Liga 3 (Georgia)

Liga 3, organized by Georgian Football Federation since 1990, is the third division of professional football in Georgia.

Liga 3
Founded1990 (1990)
Country Georgia
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toErovnuli Liga 2
Relegation toLiga 4
Domestic cup(s)Georgian Cup
Current championsSpaeri (2021)
Websiteliga.gff.ge

Until 2017, when the current name was introduced, it was known as Meore Liga (the Second league).

Structure and league system

There were 20 teams competing in the league in 2017. In 2019, when Liga 4 was formed, their number was reduced to ten,[1] although after two seasons GFF decided to extend the league to 14 at the expense of two bottom teams from the previous season and two second-placed clubs from Liga 4 While and Red Groups.[2] From 2022 the number of clubs is due to be increased to 16.[3]

Seasons run based on Spring-Autumn system with each team playing an equal amount of home and away games against their league rivals.

The league operates based on a system of promotion and relegation. Starting from the 2022 season, champions and runners-up win automatic promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while the teams that finish in the third and fourth positions book a place in promotion play-off home and away games against respectively the 8th and 7th placed clubs of Liga 2. Three bottom teams are relegated to Liga 4.[4]

In case two or more clubs obtain the same number of points, their head-to-head records are next to be taken into consideration.

Number of teams each season

● 2017-18 = 20

● 2019-20 = 10

● 2021 = 14

● 2022 = 16

Current members
Locations of Liga 3 football clubs

Sixteen teams will be competing in Liga 3 for the 2022 season. Six of them have previously played in the top division, namely Borjomi (2005-09), Chikhura Sachkhere (2012-20), Guria Lanchkhuti (1990–99, 2001–02 and 2013–16), Kolkheti-1913 Poti (1990-2006, 2010-2013 and 2014–18), Kolkheti Khobi (1990–92 and 1999–2000) and Zestafoni (2004-15) with the latter being the two-times champions.

In 2022 the league will be represented by the following clubs:

Clubs Position last season Location Region
Aragvi5thDushetiMtskheta-Mtianeti
Bakhmaro8thChokhatauriGuria
Borjomi3rd in Liga 4BorjomiSamtskhe-Javakheti
Chikhura10th in Liga 2SachkhereImereti
Dinamo-2 Tbilisi1st in Liga 4TbilisiTbilisi
Gori6thGoriShida Kartli
Guria11thLanchkhutiGuria
Irao4th in Liga 4TbilisiTbilisi
Kolkheti-19132ndPotiSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Kolkheti Khobi9thKhobiSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Merani-2 Tbilisi12thTbilisiTbilisi
Meshakhte10thTkibuliImereti
Saburtalo-27thTbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi City3rdTbilisiTbilisi
Varketili4thTbilisiTbilisi
Zestafoni2nd in Liga 4ZestafoniImereti

Results

Group Winners of Meore Liga
Season West East Center
2011–12 Chikhura Sachkhere II Sasco Tbilisi —
2012–13 Matchakhela Khelvachauri Kartli 2011 —
2013–14 Lazika Zugdidi Borjomi —
2014–15 Imereti Khoni Tskhumi Sukhumi Liakhvi Tskhinvali
2015–16 Sulori Vani Gardabani Mark Stars
2016 Betlemi ● Margveti ● Samegrelo Algeti ● N.Dinamo ● Shevardeni ● Telavi Gori

Note: Due to the season being transitional in 2016, none of the teams was promoted

Top three teams of Liga 3
Season Winner Runner-up Third place
2017 Shevardeni Norchi Dinamo Tbilisi Telavi
2018 Zugdidi Bakhmaro Chokhatauri Guria Lanchkhuti
2019 Merani Martvili Samgurali Tskhaltubo Aragvi Dusheti
2020 Gareji Sagarejo Kolkheti-1913 Poti Gori
2021 Spaeri Tbilisi Kolkheti-1913 Poti Tbilisi City

Note: Apart from the champions who were automatically promoted to the second division, the teams indicated in bold gained promotion after winning the play-offs against their Liga-2 rivals.

Relegated teams

The number of relegated teams per each recent season varies due to the fact that the competition format is subject to frequent changes.

SeasonClubs
2017Odishi-1919 Zugdidi ● Chkherimela Kharagauli ● Liakhvi Tskhinvali ● Sapovnela Terjola
2018Samegrelo Chkhorotsku ● Magaroeli Chiatura ● Varketili Tbilisi ● Algeti Marneuli ● Mark Stars Tbilisi ● Imereti Khoni ● Gardabani ● Sulori Vani ● Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 ● Machakhela Khelvachauri
2019Borjomi ● Betlemi Keda
2020NONE
2021Magaroeli Chiatura ● Didube Tbilisi

Participation per club

Including the 2022 season there have been 41 teams in total competing in this league since 2017. Gori are topping the list with an overall seven-year continuous tenure in the third tier, including all the six seasons after its re-branding as Liga 3.

Team Par.
Gori6
Kolkheti6
Bakhmaro5
Meshakhte5
Saburtalo-25
Aragvi4
Borjomi4
Guria4
Betlemi3
Kolkheti 19133
Magaroeli3
Tbilisi City3
Varketili3
Algeti2
Team Par.
Gardabani2
Imereti2
Mark Stars2
Merani-2 Tb2
Samegrelo2
Spaeri2
Sulori2
Chikhura1
Chkherimela1
Didube1
Dinamo-21
Gareji1
Irao1
Liakhvi1
Team Par.
Margveti 20061
Matchakhela1
Merani M1
Merani Tb1
Odishi 19191
Samgurali1
Samgurali-21
Sapovnela1
Skuri1
Shevardeni 19061
Telavi1
Zestafoni1
Zugdidi1

As of 2022 their current status is:

Erovnuli Liga2
Erovnuli Liga 26
Liga 316
Liga 411
Regionuli Liga2
Defunct4

References
  1. "2019 regular season". soccerway.com.
  2. "სფფ-ს აღმასკომი - ცვლილებები Crystalbet ეროვნულ ლიგაში". crystalsport.ge (in Georgian), 25 January 2021.
  3. "2022 წლიდან ლიგა 2-ში და ლიგა 3-ში გუნდების რაოდენობა იზრდება". primesport.ge (in Georgian), 12 February 2021.
  4. "სფფ-ში აღმასრულებელი კომიტეტის სხდომა გაიმართა". gff.ge (in Georgian), 22 February 2022.
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