kakhi kaladze farewell match 2013-05-31

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (center left) and Kakhi Kaladze at Dinamo Stadium in Tbilisi Friday. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The farewell match of former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze on Friday ended with Kaladze’s friends losing 1-3 to Milan.

Kaladze, who is Energy Minister now, played for Milan against his friends, a team which was mainly filled by well-known Georgian football players.

The match was held on Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi Friday evening. The stadium was full. The evening started with a short ten-minute documentary about Kaladze’s football career, after which Bera Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s rapper son, performed a few songs.

Giorgi Demetradze, who played for Kaladze’s friends’ team, scored the first goal after a penalty kick, and the first half of the match ended 1-0.

The national dance ensemble Erisioni held another performance. Afterwards, a small flash-mob was organized, when men only wearing underwear ran onto the stadium and suddenly starting to dance, and were joined by the dancers.

Filippo Inzaghi of Milan scored a goal in the second half on a penalty kick. Andriy Shevchenko and Pietro Vierchowod scored the next two goals and the match finished 1-3.

People applauded for Kakhi Kaladze for several minutes, and he was congratulated by AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani and Prime Minister Ivanishvili.

“It is a sad day. I’m leaving football, but am really proud. I want to thank everyone. I once again saw today how the Georgian people love me,” Kaladze said after the match.

Kaladze left football at the end of 2011 to support Ivanishvili in politics.