FC Telavi

Georgian football club
Football club
FC Telavi
Full nameFootball Club Telavi
FoundedJuly 19, 2016; 7 years ago (2016-07-19)
GroundGivi Chokheli Stadium
Telavi, Georgia
Capacity12,000
ChairmanSoso Grishikashvili
ManagerOleg Vasilenko
LeagueErovnuli Liga
20238th of 10
WebsiteClub website
Home colours
Away colours

FC Telavi (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი თელავი) is a Georgian professional football club based in the city of Telavi, Kakheti. The team competes in the Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of the national league system.

While the municipal stadium named after Givi Chokheli awaits a thorough reconstruction, Telavi have played their home matches at Kavkasioni Arena since their promotion to the Erovnuli Liga.

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

History

First steps

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. In 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 the 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.

In Erovnuli Liga

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] and received a nomination for Coach of the Season.[8]

Despite a promising forecast to the season, things went awry in early 2023. By mid-season, with the club sitting bottom of the table, fourteen players had been released in a summer overhaul preceded by departure of two managers. Instead, more than a dozen of new players was brought led by Irakli Rukhadze, the top goalscorer for three consecutive seasons a few years earlier.[9] Тhese changes brought an immediate impact. After the summer break Telavi won six of their eight games and climbed out of the relegation zone. As a result, when the Erovnuli Liga summed up part 3 (rounds 19-28) of the season, Giorgi Mikadze was recognized as best manager with three players - Begić, Guti and Rukhadze - named in the best eleven of the league.[10]

Seasons

Year Division Pos P W D L GF GA Pts Top goalscorer Goals Cup
2017 3rd, White Group 2/10 18 10 5 3 30 18 35 1⁄32 finals
Promotion Group 3/10↑ 18 12 3 3 56 15 39
2018 5/10 36 12 12 12 45 43 48 Giorgi Nikabadze 10 1⁄2 finals
2019 3/10↑ 36 19 6 11 70 36 63 Irakli Rukhadze 16 1⁄8 finals
2020 6/10 18 4 12 2 21 14 24 5 1⁄4 finals
2021 6/10 36 12 8 16 35 53 44 7 1⁄8 finals
2022 7/10 36 8 15 13 29 36 39 Imeda Ashortia
Giorgi Kvernadze 		3 1⁄8 finals
2023 8/10 36 10 7 19 34 62 37 Imeda Ashortia
Irakli Rukhadze 		6 1⁄8 finals

Current squad

As of 2 March 2024[11]

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 Aleko Ananidze
4 DF Armenia ARM Artur Kartashyan
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Piruz Gabitashvili
8 MF Portugal POR Rúben Oliveira
9 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Khabuliani
10 FW Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Akhvlediani
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Morchiladze
12 MF Georgia (country) GEO Dachi Tsnobiladze (C)
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF Georgia (country) GEO Mukhran Bagrationi
17 FW Russia RUS Maksim Mayrovich
18 MF Georgia (country) GEO Otar Gagnidze
22 DF Georgia (country) GEO Davit Gogotishvili
23 MF Slovakia SVK Filip Lesniak
24 MF Serbia SRB Stefan Bukorac
29 MF Georgia (country) GEO Eldar Parkinashvili
30 DF Argentina ARG Gino Peruzzi
33 GK Georgia (country) GEO Beka Kurdadze
39 DF Georgia (country) GEO Lado Odishvili
— MF Brazil BRA Jeffinho

Managerial history

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 2023
Greece Georgios Kostis 2023 2023
Russia Oleg Vasilenko 2024

Management

Ownership

The club is governed by shareholders. 66% of the share belongs to Soso Grishikashvili while 34%, initially owned by Aleksandre Amisulashvili, was purchased by Armenian businessman Karen Arutiunian in March 2023.[12]

Coaching positions

Position Name
Head coach Oleg Vasilenko
Assistant coach Nikita Dmitrenko
Fitness coach Fyodor Sergeyev
Goalkeeping coach Igor Kudryavants
First-team analyst Aleksey Vorodkin

Sponsors

In early 2018, FC Telavi signed a sponsorship contract with m2 Development company.[13]

In late 2022, the club announced a partnership deal with a wine-producing company based in Telavi.[14]

Stadium

Givi Chokheli football ground is home to FC Telavi, although the club played most of their home games in the last several seasons at 2,000-seater Kavkasioni Rugby Arena.[15]

In October 2020, local authorities made a presentation on construction plans for a brand new stadium.[16]

External links

  • Profile on Soccerway
  • Page on Facebook
  • FC Telavi Results

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. ^ "ELIGA AWARDS 2021". europop.ge (in Georgian). 28 December 2021.
  9. ^ ""თელავი" 14 ფეხბურთელს შეელია და 13 ახალი მოთამაშე დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 9 July 2023.
  10. ^ "მიქაძე მესამე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელად დაასახელეს". atiani.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Players". eliga.ge.
  12. ^ "სომხური ინვესტიცია ქართულ ფეხბურთში". commersant.ge (in Georgian). 27 March 2023.
  13. ^ "m2 უძრავი ქონება" საფეხბურთო კლუბ „თელავის" გენერალური სპონსორი გახდა" (in Georgian). netgazeti.ge. 28 February 2018.
  14. ^ ""თელავი" ახალ სეზონს ფინანსურად გაძლიერებული შეხვდება" (in Georgian). 5 December 2022.
  15. ^ "მამუკა ბახტაძემ თელავში რაგბის სტადიონი დაათვალიერა და ახალგაზრდა მორაგბეებს შეხვდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 24 November 2018.
  16. ^ "თელავს თანამედროვე სტანდარტების შესაბამისი სტადიონი ექნება". telavi.gov.ge (in Georgian). 30 October 2020.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Current (2024)Former