the 22-year-old’s hands in the group stage. His goal in Amsterdam was a gem, a slick one-two with Giacomo Raspadori and then a ridiculously calm finish into the far corner from close range. But it was the assist for Giovanni Simeone at home to Liverpool that truly put KK on the map. Starting on the left touchline, he outwitted and outran Trent Alexander-Arnold before zooming into the area and shaking off the more muscular Joe Gomez to cross into the gap between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
In short, he put it on a plate for Simeone. And the dancing Georgian has now earned an incredibly prestigious nickname for his efforts, Napoli fans evoking the club’s all-time greatest legend to come up with ‘Kvaradona’. “At first, it seemed a bit unbelievable because having my name associated with such a player wasn’t something I’d expected, but it gave me a great boost,” he says. “I didn’t know how to react, whether to say thank you. I’m gradually getting used to it and I must say I’m very pleased because being likened to a player like him is wonderful.”
It sounds almost blasphemous, but Kvaratskhelia has actually made a better start in light blue than Maradona. The Argentina No10 spent the first half of his debut season in Italy (1984/85) tweaking his approach, working out whether to rely on pure speed or clever, evasive movement. Once he understood the best way to free himself from defenders, he made history, winning two league titles and a UEFA Cup, becoming a near deity in the passionate metropolis. The Campania capital can intimidate or overwhelm people, so what does the shy young man from Tbilisi think of his bustling new home?
“What impressed me most was that people really live for football here. When I go out, I see that this city lives for football. They love football and they worship Maradona especially. Wherever you look, you see Maradona. Cab drivers have Maradona painted on the back of their cars. Maradona is treated like a god here. They adore football and live for it in these parts.”
It’s surreal to recall that Kvaratskhelia was playing in the Georgian championship only last spring. Did he truly believe that such a stellar start to Champions League life was possible? “It was probably a bit hard to imagine. Not only about playing in the Champions League but also playing for a Serie A team. I just felt like I was in a dream. But, having analysed the situation and having realised I was playing at another level, I needed to prepare physically for matches differently: adjusting my gym workouts, among other things. In my opinion, I adapted and got used to the situation fairly quickly.”
Adapting quickly is a skill he had needed to master before. When Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, Kvaratskhelia was playing for Russian club Rubin Kazan. His contract was suspended shortly after and he was forced to head home to Georgia, signing for Batumi – a backwards step perhaps, but one he made sure to embrace. Indeed, his return soon injected fresh enthusiasm into the Georgian game.
“People were ready to come back and be more involved in football,” he says. “Lots of matches were sell-outs and the atmosphere was something Georgian football had been missing. The players had been missing it very much too. The stimulus that fans can give is invaluable and unique, and it’s hard to get that extra bit of motivation without them. There are some terrific players in the Georgian league, and they can improve and be complete players. I would encourage anybody to go and attend matches and support them whenever they can.”
In his own career, Kvaratskhelia has taken inspiration from a variety of sources, not least his family. His father Badri is a former Azerbaijani international turned coach and, by all accounts, a big influence. “My father’s advice played a great role because he was always happy to offer me guidance and tips after every match,” he says. “It was a very educational experience; I learned a lot from him. But it was my mother who used to take me to training sessions. No matter the weather, she would be there waiting for me until the session ended. My parents have been instrumental in my career.”
Another major figure resided further afield, in Madrid: “I really admired Guti, and I found a white T-shirt and wrote a number 14 on the back with a marker pen.” He retains a soft spot for Real Madrid, but nowadays he does not need to pass his time improvising DIY football kits. Instead, he spends his free moments enjoying prestige television series, particularly the 2000s classic Prison Break (“I’m watching it for the third time with a friend”).
Closer to the present, Kvaratskhelia has also been catching up on the most recent episodes of Stranger Things, which seems curiously fitting. After all, the first series featured a supernaturally gifted, quiet young phenomenon with an unusual name who arrived from nowhere to shake things up. Remind you of anyone?
It’s hard to understate the impact Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is having on Georgian football. Stroll through the streets of Tbilisi when Napoli are playing and you will literally hear a roar from open-windowed apartment buildings when our young sensation scores. This is a football country and it’s great to have someone to cheer for again.
Bars are full when Napoli play and since October you can actually fly direct from the Georgian capital to Naples to watch our hero in action. Even my 87-year-old great-aunt Mary wants to know everything about Kvara and I’ve never heard her talk about football.
Georgians living in Italy, meanwhile, report a noticeable warming of attitudes towards them.
It’s just uplifting to watch this kid from our town take Europe by storm. He’s already scored ten times in 19 games for Georgia, but seeing him shine in the Champions League is something else. He’s a breath of fresh air – positive, humble and just loves being out on the pitch. When I talk to him via Zoom for Champions Journal, you can sense he still has the fresh-faced excitement of a boy in love with the game.
Despite the pressures of playing in a hotbed like Naples, he even seems more mature now, less prone to anger when a decision goes against him or he is clattered by a defender who has been turned inside out once too often. He lives a sheltered life in Naples and having his parents alongside him has certainly helped the adjustment.
Kvara arrived in Italy with a ringing endorsement from the mayor of Tbilisi – Kakha Kaladze, who during his playing days became the only Georgian to win the European Cup when he twice lifted the trophy with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Kaladze was a defender, though, so perhaps it’s more natural to draw comparisons with the trickery of Georgi Kinkladze – but he was more of a playmaker than an out-and-out attacker and never excelled at this level.
Certainly not in the way Kvara did on opening night against Liverpool when he confirmed what we had been hoping – this kid is the real deal. The Reds hold a special place in the history of Georgian football after Dinamo Tbilisi knocked them out in the first round of the 1979/80 European Cup, hitting back from a 2-1 loss at Anfield with a 3-0 home win in a very British downpour in front of a reported 92,000 fans. There are still many Georgians who support Liverpool to this day, but even they would have felt a twinge of pride watching one of our own beat the best on that warm September night in Naples.
What do you need to become a cherished household name? Vast quantities of talent usually help, but often it takes a catchy moniker to seal the deal. Think Elvis, The Rock or the recently departed Pelé. Punchy, brief… and ripe for slapping on a poster. Every now and again, however, an individual can make the almost unpronounceable trip off the tongue, forcing their way into conversations thanks to a fabulous set of deeds. Hence why Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the name on a lot of lips this season.
Few players embody the word ‘revelation’ in this Champions League campaign. From being welcomed with “Who?” and “Kva-what?” upon joining Napoli from Dinamo Batumi last July, the Georgian winger has emerged as one of the competition’s most devastating weapons, announcing his arrival with two goals and three assists in his first ever group stage. And to think, last season the only ‘KK’ on people’s minds in the Bay of Naples was Kalidou Koulibaly, the much-loved, Chelsea-bound central defender, while the left flank was the property of captain and local boy Lorenzo Insigne.
It’s tricky to think of a relative unknown who has made such an instant splash in Italy. Andriy Shevchenko monstered defences during his first year in Serie A but had already shone with Dynamo Kyiv. Kaká took to calcio with ease having previously lifted the World Cup as a junior member of Brazil’s 2002 squad. No one knew what to expect from Kvaratskhelia, and replacing Insigne – who left Europe for Toronto FC – looked to be a daunting task… on paper. Half a year later, KK mark II is the darling of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and his admirers aren’t limited to Azzurri fans.
Fabrizio Ravanelli, who won the Champions League with Juventus in 1995/96, has described Kvaratskhelia as part of a dying breed, an unpredictable attacker who refuses to follow patterns or routines. “I want to thank Fabrizio for his kind words,” ‘Kvara’ tells Champions Journal. “This is the first time I’ve heard that. It’s very nice to be praised by a person like him. I don’t really like talking about myself in general, so I’ll leave that to the media and the people who understand football well.”
Luckily, it doesn’t take deep knowledge of the game to appreciate his gifts. The left winger combines supersonic pace with excellent end product, providing for others or finishing in a variety of styles with either foot. Luciano Spalletti’s swashbuckling Napoli team play direct, vertical football, snaring rivals before launching quicksilver counterattacks. If you lose the ball near the halfway line and it rolls into KK’s stride, the next thing on your agenda is pain.
Liverpool and Ajax really suffered at the 22-year-old’s hands in the group stage. His goal in Amsterdam was a gem, a slick one-two with Giacomo Raspadori and then a ridiculously calm finish into the far corner from close range. But it was the assist for Giovanni Simeone at home to Liverpool that truly put KK on the map. Starting on the left touchline, he outwitted and outran Trent Alexander-Arnold before zooming into the area and shaking off the more muscular Joe Gomez to cross into the gap between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
In short, he put it on a plate for Simeone. And the dancing Georgian has now earned an incredibly prestigious nickname for his efforts, Napoli fans evoking the club’s all-time greatest legend to come up with ‘Kvaradona’. “At first, it seemed a bit unbelievable because having my name associated with such a player wasn’t something I’d expected, but it gave me a great boost,” he says. “I didn’t know how to react, whether to say thank you. I’m gradually getting used to it and I must say I’m very pleased because being likened to a player like him is wonderful.”
It sounds almost blasphemous, but Kvaratskhelia has actually made a better start in light blue than Maradona. The Argentina No10 spent the first half of his debut season in Italy (1984/85) tweaking his approach, working out whether to rely on pure speed or clever, evasive movement. Once he understood the best way to free himself from defenders, he made history, winning two league titles and a UEFA Cup, becoming a near deity in the passionate metropolis. The Campania capital can intimidate or overwhelm people, so what does the shy young man from Tbilisi think of his bustling new home?
“What impressed me most was that people really live for football here. When I go out, I see that this city lives for football. They love football and they worship Maradona especially. Wherever you look, you see Maradona. Cab drivers have Maradona painted on the back of their cars. Maradona is treated like a god here. They adore football and live for it in these parts.”
It’s surreal to recall that Kvaratskhelia was playing in the Georgian championship only last spring. Did he truly believe that such a stellar start to Champions League life was possible? “It was probably a bit hard to imagine. Not only about playing in the Champions League but also playing for a Serie A team. I just felt like I was in a dream. But, having analysed the situation and having realised I was playing at another level, I needed to prepare physically for matches differently: adjusting my gym workouts, among other things. In my opinion, I adapted and got used to the situation fairly quickly.”
Adapting quickly is a skill he had needed to master before. When Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, Kvaratskhelia was playing for Russian club Rubin Kazan. His contract was suspended shortly after and he was forced to head home to Georgia, signing for Batumi – a backwards step perhaps, but one he made sure to embrace. Indeed, his return soon injected fresh enthusiasm into the Georgian game.
“People were ready to come back and be more involved in football,” he says. “Lots of matches were sell-outs and the atmosphere was something Georgian football had been missing. The players had been missing it very much too. The stimulus that fans can give is invaluable and unique, and it’s hard to get that extra bit of motivation without them. There are some terrific players in the Georgian league, and they can improve and be complete players. I would encourage anybody to go and attend matches and support them whenever they can.”
In his own career, Kvaratskhelia has taken inspiration from a variety of sources, not least his family. His father Badri is a former Azerbaijani international turned coach and, by all accounts, a big influence. “My father’s advice played a great role because he was always happy to offer me guidance and tips after every match,” he says. “It was a very educational experience; I learned a lot from him. But it was my mother who used to take me to training sessions. No matter the weather, she would be there waiting for me until the session ended. My parents have been instrumental in my career.”
Another major figure resided further afield, in Madrid: “I really admired Guti, and I found a white T-shirt and wrote a number 14 on the back with a marker pen.” He retains a soft spot for Real Madrid, but nowadays he does not need to pass his time improvising DIY football kits. Instead, he spends his free moments enjoying prestige television series, particularly the 2000s classic Prison Break (“I’m watching it for the third time with a friend”).
Closer to the present, Kvaratskhelia has also been catching up on the most recent episodes of Stranger Things, which seems curiously fitting. After all, the first series featured a supernaturally gifted, quiet young phenomenon with an unusual name who arrived from nowhere to shake things up. Remind you of anyone?
It’s hard to understate the impact Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is having on Georgian football. Stroll through the streets of Tbilisi when Napoli are playing and you will literally hear a roar from open-windowed apartment buildings when our young sensation scores. This is a football country and it’s great to have someone to cheer for again.
Bars are full when Napoli play and since October you can actually fly direct from the Georgian capital to Naples to watch our hero in action. Even my 87-year-old great-aunt Mary wants to know everything about Kvara and I’ve never heard her talk about football.
Georgians living in Italy, meanwhile, report a noticeable warming of attitudes towards them.
It’s just uplifting to watch this kid from our town take Europe by storm. He’s already scored ten times in 19 games for Georgia, but seeing him shine in the Champions League is something else. He’s a breath of fresh air – positive, humble and just loves being out on the pitch. When I talk to him via Zoom for Champions Journal, you can sense he still has the fresh-faced excitement of a boy in love with the game.
Despite the pressures of playing in a hotbed like Naples, he even seems more mature now, less prone to anger when a decision goes against him or he is clattered by a defender who has been turned inside out once too often. He lives a sheltered life in Naples and having his parents alongside him has certainly helped the adjustment.
Kvara arrived in Italy with a ringing endorsement from the mayor of Tbilisi – Kakha Kaladze, who during his playing days became the only Georgian to win the European Cup when he twice lifted the trophy with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Kaladze was a defender, though, so perhaps it’s more natural to draw comparisons with the trickery of Georgi Kinkladze – but he was more of a playmaker than an out-and-out attacker and never excelled at this level.
Certainly not in the way Kvara did on opening night against Liverpool when he confirmed what we had been hoping – this kid is the real deal. The Reds hold a special place in the history of Georgian football after Dinamo Tbilisi knocked them out in the first round of the 1979/80 European Cup, hitting back from a 2-1 loss at Anfield with a 3-0 home win in a very British downpour in front of a reported 92,000 fans. There are still many Georgians who support Liverpool to this day, but even they would have felt a twinge of pride watching one of our own beat the best on that warm September night in Naples.
What do you need to become a cherished household name? Vast quantities of talent usually help, but often it takes a catchy moniker to seal the deal. Think Elvis, The Rock or the recently departed Pelé. Punchy, brief… and ripe for slapping on a poster. Every now and again, however, an individual can make the almost unpronounceable trip off the tongue, forcing their way into conversations thanks to a fabulous set of deeds. Hence why Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the name on a lot of lips this season.
Few players embody the word ‘revelation’ in this Champions League campaign. From being welcomed with “Who?” and “Kva-what?” upon joining Napoli from Dinamo Batumi last July, the Georgian winger has emerged as one of the competition’s most devastating weapons, announcing his arrival with two goals and three assists in his first ever group stage. And to think, last season the only ‘KK’ on people’s minds in the Bay of Naples was Kalidou Koulibaly, the much-loved, Chelsea-bound central defender, while the left flank was the property of captain and local boy Lorenzo Insigne.
It’s tricky to think of a relative unknown who has made such an instant splash in Italy. Andriy Shevchenko monstered defences during his first year in Serie A but had already shone with Dynamo Kyiv. Kaká took to calcio with ease having previously lifted the World Cup as a junior member of Brazil’s 2002 squad. No one knew what to expect from Kvaratskhelia, and replacing Insigne – who left Europe for Toronto FC – looked to be a daunting task… on paper. Half a year later, KK mark II is the darling of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and his admirers aren’t limited to Azzurri fans.
Fabrizio Ravanelli, who won the Champions League with Juventus in 1995/96, has described Kvaratskhelia as part of a dying breed, an unpredictable attacker who refuses to follow patterns or routines. “I want to thank Fabrizio for his kind words,” ‘Kvara’ tells Champions Journal. “This is the first time I’ve heard that. It’s very nice to be praised by a person like him. I don’t really like talking about myself in general, so I’ll leave that to the media and the people who understand football well.”
Luckily, it doesn’t take deep knowledge of the game to appreciate his gifts. The left winger combines supersonic pace with excellent end product, providing for others or finishing in a variety of styles with either foot. Luciano Spalletti’s swashbuckling Napoli team play direct, vertical football, snaring rivals before launching quicksilver counterattacks. If you lose the ball near the halfway line and it rolls into KK’s stride, the next thing on your agenda is pain.
Liverpool and Ajax really suffered at the 22-year-old’s hands in the group stage. His goal in Amsterdam was a gem, a slick one-two with Giacomo Raspadori and then a ridiculously calm finish into the far corner from close range. But it was the assist for Giovanni Simeone at home to Liverpool that truly put KK on the map. Starting on the left touchline, he outwitted and outran Trent Alexander-Arnold before zooming into the area and shaking off the more muscular Joe Gomez to cross into the gap between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
In short, he put it on a plate for Simeone. And the dancing Georgian has now earned an incredibly prestigious nickname for his efforts, Napoli fans evoking the club’s all-time greatest legend to come up with ‘Kvaradona’. “At first, it seemed a bit unbelievable because having my name associated with such a player wasn’t something I’d expected, but it gave me a great boost,” he says. “I didn’t know how to react, whether to say thank you. I’m gradually getting used to it and I must say I’m very pleased because being likened to a player like him is wonderful.”
It sounds almost blasphemous, but Kvaratskhelia has actually made a better start in light blue than Maradona. The Argentina No10 spent the first half of his debut season in Italy (1984/85) tweaking his approach, working out whether to rely on pure speed or clever, evasive movement. Once he understood the best way to free himself from defenders, he made history, winning two league titles and a UEFA Cup, becoming a near deity in the passionate metropolis. The Campania capital can intimidate or overwhelm people, so what does the shy young man from Tbilisi think of his bustling new home?
“What impressed me most was that people really live for football here. When I go out, I see that this city lives for football. They love football and they worship Maradona especially. Wherever you look, you see Maradona. Cab drivers have Maradona painted on the back of their cars. Maradona is treated like a god here. They adore football and live for it in these parts.”
It’s surreal to recall that Kvaratskhelia was playing in the Georgian championship only last spring. Did he truly believe that such a stellar start to Champions League life was possible? “It was probably a bit hard to imagine. Not only about playing in the Champions League but also playing for a Serie A team. I just felt like I was in a dream. But, having analysed the situation and having realised I was playing at another level, I needed to prepare physically for matches differently: adjusting my gym workouts, among other things. In my opinion, I adapted and got used to the situation fairly quickly.”
Adapting quickly is a skill he had needed to master before. When Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, Kvaratskhelia was playing for Russian club Rubin Kazan. His contract was suspended shortly after and he was forced to head home to Georgia, signing for Batumi – a backwards step perhaps, but one he made sure to embrace. Indeed, his return soon injected fresh enthusiasm into the Georgian game.
“People were ready to come back and be more involved in football,” he says. “Lots of matches were sell-outs and the atmosphere was something Georgian football had been missing. The players had been missing it very much too. The stimulus that fans can give is invaluable and unique, and it’s hard to get that extra bit of motivation without them. There are some terrific players in the Georgian league, and they can improve and be complete players. I would encourage anybody to go and attend matches and support them whenever they can.”
In his own career, Kvaratskhelia has taken inspiration from a variety of sources, not least his family. His father Badri is a former Azerbaijani international turned coach and, by all accounts, a big influence. “My father’s advice played a great role because he was always happy to offer me guidance and tips after every match,” he says. “It was a very educational experience; I learned a lot from him. But it was my mother who used to take me to training sessions. No matter the weather, she would be there waiting for me until the session ended. My parents have been instrumental in my career.”
Another major figure resided further afield, in Madrid: “I really admired Guti, and I found a white T-shirt and wrote a number 14 on the back with a marker pen.” He retains a soft spot for Real Madrid, but nowadays he does not need to pass his time improvising DIY football kits. Instead, he spends his free moments enjoying prestige television series, particularly the 2000s classic Prison Break (“I’m watching it for the third time with a friend”).
Closer to the present, Kvaratskhelia has also been catching up on the most recent episodes of Stranger Things, which seems curiously fitting. After all, the first series featured a supernaturally gifted, quiet young phenomenon with an unusual name who arrived from nowhere to shake things up. Remind you of anyone?
It’s hard to understate the impact Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is having on Georgian football. Stroll through the streets of Tbilisi when Napoli are playing and you will literally hear a roar from open-windowed apartment buildings when our young sensation scores. This is a football country and it’s great to have someone to cheer for again.
Bars are full when Napoli play and since October you can actually fly direct from the Georgian capital to Naples to watch our hero in action. Even my 87-year-old great-aunt Mary wants to know everything about Kvara and I’ve never heard her talk about football.
Georgians living in Italy, meanwhile, report a noticeable warming of attitudes towards them.
It’s just uplifting to watch this kid from our town take Europe by storm. He’s already scored ten times in 19 games for Georgia, but seeing him shine in the Champions League is something else. He’s a breath of fresh air – positive, humble and just loves being out on the pitch. When I talk to him via Zoom for Champions Journal, you can sense he still has the fresh-faced excitement of a boy in love with the game.
Despite the pressures of playing in a hotbed like Naples, he even seems more mature now, less prone to anger when a decision goes against him or he is clattered by a defender who has been turned inside out once too often. He lives a sheltered life in Naples and having his parents alongside him has certainly helped the adjustment.
Kvara arrived in Italy with a ringing endorsement from the mayor of Tbilisi – Kakha Kaladze, who during his playing days became the only Georgian to win the European Cup when he twice lifted the trophy with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Kaladze was a defender, though, so perhaps it’s more natural to draw comparisons with the trickery of Georgi Kinkladze – but he was more of a playmaker than an out-and-out attacker and never excelled at this level.
Certainly not in the way Kvara did on opening night against Liverpool when he confirmed what we had been hoping – this kid is the real deal. The Reds hold a special place in the history of Georgian football after Dinamo Tbilisi knocked them out in the first round of the 1979/80 European Cup, hitting back from a 2-1 loss at Anfield with a 3-0 home win in a very British downpour in front of a reported 92,000 fans. There are still many Georgians who support Liverpool to this day, but even they would have felt a twinge of pride watching one of our own beat the best on that warm September night in Naples.
