Euro 2024: ex-PM donates US$10m to Georgia football team after historic win over Portugal
- Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili said he would give the team 30 million lari for reaching the last 16 in Germany
The founder of Georgia’s ruling party, billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, said on Thursday he would donate 30 million lari (US$10.7m, HK$83.65m) to the national team after they upset Portugal to qualify for the Euro 2024 last 16.
In a statement, his Georgian Dream party said Ivanishvili congratulated the team and pledged the money from his charitable foundation in recognition of what he called a “historic and dream victory”.
Ivanishvili, who is worth US$4.9 billion, pledged a further 30 million lari if Georgia beat Spain in the last-16 match on Sunday.
Georgia’s victory over Portugal was particularly historic as it was their first at a major tournament.
Making their international tournament debut at the European Championship, little was expected of them, yet they were competitive in all three group matches to qualify for the next round as one of the best third-place sides.
However, last-16 opponents Spain won all three of their matches in the group phase, despite being drawn in the so-called “group of death”, and beat Georgia 7-1 in Tbilisi when the two sides met in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Born in Georgia, Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s before returning home and founding Georgian Dream in 2011. He won elections in 2012, and served as prime minister for one year, before handing over to a chosen successor.
