Khvicha Kvaratskhelia explains how Antonio Conte is improving him at Napoli, his dreams of winning the Champions League, becoming a father and why Cristiano Ronaldo provided ‘huge motivation.’
The Georgia international was almost unknown when he was signed by the Partenopei in the summer of 2022, but his breakout season saw them win the Serie A title and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Those performances made him a household name and even earned the nickname Kvaradona in Naples, a reference to the legendary Diego Armando Maradona.
“I always dreamt about becoming a professional footballer, but at the start it didn’t seem real. When I went to watch Georgia play, I could have never imagined that one day I would be stepping on to the pitch myself with other kids supporting me from the stands,” Kvaratskhelia told FIFA.com.
“I learnt that anything is possible in life, as long as you have the conviction and the will to do everything in your power to make it happen. Dreams do come true. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia achieved his dream of becoming a footballer and playing for his country.”
His greatest strength is his unpredictability and Luciano Spalletti seemed to unleash that tactical freedom.
“Love for the game. It’s given me everything. I feel free when I step on the pitch and I feel happy with the ball at my feet. I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love – what I want to do.”
After a chaotic second season, Kvaratskhelia is now trying to find stability at Napoli under new coach Conte, who outright refused to consider selling the talent.
“Someone had told me that he was a great coach and I’m happy to be able to experience that first-hand. He is one of the best in the world and with him I’m trying to improve physically as well as tactically. I think that with his help, I can achieve the desired results at both club and international level.”
Kvaratskhelia has dreams for future at Napoli and Georgia
While Napoli missed out on Europe this season, they are aiming to get back into the top tournament, while Georgia are involved in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“More than anything, I dream about qualifying for the World Cup with Georgia and winning the Champions League with my club. I hope to turn these dreams into a reality,” continued Kvaratskhelia.
“Winning the most important trophy in club football is every footballer’s dream, and to take part in a World Cup is every Georgian’s dream. I believe that it would be a fitting tribute to all those who have represented Georgia in the past.
“We want to follow in their footsteps, achieve this goal and make our country proud.”
A lot has been happening off the field too, as Kvaratskhelia got married and recently became a father.
“My life has changed completely! I suddenly felt a huge responsibility to become a father. The birth of my son has brought me immense happiness and now I see things in a different way. Each day I wake up happy and I hope everyone can experience such happiness in their lives.
“All of a sudden, I felt even more motivated. You start to work even harder, because you know that everything that you do is for your son. I know that my son will see all that when he gets older, and this makes me so happy and it’s difficult to put it into words.
“These emotions make me stronger. I try to channel this feeling on to the pitch and that’s why I dedicate my goals to him, so that he’ll see that when he grows up. I hope that he’ll also be a footballer in the future.”
Kvaratskhelia is himself only 23 years old, so couldn’t believe it when getting to face his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo and beat him in Georgia-Portugal at EURO 2024.
“I was playing against the player that I followed and idolised since I was a young kid. Before the game I said to myself ‘this is my moment’ and I knew I needed to show that on the pitch. Playing against your idol is a huge motivation. It was incredible.
“He came to me and wished me good luck. I was over the moon and even more convinced that Georgia would win. I gave everything that evening and I helped my team to achieve a historic result.”