Jaba Kankava, captain of the national team, is the first Georgian football player who will play in UEFA Europa League Final. “Dnipro” of Kankava beat “Napoli” (1:1, 1:0) and will face “Sevilla” of Spain in the final.

After winning 1981 Cup Winners’ Cup, Kakha Kaladze is the only Georgian player who won Champions League twice, Super Cup twice and Club World Cup once.

Kankava is the only Georgian who has a chance to win European tournament since 2007. In the current season Kankava held 11 matches at Europa League and scored a goal against “Olympiacos” (2:0) in 1/32 final.

It was not easy for the 29-year-old player to establish himself in lineup of “Dnipro”. Specialists and fans started praising Kankava when he played for “Dinamo 2” Tbilisi.

When Geguchadze was appointed as a head coach of “Dinamo”, Jaba promoted to the first team of the Tbilisi team. In 2003-2004 Kankava won Georgian Cup and bronze medals of the national championship with “Dinamo”. However, the greatest success was playing at the final stage of Europa League. The Georgian club has not reached such success since then.

Kankava’s foreign career started in 2005. First he played for “Alania” Vladikavkaz where he held 12 matches. Then, the Georgian transferred to “Arsenal” Kyiv where he held 24 matches and scored 4 goals in 2005-2007.

In December 2006 “Dnipro” Dnipropetrovsk invited 20-year-old Kankava. His debut was held against “Illichivets” Mariupol on 3 March, 2007. It is worth mentioning that the Georgian midfielder scored his first goal in “Dnipro” against his former club “Arsenal”.

The next seasons of “Dnipro” were not lucky for Kankava. The Georgian got injured and missed 2 years and half.

After such a long pause it was not easy to come back to lineup of “Dnipro”. “Dnipro” sent Kankava to “Kryvbas” on loan. Jaba showed himself in “Kryvbas” well and then went back to “Dnipro”.

After comeback to the team Jaba held 17 matches in the first season. Last year he held 25 matches (23 in lineup).

Last May Myron Markevych was appointed as a head coach of “Dnipro”. At first Markevych did not trust the Georgian but Kankava proved that he deserved a place in lineup.

On May 27 “Dnipro” will face “Sevilla” of Spain in Europa League Final in Warsaw.

“Dnipro” is the second Ukrainian club which has a chance to win Europa League.

In case of winning the final, on August 11, 2015, “Dnipro” will play at Super Cup in Tbilisi.