Thai football fans go on a rant after national team’s 8-0 drubbing in Georgia
The Thai national team's 8-0 away loss to Georgia has stirred up a frenzy of disgust on social media, with complaints about failed management.
Social media was awash with caustic reactions after the humiliating defeat. Many fans viewed this loss as a significant setback, pointing to management issues that prevented the team from fielding its top-tier players.
The outcome of the exhibition Fifa Day football match held at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, was the biggest victory ever for any Georgian team. Their previous biggest win was a 7-0 thrashing of Armenia in 1997.
For the Thai national team, it was their second biggest defeat, after the 9-0 rout against England in the 1956 Olympic football tournament.
In the aftermath of the match, Mano Pölking, the coach of the Thai national team, said in an interview that the team had aspired for a better outcome but faced considerable challenges. Several players were making their national team debuts, and there were several new additions to the squad. Despite the result, he refrained from criticising his players, recognising their wholehearted effort.
"It's an important game from which the players should learn lessons because we faced a strong team like Georgia,” he said. “We discussed before the game that Georgia had been changing rapidly and was now a good team. In the first half, we made a lot of mistakes and were penalised for them. We need to learn from our mistakes. I wish Georgia good luck in their upcoming games. As for us, we will work hard to improve our performance,” he said.
The next fixture for the Thai national team is against Estonia at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallin, Estonia, on October 17, 2023, at 11pm Thailand time.
Many Thai fans expressed their frustration with the national team's management and believed that the team was underperforming even in an officially sanctioned Fifa match. Concerns were raised regarding the team's ability to field its strongest players, especially when Fifa regulations permit it.
Some comments reflected disappointment among the fans who had travelled to Georgia to support the team, emphasising the lack of importance given to the match by the Football Association of Thailand. They compared this to the dedication of Thai fans and the seriousness displayed by the Georgian team. There also were concerns about the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and the quality of the opponents they would face, given their performance in this match.
