Former AC Milan player Kaladze denied to book Tbilisi stadium

The FINANCIAL — Former AC Milan player who left football to go into politics was planning to hold a friendship match with Milan in Georgia as a symbol of him leaving, but Georgia refused to make a stadium available for the match, according to Freedom & Democracy Watch, an independent, non-profit news service sponsored by Soros foundation.

The FINANCIAL — Former AC Milan player who left football to go into politics was planning to hold a friendship match with Milan in Georgia as a symbol of him leaving, but Georgia refused to make a stadium available for the match, according to Freedom & Democracy Watch, an independent, non-profit news service sponsored by Soros foundation.

Kakhi Kaladze, who now is a partner of Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition, Friday stated that a match was planned for September 13, but a stadium has not yet been booked.

He said it was already agreed to bring the Milan team to Georgia and play a friendship match, but yesterday they received official refusal.

“They told us that the stadium schedule is planned for the next one months and every day is busy.”

Kaladze promised that he will still play a goodbye match in October, when Georgian Dream will come in government after the elections.

Kakhi Kaladze played for AC Milan from 2001 to 2010. He the played for Genoa from 2010 to 2012. With Milan he won the Champions League twice, the UEFA Super Cup once and the FIFA Club World Cup once.

In December, 2011 he announced that he was leaving football in order to join Bidzina Ivanishvili’s political movement. Since then the former football player has faced many problems, including being fined with 17 million lari for withdrawing cash from his own bank account, and he was denied the right to appeal the decision in court, according to the Freedom & Democracy Watch.

During his career, there was a match on September 5, 2009, against Italy. It was part of the 2010 World Cup qualifications. Kaladze was national team captain. He scored two own goals and the team lost to Italy with 2-0.