Former Manchester City Player Mikheil Kavelashvili Set to Become Georgia’s President

Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former striker for Manchester City, is expected to become Georgia’s president following his nomination by the country’s ruling party. He previously played for Manchester City for two seasons. The 53-year-old joined City from the Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi during the 1995-96 season. He scored three goals across 28 appearances for the club. Kavelashvili is notably remembered for scoring on his debut in a 3-2 loss against Manchester United, just weeks before City’s relegation from the Premier League. He was subsequently loaned to the Swiss club Grasshoppers and departed permanently the following summer, as he had not played enough games to qualify for a work permit renewal. The presidential role in Georgia is largely ceremonial and is filled through selection by an internal parliamentary body. This body is predominantly controlled by Kavelashvili’s ruling Georgian Dream party, making his election almost certain after the vote scheduled for 14 December. The inauguration is slated for 29 December. In his political career, Kavelashvili is recognized for holding an anti-Western stance. The incumbent president, Salome Zourabishvili, has been a vocal critic of the governing party, asserting that it acts in Russia’s interest.