How to Explode with Attacking Speed!
- aaronptighe
- May 10
- 5 min read
Kvaratskhelia’s recent goals and performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions league semi-final have once again rocketed him to global recognition. Wow! This is one special player. The speed he runs with the ball from the initial take off to the acceleration away from defenders is frightening. To think that he is doing this whilst keeping tight control of the ball is incredible.
(Video montage)
Comparisons to greats of history are being made, but he is unique. The aggressive power combined with his right foot inside/outside foot control and the odd toe tap between feet is brilliant. He describes in an interview with Rio Ferdinand how when attacking 1v1 he is instinctive in which way to attack the player but go fast is always his thinking. If I was to pick any one player in history he reminds me of its George Best of Man utd. It's as if the game has become like the matrix movie, where the protagonist Neo can see everything around him as it it's in slow motion and he can move at will.
For young players learning how to move with the ball, the lessons from Kvaratskhelia I would take is to practice:
Moving in and out of 6 cones/poles 2 paces apart at full speed using just your favourite foot. This forces an inside/outside foot motion with a push stop push stop action (see video in One2pro app)
Variants of the above (as per dribbling section in the app)
The 1v1 top tap skill, where you move the ball between your feet but on the 3rd touch you snap the ball across your body fast to get away
Small sided games with friends/teammates. When you receive the ball you have to move at full sprint with the ball. You will lose control plenty of times but with practivce you will improve.
he rise of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — often nicknamed “Kvara” or “Kvaradona” — is one of the great modern youth-to-professional football stories. He went from the academies of Georgia to becoming a star in Serie A, the Champions League, and later joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Early life and youth football (2001–2017)
Kvaratskhelia was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in February 2001 into a football family. His father, Badri Kvaratskhelia, was a professional striker, so football was part of his life from a very young age.
As a child, he played street football constantly and joined the academy of Dinamo Tbilisi around age 11. Dinamo is historically the biggest club in Georgia and has produced many of the country’s top players.
What made him special as a youth player?
Coaches and scouts noticed several things very early:
Exceptional close control at speed
Confidence taking players on 1-v-1
Ability to dribble with either foot
Creativity and unpredictability
Fearlessness against older players
Even as a teenager, he reportedly trained with swagger and imagination rather than playing “safe.” In 2018, The Guardian named him among the best young players in world football.
Senior debut at Dinamo Tbilisi (2017)
At only 16 years old, he made his senior debut for Dinamo Tbilisi in September 2017.
He only played a handful of matches, but people in Georgian football already believed he had elite European potential. His technical level stood out immediately.
One interesting thing about his development:
He was not physically dominant
He wasn’t especially muscular or explosive early on
But his balance, deception, and timing were exceptional
That combination later became his trademark.
Rustavi breakthrough (2018–2019)
After a contract dispute with Dinamo Tbilisi, he moved to FC Rustavi in 2018.
This became his real breakout period.
At Rustavi:
He played consistently against adults
Became known nationally in Georgia
Started attracting major European scouts
Bayern Munich reportedly monitored him as a teenager
Important youth-to-pro lesson from his journey
He did not go straight to Barcelona, Real Madrid, or the Premier League academy system.
Instead, his pathway was:
Local academy
Domestic senior football early
Gradual exposure to tougher leagues
Explosive rise later
That pathway often builds resilience and real match intelligence.
Russia move: Lokomotiv Moscow & Rubin Kazan (2019–2022)
In 2019 he briefly joined FC Lokomotiv Moscow on loan.
Although the spell was short, he showed flashes of brilliance and then moved permanently to FC Rubin Kazan.
This was the phase where Europe truly noticed him.
Why Rubin Kazan mattered
The Russian Premier League was:
More physical
Faster tactically
More demanding defensively
He developed:
Decision-making
Tactical discipline
Strength in duels
End product
He won the Russian Premier League Young Player of the Year award twice.
By then, scouts from clubs across Europe were watching him closely.
Return to Georgia during Ukraine war (2022)
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kvaratskhelia left Rubin Kazan and returned home to sign for Dinamo Batumi in 2022.
Although brief, this period became important psychologically:
He returned to familiar surroundings
Played with freedom
Rebuilt momentum
Dominated the Georgian league immediately
He scored heavily and looked far above the domestic level.
Napoli explosion — “Kvaradona” (2022–2025)
In 2022, SSC Napoli signed him for roughly €10 million — now considered one of football’s great bargains.
This is where he became a global superstar.
Why he exploded at Napoli
Under Napoli’s attacking system:
He had freedom to isolate defenders
Could drift inside or wide
Played with quick combinations
Was encouraged to improvise
Fans compared him to Diego Maradona, leading to the nickname “Kvaradona.”
2022–23 season
He helped Napoli win:
Their first Serie A title in 33 years
A historic Champions League run
He finished the season with elite numbers in goals and assists and won Serie A MVP honors.
His playing style became famous for:
Sudden changes of direction
Double feints
Drifting movement
Fearless dribbling
Ability to create chaos in tight areas
Move to Paris Saint-Germain (2025)
In 2025, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain on a long-term deal reportedly worth around €70 million plus add-ons.
By this stage, he had gone from:
Georgian academy player
To overlooked prospect
To Russian league talent
To Serie A superstar
To one of the biggest clubs in world football
One2Pro:
The use of video with a physical Coach review is fantastic for honing skills and performance. In our One2Pro online coaching app, "Techniques of the Stars" are broken down step-by-step for players to follow and practice, to then upload to our Coach to review and provide feedback.
Download and subscribe to work with your One2Pro coach on all 92 skills.
Be the One!
Aaron Tighe
Founder, One2Pro
*What It Takes. Available on major retailers in hardcopy, eBook and audio.
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