Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has criticized the country's national football team following its recent poor performances, saying he will no longer support the side.

Axar.az reports that in a Facebook post, Saakashvili described the team's failure as a predictable outcome, blaming what he called widespread corruption in Georgian football and the politicization of several players.

He claimed that Georgia had a talented generation of footballers as a result of anti-corruption measures introduced in the Football Federation during his presidency. However, he accused some national team players of appearing in promotional campaigns for the ruling Georgian Dream party and having business interests linked to the party.

Saakashvili also criticized players for remaining silent about what he described as injustice in the country, arguing that they had lost the support of many fans because of their lack of civic engagement.

Recalling his time in opposition to former President Eduard Shevardnadze, Saakashvili praised former Georgian footballers Shota Arveladze, Ramaz Shengelia and Vladimir Gutsayev for openly supporting him.

He said he would remain a supporter of Georgian football but could no longer support the national team.