Arsenal had the opportunity to sign superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but passed, as a former scout, Tomasz Pasieczny, hesitated after witnessing a poor performance at Rubin Kazan. Kvaratskhelia, who later excelled with Napoli and PSG, struggled with confidence during that match, which led Pasieczny to reconsider his recommendation. Despite his potential being evident, uncertainty about his performance trajectory influenced Arsenal's decision to look elsewhere. This revelation highlights how single performances can impact career trajectories and decisions in professional football.
"I was at the old stadium in Kazan for a match with Dynamo Moscow, where Sebastian Szymanski was playing at the time. Khvicha came off the bench, made two completely unsuccessful dribbles and the fans reacted very negatively. At that stage he couldn't cope with it."
"You see a player often and you don't make a decision based on one report. You follow his development because you know that something may come of it."
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