FC Telavi

FC Telavi is a Georgian association football club from the city of Telavi, competing in Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of Georgian league system.

FC Telavi
Full nameFootball Club Telavi
FoundedJuly 19, 2016 (2016-07-19)
GroundGivi Chokheli Stadium
Telavi, Georgia
Capacity12,000
ChairmanIrakli Vashakidze
ManagerGiorgi Mikadze
LeagueErovnuli Liga
20227th of 10
WebsiteClub website

They have been a member of the top flight since 2020.

History

The football club was founded in 2016 by former football players Irakli Vashakidze, Soso Grishikashvili and Aleksandre Amisulashvili.[1] Telavi successfully completed their first season in Regionuli Liga in 2016 and earned a place in III division. The next year they finished 2nd in Group White and in promotion play-offs defeated Guria 3–2 on aggregate.[2]

In 2018, Telavi took a foothold in Liga 2 coming 5th in the final table. On David Kipiani Cup Telavi eliminated four opponents, including Dila Gori, and reached the semifinals where they lost to Torpedo Kutaisi, the future champions of the competition.[3]

The next year they booked another promotion play-off, beat Rustavi in both games and advanced to Erovnuli Liga.[4] With this result the team achieved three promotions within the four seasons. Also, after a twelve-year pause the first-tier football finally returned to the capital of Kakheti.

Following this promotion nine new players, including four foreigners, strengthened the squad for 2020.[5] During their very first season the club was widely praised for decent performance. Having lost just two games out of 18, FC Telavi finished in the 6th place.[6]

The next season began poorly. After being winless for 17 games Telavi seemed a primary candidate for relegation, which resulted in the exit of manager. Starting from mid-June the team experienced some revival, producing an unbeaten run for seven matches, including five wins. They secured six more victories in the last quarter of the season, leapfrogged the rivals and accomplished a great escape. With this achievement Giorgi Mikadze claimed the Manager of Erovnuli Liga Round 4 (October-December) award.[7]

Seasons
Year Division Pos P W D L GF GA Pts Top goalscorer Goals Cup
2017 3rd, White Group 2/10 181053 301835 1⁄32 finals
Promotion Group 3/10Up-arrow 181233 561539
2018
2nd
 5/10 36121212 454348 Giorgi Nikabadze 10 1⁄2 finals
2019 3/10Up-arrow 3619611 703663 Irakli Rukhadze 16 1⁄8 finals
2020
1st
 6/10 184122 211424 5 1⁄4 finals
2021 6/10 3612816 355344 7 1⁄8 finals
2022 7/10 3681513 293639 Imeda Ashortia
Giorgi Kvernadze		 3 1⁄8 finals
2023

Current squad

As of 1 May 2023[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Georgia (country) GEO Levan Tandilashvili
2 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tato Zhividze
3 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Dundua
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Zurab Gigashvili
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Nozadze
6 DF Slovenia SVN Matija Rom
7 MF Brazil BRA Vitinho
8 MF Georgia (country) GEO Saba Piranashvili
9 FW Georgia (country) GEO Imeda Ashortia
10 MF Russia RUS Nikolai Kipiani
11 FW Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Kokhreidze
12 MF Georgia (country) GEO Dachi Tsnobiladze
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 DF Georgia (country) GEO Mirian Jikia
15 MF Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Kochladze
16 MF Ivory Coast CIV Kódjo Alphonse
17 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Omarashvili
18 MF Georgia (country) GEO Otar Gagnidze
20 DF Georgia (country) GEO Vazha Patsatsia
21 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Iluridze
22 DF Haiti HAI Alex Junior Christian
24 FW Georgia (country) GEO Guram Kavelashvili
29 MF Georgia (country) GEO Eldar Parkinashvili
33 GK Georgia (country) GEO Beka Kurdadze

Managers
Name From To
Georgia (country) Giorgi Dekanosidze 2017 2018
Ukraine Denys Khomutov 2019 2019
Georgia (country) Revaz Gotsiridze 2019 2021
Georgia (country) Giorgi Mikadze 2021 2021
Georgia (country) Giorgi Chelidze 2022 2022
Georgia (country) Giorgi Tsetsadze 2022 2023
Armenia Vardan Minasyan 2023 2023
Georgia (country) Giorgi Mikadze 2023

Sponsors

In early 2018, FC Telavi signed a sponsorship contract with m2 Development company.[9]

Stadium

Givi Chokheli football ground is home to FC Telavi, although the club played most of their home games in the last two seasons on Kavkasioni Rugby Arena.

In October 2020, local authorities made a presentation on construction plans for a brand new stadium.[10]

References
  1. "ვინ თქვა, კახეთში ფეხბურთი არ უყვართო?! თელავში გუნდი ფეხბურთელებმა აღადგინეს". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 10 September 2016.
  2. "„თელავმა" პლეი-ოფში „გურიას" სძლია და მე-2 ლიგაში აღზევდა" (in Georgian). reginfo.ge. 4 December 2017.
  3. "„ტორპედო" საქართველოს დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ფინალში გავიდა". topnews.ge (in Georgian). 7 November 2018.
  4. "„თელავმა" „რუსთავი" დაამარცხა და ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაწინაურდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 11 December 2019.
  5. "თელავმა ცხრა ფეხბურთელი დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 29 February 2020.
  6. "2020 Final table". eliga.ge.
  7. "გიორგი მიქაძე ეროვნული ლიგის მეოთხე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელია". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 10 December 2021. Retrieved 11 Dec 2021.
  8. "Players". soccerway.com.
  9. "m2 უძრავი ქონება" საფეხბურთო კლუბ „თელავის" გენერალური სპონსორი გახდა" (in Georgian). netgazeti.ge. 28 February 2018.
  10. "თელავს თანამედროვე სტანდარტების შესაბამისი სტადიონი ექნება". telavi.gov.ge (in Georgian). 30 October 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.