Kvaratskhelia eyes double success at Inter’s expense in CL final

PARIS: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has already played a part in denying Inter Milan the Serie A title this season, and the Georgian is now hoping to get the better of them again with Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday´s Champions League final.

The 24-year-old Kvaratskhelia moved to Paris in January from Napoli for a reported 70 million euros ($79.2m) plus bonuses. He is set to have a key role to play for Luis Enrique´s side against Inter in Munich, despite missing last weekend´s French Cup final victory over Reims as a precaution due to a minor fitness issue.

Perhaps he had been up late the previous night celebrating his former club´s Serie A triumph, as Napoli pipped Inter to the Scudetto in their final game of the season. Napoli´s second Italian league championship in three campaigns was claimed despite ´Kvara´, one of the stars of their title in 2023, leaving the team in the middle of the season.

Instrumental two years ago when he earned the nickname ´Kvaradona´ at the club where Diego Maradona is an icon, he played a pivotal part in the early weeks of this season under Antonio Conte, scoring five goals in the first 10 Serie A games -- only four Napoli players finished the campaign with more goals, including Scott McTominay.

Kvaratskhelia can therefore claim an Italian league winner´s medal for this season as well as one for Ligue 1 for his contribution towards PSG´s cruise to the domestic title. However, his transfer to PSG has really aided the French side in Europe, where the extra competition for places in attack has helped bring the best out of fellow forwards Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

The left-winger who loves to play with his socks rolled down around his ankles also fits perfectly into coach Luis Enrique´s system, which demands that the attackers do their bit to help the team defensively.

“He is perfectly adaptable to our way of playing. He is versatile. He can go past players and he can also defend which is essential because we need to be able to defend as 11 players and attack as 11 players,” Luis Enrique said in January.

Kvaratskhelia has so far contributed six goals and six assists in 24 appearances for PSG, including one magnificent strike against Aston Villa in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final and the pass to set up Dembele´s winning goal away to Arsenal in the semis.