Willy Sagnol sacked as Georgia head coach

Willy Sagnol has been dismissed as Georgia head coach, three days after a 0-1 home defeat to Northern Ireland in the opening round of the Nations League.

The Georgian Football Federation confirmed the decision on Saturday, ending a spell in which the Frenchman took the country to its first-ever major tournament. Ramaz Svanadze, 45, takes over and has been given a contract running to 2028, with qualification for the next European Championship set as the target.

Sagnol, 49, had been under pressure since a poor World Cup qualifying campaign left Georgia out of next year's finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia missed a penalty with the score at 0-0 before Northern Ireland scored the winner.

Kvaratskhelia, Georgia's captain and PSG's forward, posted a message thanking his former coach: "Thank you, Willy! We went through so much together and overcame different challenges. My team-mates and I personally fulfilled a childhood dream by taking our country to the European Championship. We achieved this together and became part of history. The joy and emotion we shared with the Georgian people will always be a truly special memory. I want to express my special gratitude for this period and for the years we spent together. We will never forget this football adventure. I wish you success in the future... we will meet again."

He was awarded Georgia's Order of Honour two years ago, and won the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup with Bayern Munich in 2001 as a player.

Georgia, founded in 1990, sit fourth in their Nations League group with no points from one match. They face Ukraine on Monday, a side that took maximum points from its own opening fixture, away to Hungary.