Georgian coach Ramaz Svanadze will replace Willy Sagnol as the head coach of the Georgia national football team. He will lead the national squad until the end of 2028.
News outlet Netgazeti reports that while the name of Ramaz Svanadze may not yet resonate widely with the general public, he is regarded within the football community as one of the country’s most gifted tacticians.
His name is closely tied to the historic achievements of the Georgia under-21 national team. Under his leadership, the squad twice competed in the final stage of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, stood toe-to-toe with powerhouses like the Netherlands and Belgium, and claimed a memorable victory over Portugal.
Netgazeti looks into the background and career journey of the new national team manager.
Ramaz Svanadze was born on March 2, 1981. His playing career was cut short at an early age due to injury, after which he chose to transition into coaching.
Early in his coaching career, Svanadze worked at the Dinamo Tbilisi youth academy. He subsequently joined the Georgian Football Federation setup, managing the national under-19 side before taking the helm of the under-21 team in 2021.
Following the resignation of Vladimír Weiss, Svanadze briefly served as interim manager of the senior national side, guiding the team in their final UEFA Nations League fixture against Estonia, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
The high point of Svanadze’s tenure to date was the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, hosted by Georgia. In a formidable “group of death” alongside Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the Georgian side finished top without a single defeat and advanced to the European Championship quarter-finals for the first time in history, falling to Israel only in a penalty shootout.
Ramaz Svanadze’s teams are characterized by high-intensity pressing and an emphasis on progressing the ball through combination play. While the manager favours a 4-3-3 formation and possession-based control, the 2023 tournament demonstrated his tactical flexibility: against elite opponents, he showed no reluctance to shift to a five-at-the-back setup, absorb pressure, and strike on the counter-attack.
Ramaz Svanadze comes from an established football family. He is the nephew of legendary Dinamo Tbilisi defender Zaur Svanadze, while his father, Mamuka Svanadze, played for Torpedo Kutaisi.
According to current data from Transfermarkt (as of September 2026), under Ramaz Svanadze’s management, the Georgia U-21 national team played 45 matches, winning approximately 44% of them.
- Wins: 20
- Draws: 10
- Defeats: 15
Notably, Svanadze has already worked closely with many players who form the current core of the senior national squad during their time in the youth ranks.