transforming a georgian football media page into a modern brand

For years, Georgian football lived from one national team match to the next. Fan culture, engagement, emotional connection, and the human stories beyond the pitch were largely absent - yet these are the very elements that give the game its soul. Because without emotion and without fans, sport is nothing.

 

In short, we were living in a vacuum.

 

Until 2019, when a brand was born - a name now familiar and beloved by nearly every Georgian football fanpage: Geo Team.
This is the story of how one passionate young creator turned a hobby into a modern sports media brand that now introduces Georgian football to international audiences and continues to reach new heights.

 

Geo Team has recently undergone a rebrand, unveiling an updated visual identity. The minds&marketing team sat down with founder Saba Sapanadze to understand the significance of this transformation - and he shared a journey filled with remarkable details and stories.

 

Where It All Began

 

As Saba recalls, he started out as a sports journalist, posting content from his personal profile. Inspired by “433” - one of the world’s largest sports media pages - he decided to create something similar for Georgian football.

 

Saba Sapanadze (Founder, Geo Team):

 

“I began at a time when nobody believed in this. I attended almost every match in the Erovnuli Liga, interviewing players - which helped me build strong connections with them. And today, many of those players have become stars.”

 

Geo Team’s rise happened in parallel with Georgia’s strong debut Nations League campaign in 2018–2019. But the real breakthrough - as Saba recounts - came through a perfectly executed content strategy enabled by Giorgi Kvilitaia.

 

“Giorgi Kvilitaia was the first person who truly helped me. He was playing for Gent at the time. I gave him the Instagram login, and we announced that he and Giorgi Chakvetadze would spend a day in Gent with fans, recording stories. In just two days, the page jumped from 1,000 to 5,000 followers.”

 

That was when everything shifted. This was no longer just entertainment - it became a responsibility. Saba cut back on his personal life and dedicated himself entirely to Geo Team.

 

And that consistency showed. The content improved, the community grew, and Saba continued to personally handle every post - because nobody knew the audience better than he did.

 

“The biggest spike came when Kvara moved to Napoli. Khvicha is one of the people who truly loves Geo Team and always supports me.”

 

The Hard Moments

 

The brand grew quickly - but growth required resources. And for three years, there were no sponsors.

“There was a moment when I had to decide whether to sell Geo Team to a major company.”

 

And that was when Saba received the strongest push from Georgian footballers themselves. Nearly all of them encouraged him to stay independent - because they saw how much he had put into the project.

“There were players who personally funded Geo Team for six months when the page had zero sponsors.”

 

The Sponsor Story — Still the Biggest Challenge

After three difficult years, the right help arrived at the right time. The first company to step up was Kabisa, offering sponsorship when it was needed most.

“Kabisa was my first sponsor, and I’ll never forget that. Even though the budget was small, the support was huge. They helped when I needed it more than ever.”

 

From there, the brand began to climb. Larger sponsors followed - Nabeghlavi and Adjarabet.

 

“I prefer long-term partnerships. Constant changes look unprofessional to the audience.”

 

International Recognition — Here We Go!

Then came success on the global stage. Legendary football journalist Fabrizio Romano, one of Saba’s biggest inspirations, noticed his work. After Saba’s interview with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2023, Fabrizio featured one of the quotes on his page - bringing Geo Team to an international audience.

“He followed me on Instagram and wrote that I deserved this recognition. We moved our conversations to WhatsApp - he found my work interesting. We’ve met in person as well, and we text regularly, especially during the transfer window.”

 

Soon, “433” also followed Geo Team.

 

“When Georgia qualified for the Euros, 433 followed me too. A lot of fans abroad follow the page now - it boosts confidence and shows you're doing something right.”

 

 

Inside the Work: How Geo Team Content Gets Made

If you've watched even one Geo Team video, you can feel the effort, passion, and authenticity. Saba’s signature format - visiting Georgian players abroad and showing their everyday life off the pitch - has become iconic.

 

These visits depend on multiple factors:

• the player’s mood
• team dynamics
• tournament schedule

 

“If I don’t get a green light from the player, I don’t go. As our players became stars, everything became more complicated. Clubs like PSG and Liverpool have strict rules - their contracts include so many clauses that finding the right time for even a short interview is difficult.”

 

The Rebrand - Geo Team’s New Visual Identity

Today, Geo Team stands with a refreshed brand identity - new logo, new colors, new content packaging.

“A year and a half ago, I decided it was time for a rebrand. I wanted to elevate the page into a more serious brand with stronger partnerships. But I knew one thing for sure: if you don’t maintain high-quality content, rebranding won’t save you.”

 

The rebrand is a signal of ambition and growth - a promise to fans that the brand is evolving, and that their loyalty is a responsibility Saba takes seriously.

 

The national team’s performance has a direct impact on Geo Team’s engagement - follower numbers surge after strong results and decline in quieter periods. But the core fanbase stays loyal regardless.

 

Today, Geo Team has ~250,000 followers on Instagram — more than any Georgian football club — achieved 100% organically, without paid advertising.

The rebrand is not merely a visual refresh. It is a step into the next phase — strengthening positioning and elevating the brand to a standard that fits today’s international football media ecosystem.

 

Looking Ahead

Geo Team has played a major role in shaping modern Georgian fan culture — strengthening emotional connections, humanizing athletes, and giving fans a closer, more authentic view into footballers’ lives.

 

Saba also shared a glimpse of what’s coming next:

“I’m working on the Geo Team app and website. I love what I do, and I want to keep building this long-term.”

 

Geo Team’s journey is a reminder that strong brands emerge where content, emotion, and authenticity intersect.

 

Today, Geo Team is no longer just a fan-run sports page. It is a brand with a vision, a strategy, and a clear growth path - a project that brought the everyday life of players beyond the pitch into the spotlight, giving fans the ability not only to support but also to share the emotions, the stories, and the power of victory.