A prominent billionaire has reportedly pledged to give one of the teams at the 2024 UEFA European Championship a staggering £8.4 million (R193 million) as a reward following their latest win.
The knockout stages of EURO 2024 are set to get underway on Saturday following an eventful group stage in which the likes of Croatia, Hungary and Serbia suffered early elimination.
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For Georgia, however, a sensational story has unfolded as the European minnows secured a spot in the knockouts of the tournament after beating Portugal 2-0 earlier this week.
This shock result ensured that the Georgians went through as one of the best third-placed teams of the group stage, and remarkably, they have now reached the round of 16 in what is their first-ever appearance at the EUROs.
The historic achievement has drawn the attention of the Georgia's former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has since pledged to reward the team with £8.4 million for their efforts against Portugal, according to the BBC, and he has promised them the same amount if they can secure a victory over Spain in the last 16.
With Georgia set to face La Furia Roja on Sunday night, the Spaniards' manager Luis de la Fuente has acknowledged that their opponents will be a threat.
"We have maximum respect for them. They are a team that is having a great tournament, that has defeated Portugal; and that, due to the experience we have, we have seen that they have been improving and progressing in their performance," he told the Spain national team's official website.
"We will have to give our best version to have a chance of going through. We have seen that they have changed the system somewhat, but not the idea they have, with players who come out very quickly in transitions.
"We will have to be very careful. The experience of having played matches and the security of having qualified, with the motivation that comes from beating Portugal, make them more dangerous. They, thanks to that trajectory, will have security. We, too, with ours.
"We have to reaffirm our path, our idea, and continue to grow. In our heads, our hearts and our legs are continuing to improve. Our players understand that. If we want to go far, the improvement must be constant."
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