Fc Rustavi

FC Rustavi (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი რუსთავი) is a Georgian football club based in the city of Rustavi, which currently takes part in Erovnuli Liga 2, the 2nd tier of the national football system.

FC Rustavi
Full nameFootball Club Rustavi
Founded2015 (2015)
GroundTeknikuri centri, Rustavi
Capacity1,000
ManagerBachana Tskhadadze
CoachValeri Abramidze
LeagueErovnuli Liga 2
20219th

Founded in 2015, it is one of the youngest participants of the Georgian football leagues.

The team has spent two seasons in the first division.

History

FC Rustavi have had no legal connections with any of the football clubs previously existing in the city. As a new team, it was established on 3 July 2015 by football managers Badri Machavariani and Levan Silagadze.[1]

League performance

Rustavi debuted in the second division the same year and achieved a modest goal of retaining a place in it by finishing in midtable.[2]

Contrary to expectations, in 2016 they emerged among the favourites, managed to prevail in the promotion contest and under manager Varlam Kilasonia won the league. However, due to the season being transitional to the spring-autumn system, no team was promoted.[3]

Despite a poor start in 2017, the club drastically improved and after a ten-match winning run claimed the first place with automatic promotion to the first tier.[4]

Rustavi signed some experienced players such as Nukri Revishvili, Mamuka Kobakhidze and Otar Martsvaladze and in the very first game in Erovnuli Liga obtained three points at Dinamo Tbilisi. But frequent changes of the squad throughout the season did not contribute to stable results and finally the team finished in the 7th place.[5]

For most of the regular season in 2019 the club was struggling. Eventually, Rustavi could remain in the league in case of play-off victory over Telavi, but they were defeated in both games.[6]

Back in Liga 2 the next season Rustavi joined the promotion battle and remained in a play-off range until the last game. However, the results of the final matchday turned out unfavourable. Yet, in this season Rustavi recorded their biggest win 10–0.[7]

Georgian Cup

Rustavi have twice reached the quarterfinal stage of this competition.

As a lower league side, they came close to the sensation during the game against Dinamo Tbilisi in 2017. After a goalless draw in regular and extra times the winner was determined on penalties.[8]

The same scenario unfolded two years later when Rustavi's Cup campaign was stopped by Torpedo Kutaisi.[9]

Seasons
SeasonDivPosTop goalscorerGoalsDomestic Cup
2015/162nd9/18Zviad Metreveli, Zaza Tsitskishvili6 1st round
20161/9Data Sitchinava12Preliminary round
20171/10Data Sitchinava301⁄4 finals
20181st7/10B.Kavtaradze, Z.Tsitskishvili, O.Martsvaladze41⁄8 finals
20198/10Beka Kavtaradze81⁄4 finals
20202nd4/10Toma Tabatadze131⁄16 finals
20219/10Paata Kiteishvili121⁄16 finals

Squad

As of 3 May 2022[10]

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  GEO Gogi Kulua
2 DF  GEO Saba Nadiradze
3 DF  GEO Goga Gogoladze
4 DF  GEO Giorgi Samadashvili
5 DF  GEO Giga Samkharadze
6 DF  GEO Davit Sajaia
7 MF  GEO Guram Lukava
8 MF  GEO Avtandil Gujabidze
9 DF  GEO Aleksandre Jeladze
10 MF  GEO Paata Kiteishvili
11 MF  GEO Mikheil Kochakidze
15 DF  GEO Dima Sharikadze
17 MF  GEO Zaur Sichinava
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW  GEO Guram Kavelashvili
19 MF  GEO Giorgi Mangoshvili
20 DF  RSA Bantu Mzwakali
21 FW  GEO Nodar Tutashvili
22 MF  GEO Zakro Mirzashvili
23 MF  GEO Nika Bostoganashvili
24 MF  GEO Luka Kemoklidze
25 GK  GEO Avto Kapanadze
28 DF  GEO Tariel Tediashvili
31 GK  GEO Luka-Lazare Macharashvili
36 GK  GEO Beka Aladashvili
– MF  GEO Giorgi Mirzikashvili

Managers
  • Giorgi Mishvelidze (September 2015 – April 2016)
  • Varlam Kilasonia (April 2016 – December 2017)
  • Vladimir Gazzayev (January – June 2018)
  • Varlam Kilasonia (June – September 2018)
  • Ucha Sosiashvili (September – December 2018)
  • Badri Kvaratskhelia (February – April 2019)
  • Varlam Kilasonia (May 2019 – July 2020)
  • Suliko Davitashvili (July – August 2020)
  • Temur Makharadze (August 2020 – February 2021)
  • Vladimer Khachidze (February – July 2021)
  • Armaz Jeladze (August 2021 – April 2022)
  • Valeri Abramidze (caretaker, since May 2022)[11]

Other teams

Rustavi also have a reserve team, which in the 2022 season participates in Group B of Regionuli Liga.[12] Their home ground is Poladi stadium.

References
  1. "რუსთავი: აღზევება". lelo.ge (in Georgian). 5 December 2017.
  2. "2015/16 regular season". soccerway.com.
  3. "პირველი ლიგა ოთხმა კლუბმა გაინაღდა". mysports.ge (in Georgian), 25 November 2016.
  4. "ეროვნული ლიგა 2-ის 2017 წლის სეზონი დასრულდა". fanebi.com (in Georgian). 25 November 2017.
  5. "Erovnuli Liga in 2018". flashscore.com.
  6. "თელავმა" "რუსთავი" დაამარცხა და ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაწინაურდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 11 December 2017.
  7. "ეროვნული ლიგა 2. "რუსთავმა" 10:0 მოიგო". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 29 November 2020.
  8. "რუსთავი-დინამო (თბ) 0:0 (პენ. 0:3) - რევიშვილის საოცრებანი". sportall.ge. 14 September 2017.
  9. "ქუთაისის "ტორპედო" დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ნახევარფინალშია". megatv.ge (in Georgian). 25 September 2019.
  10. "Rustavi players". eliga.ge.
  11. "ჯელაძე წავიდა, რუსთავს დროებით საქართველოს ნაკრების ყოფილი მცველი დაუნიშნეს". lelo.ge (in Georgian), 2 May 2022.
  12. "2022 Regional league". gff.ge.
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