AC Milan's Georgia defender Kakha Kaladze has publicly thanked his club president and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for ending the August war in his homeland.
Georgia was invaded by Russia last month and waged a war over the independence claims of Georgian territories Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Russia eventually pulled out but not before causing much damage to Georgian territory.
And now Kaladze has told Italian news agency Ansa that Russia's retreat was due to Berlusconi's personal relationship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, rather than any mediation efforts on the part of the EU or US.
'The world doesn't know this but it was Silvio Berlusconi who ended the war in Georgia, for this I want to thank him,' said Kaladze.
'Berlusconi has always been very close to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They're great friends.
'It was Berlusconi's own intervention that ended the war between Georgia and Russia.
'I know that the Italian leader spent five hours on the phone with Putin in trying to find a solution to this delicate situation.
'Once again, president Berlusconi proved himself to be sensitive and capable in diplomacy, a veritable ambassador of peace who I will never stop thanking.'
