Georgian football star Arveladze bids farewell
By Mikheil Svanidze
Thursday, June 5
Many of Arveladze’s former teammates visited Tbilisi to make up a Shota’s Friends team, which played an exhibition game at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium against a Georgian national team of retired and current Georgian players.
“I’m extremely happy that I’ll play my farewell match at my favorite stadium, encouraged by the people whose wholehearted support always backed me up,” Arveladze said in a pre-game note to his fans.
Arveladze, 35, was arguably the best Georgian footballer in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played in top European clubs like Ajax Amsterdam, Glasgow Rangers and AZ Alkmaar.
The Georgian national team says they will seek to retire his squad number, 11.
At the end of the game, which Shota’s Friends won 9-6, the striker burst in tears as he headed for the changing room for his last time leaving the pitch as an active player.
Kakha Kaladze, the AC Milan defender and Arveladze’s long-time teammate in the Georgian national team, said he was sad Arveladze was leaving.
“I’m happy to be a part of this game, but also sad to see Shota leave. If he becomes a manager, I’m sure he will be a great one,” Kaladze told reporters during the half-time break.
Shota’s Friends consisted of former stars such as brothers Michael and Brian Laudrup, Richard Witschge, Ronald and Frank de Boer, Danny Blind, Andrey Kanchelskis and others.
Louis van Gaal, Arveladze’s coach at Ajax Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar, coached the team.
“Arveladze was a great football player. As you see, crowd is crazy about him, we are crazy about him, fellow players are crazy about him and it’s sad to see him go,” van Gaal told reporters after the game.
Arveladze scored a hat trick in the game, in which he played for both teams and was later substituted by four of his sons and nephews.
President Mikheil Saakashvili was present at the game, along with Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava and many other politicians and celebrities in a crowd of about 40 000.