Former Man City star Mikheil Kavelashvili sworn in as Georgia’s PRESIDENT after ‘Putin helped his party organize elections’

A former footballer who played for Manchester City has been sworn in as the new president of Georgia

Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, who played for the Blues from 1995 to 1997, took up his role today – but the former midfielder has been accused of being a ‘puppet’ for Vladimir Putin.

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First football the star is known for his profanity-laden tirades in Parliamentas an MP since 2016 for the increasingly authoritarian ruling party Georgian Dream.

Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire businessman and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been accused of dragging the country back into of Russia sphere of influence.

Kavelashvili was the only candidate for the post and is believed to have been chosen for his loyal positions towards the Georgian Dream.

Kavelashvili was sworn in behind closed doors on Sunday to become Georgiaits sixth president.

But constitutionally justice experts — including an author of GeorgiaHis constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladze — called his election “illegitimate.”

Acting President Salome Zourabichvili said the same about Kavelashvili’s appointment.

Kavelashvili has previously criticized the West for wanting “more people (to be) neutral and tolerant of LGBTQ ideology, which is supposed to defend the weak, but is, in fact, an act against humanity.”

This comes as a wave of anti-government protests has swept through Georgia in recent months as foreign powers try to prevent the country from aiding Putin’s effort to overthrow Ukraine.

Friday, Washington imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili, arguing that he had undermined the country’s democracy future for Russiahis benefit.

Sun. reported on the riots at the time, when brutal clashes erupted against the ruling Georgian Dream party, which was accused of using Vladimir Putin to rig the election and ensure his victory.

The streets of GeorgiaThe capital Tbilisi was filled with police armed with a water cannon, tear gas gasand pepper spray against pro-Western demonstrators.

Fiery footage showed policemen dragging people away while calling the officers “Russians” and “slaves”.

The protesters set off fireworks police as policemen who tried to violently disperse the crowds.

These riots were sparked when the country’s “pro-Putin” government put a pause on its long-standing bid to join the EU by 2028.

One protester, historian Nika Gobronidze, 53, said: “I can hardly imagine anyone less suitable for the role of head of state.

“Caligula wanted his horse to be consul, our oligarch wants Kavelashvili’s puppet to be president.”

In 2022, Kavelashvili, along with other Georgian Dream MPs, established a parliamentary faction called the People Power.

This is an anti-Western group that has officially split from the ruling party.

Kavelashvili scored his debut goal for Manchester City against their bitter rivals Manchester United.

He then joined Swiss club Grasshoppers where he spent most of his time on the bench before moves elsewhere in Switzerland to Zurich, Luzern, Sion, Aarau and Basel.

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