Back in Ligue 1, ASSE must now obtain maintenance under the orders of Olivier Dall'Oglio. If Saint-Étienne went under the Canadian flag, the new management put in the resources this summer (€23M). A big blow in particular seems to have already paid off.
First minutes in Ligue 1
Zuriko Davitashvili had still not played in the French elite before joining Saint-Étienne this summer. But after a season with 16 goals with the Girondins (eight goals, eight assists), the Saint-Etienne leaders placed a check for six million euros on the Georgian. A decision which left room for skepticism among experts.
Christophe Dugarry (RMC) : “They took the guy from Bordeaux? Do you realize that he was a starter, Davitashvili or I don't know what! In Bordeaux, he didn't have his place. He was already a substitute in Ligue 2.”
Since then, it's been a cold shower for the 98 world champion. Zuriko Davitahsvili is performing well and feels comfortable in Forez. “We have incredible fans.” Declares the Stéphanois for Géo Team. “Even when you don’t play well, the atmosphere pushes you to do better! It’s very motivating for the players.“
Davitashvili among the top European players?
The Gazidis gang did well with the acquisition of Zuriko Davitashvili. The Georgian panics the counters under the green tunic. A big player in 16th place in the league, the 23-year-old striker has already found the net five times. Zuriko Davitashvili has indeed scored 50% of ASSE's achievements (10). The media Fotbolldirekt underlines, according to statistics reported by Opta, that only Chris Wood (Nottingham, 53%) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City, 55%) do better.
Better yet, the Georgian has distributed two assists since the start of the season (Lille, Nantes). The attacker is thus involved in 70% of Saint-Etienne's achievements. No player in the European top 5 does better. Zuriko Davitashvili then surpasses names like Omar Marmoush (Frankfurt, 69%) or Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 67%).
A statistic which reveals the perfect adaptation of the Stéphanois in the French championship. But above all, the dependence of the second worst attack in Ligue 1 on Zuriko Davitashvili.
