Georgian national football team hires Sagnol as coach

ANKARA

The Georgian national football team appointed former French player Willy Sagnol as their new head coach Monday.

The Georgian Football Association said in a statement that 43-year-old Sagnol will make his debut as Georgia’s head coach on March 25 when they will visit Sweden for the 2022 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers.

Georgia will face Spain, Sweden, Greece, and Kosovo in Group B. The group winner will directly qualify for the World Cup finals in Qatar. The runner-up will advance to the playoffs.

Former right back Sagnol was Bayern Munich's interim manager in the autumn of 2017.

He was a Monaco defender from 1997 to 2000, then Bayern Munich signed him. He played for the German powerhouse from 2000-2009.

He retired from football in 2009.

Sagnol helped Monaco win the 2000 French league title.

He won five German league titles and the 2001 UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich.

Sagnol was a World Cup silver medalist with France as "Les Bleus" (The Blues) lost to rivals Italy on penalties in 2006 final in Berlin.