Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was in a regretful mood despite another landmark goal in the Champions League.
The PSG winger helped see off Chelsea 3-0 in the second leg of their last 16 tie (8-2 on aggregate), continuing his ascent as one of the game’s greatest attackers.
Kvara broke the deadlock early on before sprinting to the away end with his arms outstretched, shushing and shouting in epic style.
However, as he later explained, it wasn’t a day of celebration for his countrymen.
The leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, had died earlier that day, and his country was in mourning.
“I apologise to the Georgian people for my celebration,” he told local media post-match getting emotional.
“This is the hardest day, our spiritual father has died…”
Ilia II passed away at the age of 93 having led the church since 1977.
A key moral figure in the country, he had supported the Georgian independence movement and played a stabilising role during political crises.
Leave a Reply