"Baia" Zugdidi is still in a difficult situation and there is no hope - who will own the club where coaches and players have not received their salaries for months? Neither Otar Gabelia, head coach of Georgian U-21 team, told "World Sport" anything hopeful about this issue. Gabelia is coach-consultant of "Baia".
- Does anything have changed for good in the team?
- No, everything is getting worse. There is no hope.
- What does the management of the club say?
- No one is sponsor and what they could say. Now players are asking for release paper and perhaps, they will get it. Terms of the contract were not fulfilled. These boys are heroes. They were playing without salary for 4-5 months. "Samtredia", "Kolkheti" and "Baia" are in a very difficult situation.
- So, you still hope that owner of the club will show up?
- We hoped but time passes and nothing has changed.
We asked Gabelia about future plans of U-21 team. The qualifying round of European Championship 2013 will start next year. The qualifying system will be the same as it was in Euro-2011 - there will be 10 groups, winners and 4 second-placed teams will go through play-off. 7 teams will be found out and the host team of the final stage will join them. 4 countries want to host the final stage - England, Bulgaria, Wales and Israel. UEFA will decide this issue in January.
The ballot of the qualifying stage will be held on February 3 or 4. Supposedly, Georgian U-21 team will be in the 3rd basket (there are 6 baskets).
Gabelia stated that if Georgian Football Federation wanted, he would stay as head coach of U-21 team:
- Players born in 1990 and juniors will play in the next qualifying. Have you started working on selection?
- It is early yet. But we have the list of 60-70 players. In the previous qualifying, we had such players who can play now too. Plus, new players will show up and we will see.



Ilia Nanobashvili