FC Matchakhela Khelvachauri
FC Matchakhela is a Georgian football club based in the town of Khelvachauri. Following the 2022 season, they gained promotion to Liga 3, the third tier of Georgian league system.
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| Full name | FC Matchakhela Khelvachauri |
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| Founded | 2011 |
| Ground | Central stadium, Khelvachauri |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Manager | Avtandil Kunchulia |
| League | Liga 3 |
| 2022 | 3rd of 16 in Liga 4, Promoted |
History
Matchakhela was founded оn the basis of Khelvachauri Sport School in 2011. Amiran Gogitidze, the first head coach, guided the club to Meore Liga, which they won with automatic promotion.[1]
For most of the next season Matchakhela were engaged in inter-Adjarian rivalry with Dinamo Batumi for a second promotion place to Umaglesi Liga, in which eventually the latter prevailed. Overall, the 3rd place taken 2014 in Liga 2 has been the club's highest point reached in Georgian leagues.[2]
The team concluded the 2014/15 season comfortably in mid-table, but a year later entered a period of instability. Struggling the whole season, eventually they lost a survival battle.
The 2016 season was transitional in all Georgian football leagues into Spring-Autumn system with a sharp reduction of clubs in each division. Matchakhela failed to remain in the third tier and thus suffered double relegation in successive seasons. Although they managed to climb back to Liga 3 the next year,[3] in 2018 the team finished bottom of the league.[4]
Matchakhela spent two seasons in Regionuli Liga before they won promotion to Liga 4 for 2021. After two more years under Avtandil Kunchulia they successfully concluded their league campaign and moved back into the third tier.[5]
Seasons
| Season | League | Pos | MP | W | D | L | GF–GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | Meore Liga West | 1st of 13 | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 74-11 | 62 |
| 2013-14 | Pirveli Liga Group B | 3rd of 14 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 44-21 | 54 |
| 2014-15 | Pirveli Liga Group A | 6th of 10 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 48-66 | 45 |
| 2015-16 | Pirveli Liga | 16th of 18 | 34 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 30-43 | 37 |
| 2016 | Liga 3 Group B | 5th of 8 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 25-23 | 22 |
| 2017 | Regionuli Liga West A | 2nd of 15 | 28 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 63-23 | 62 |
| 2018 | Liga 3 | 20th of 20 | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 35-63 | 28 |
| 2019 | Regionuli Liga West | 8th of 10 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 30-40 | 20 |
| 2020 | Regionuli Liga West B | 2nd of 6 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 28-16 | 24 |
| 2021 | Liga 4 White Group | 7th of 10 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 35-41 | 19 |
| Relegation Round | 5th of 10 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 45-24 | 30 | |
| 2022 | Liga 4 | 3rd of 16 | 30 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 60-26 | 64 |
| 2023 | Liga 3 | TBD | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
Squad
As of April 2022
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
- Third place (1): 2013-14, Group B
- Winners (1): 2012-13
• Liga 4
- Third place (1): 2022
• Regionuli Liga (West)
- Runners-up (2): 2017, 2020
Stadium
Matchakhela hosts home games at Akhalsopeli Central stadium, which has the capacity of 1,000 seats.
Name
The name derives from Machakheli, a geographical area near the border between Georgia and Turkey.
References
- "2012/13 season in Meore Liga". soccerway.com.
- "Pirveli Liga 2013/14". soccerway.com.
- "პლეი-ოფის წილისყრა ეროვნული ლიგა 3-ის საგზურისთვის". fanebi.com (in Georgian), 23 November 2017.
- "2018 in Liga 3". gff.ge.
- "ხელვაჩაურის „მაჭახელა" საქართველოს ლიგა 3-ში გადასასვლელად ემზადება". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 18 November 2022.