Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili has been inaugurated as president of Georgia in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.

Georgia inaugurated on Sunday an ex-footballer turned far-right politician -- Mikheil Kavelashvili -- as Tbilisi's next figurehead president, after a controversial election process denounced as "illegitimate" by the current pro-EU leader.

Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former Manchester City football player, was sworn in as Georgia’s new president today. It comes after a controversial election process denounced as ‘illegitimate’ by the outgoing president,