After sensation at European Championships

Billionaire promises team players millions in bonuses

Georgia has sensationally reached the last sixteen of the European Championship.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Georgia has reached the last 16 of the European Championship after a sensational 2:0 win against Portugal. The team players also triggered great euphoria in their home country with their success. In Tbilisi, people ran onto the streets, there were car parades and fireworks. And now the team players can look forward to a veritable shower of money.

Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili has promised the team a bonus of 30 million lari (just under ten million euros). The country's richest man, who is honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, made the announcement in Tbilisi.

More millions if the team beats Spain
Ivanishvili, who is considered a powerful string-puller in the Black Sea republic in the South Caucasus, has promised the team a further 30 million lari if the team also beats Spain in the round of 16.

Political commentators believe that Ivanishvili could try to use the national team's success in the European Championship to benefit his ruling party politically ahead of the parliamentary elections in October. However, the footballers had sung songs of the pro-European protest movement on Wednesday evening.