Zviad Sichinava the president of Georgian Football Federation held the press-conference in conference hall of Mikheil Meskhi stadium. He answered all the questions about Georgian football.
To tell the truth, I was not going to spread some of the information in a public way but the president of GFF talked about them publicly and that’s why I will inform you with several facts, numbers and opinions.
Our colleagues had big interest – did he really know who is Levan Kipiani, did not he?. Maybe he was just pretending. If we know psychology of man’s, he was not lying- he does not know opponent. “There are living about four million and half people in Georgia and I know about 200 000. And what, is it disaster? Fortunately, we are not living in the Soviet Union, I am not in KGB to answer KGB agents questions”. But it is not excluded, one lovely day journalists to be invited and said – we did not know him, but now we will meet him.
Now let’s mention some interesting numbers. The budget of Georgian Football Federation is definite with 7 million GEL in 2011. But government also helps financially to federation.
One thing must be said in details. Professional Football League (the president –Gia Pirtkhalava) is separated juridical organization from GFF, Georgian clubs are founders of this organization. Professional League holds most of championships and tournament according to the agreement with GFF.
“Basing on letter of the president of Georgian football federation, mostly with help of the government, federation will organize holding championships and cup tournaments since November of 2010”- stated Sichinava. The president of GFF was obliged to justify himself. Naturally what you did not open, cannot close. It is another task how you see future cooperation –“Professional League has chance to prepare, then we will hold negotiations and decide, it will be able to hold the tournament without government’s help or not”.
There is logic in Sichinava’s statement- if the government has to help Professional League in holing the tournament, this sum of money will be accumulated in federation (since the beginning of 2011) and they will be organizers of it. So, in this situation it is quite well centralized government.
Another problem is that clubs have already paid membership fee of it (40 GEL). Federation due to disability of holding tournaments ordered ProfLeague to reduce price twice.
Now about planned budget. The salary of a head coach of National Team Temur Ketsbaia will be 100 000 GEL. As for his assistant Temur Chedia, his monthly salary is 20 000 GEL.
Besides them, federation has to finance 52-man staff of several age teams. They also have to completely finance 12 official matches. Other sum of money serves meetings of teams. Annual budget has not any kind of connection with 280 000 EUR of UEFA HatTrick help program. According to the president this money must be spent on U-17, U-19, U-21 boys, U-17, U-19 girls’ teams, for fustal, “grasruts” program, license courses of coaches and clubs’ license.
“Today I am really surprised that, how Akhalkatsi endured in the post for so long time. When I was appointed there was dept of 18 millions GEL, I reduced it till 5 millions and now they want to come back in federation? UEFA is surprised that 46 000 spectators came at friendly match against Estonia. It shows, how the Georgian loves football, they saw devotion of National Team and returned to tribunes. If anything good was done in Georgian football in 2010, it is Ketsbaia and his group’s merit. I ask you much, do not stop us- if you wanted to do anything, you had chance”- stated Sichinava.
I showed my interest and respondent talked about left dept in details: current tax dept is 170 000 GEL, the loan of bank – 3,8 million GEL, dept of organizations – 129 000 GEL. The percent of paid debt in bank – 902 000 GEL. Sichinava assures that, till the 31st of December in 2011 federation will not have dept.
At the end the Sichinava talked about host countries of World Championship in 2018 and 2022. “Blattard knows very well, that he will not be elected with the second term. I wonder what will be duty of the next president, he will just have a title. Hosts countries of next 3 World Championships have already been found out”.
As it is known, 2011 is election year in world and European football. According to the spread information, presidential election of FIFA had to be held in January, but as Sichinava stated it was postponed for indefinite time. The only thing is known that next year is held presidential election of UEFA in Paris, on March 21. Michel Platini will be one of the candidates of the election and he has to be sure that will have support from Georgian side.
Phridon Kervalishvili
