FC Rustavi
Full nameFootball Club Rustavi
Founded2015 (2015)
GroundPoladi Stadium, Rustavi
Capacity3,000
ManagerBachana Tskhadadze
CoachVarlam Kilasonia
LeagueErovnuli Liga 2
20233rd of 16 in Liga 3 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

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

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 no legal connections with any of the football clubs previously existing in the city (Gorda, Metalurgi, Olimpi). As a new team, it was established on 3 July 2015.[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 the 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]

The club was struggling for most of the regular season in 2019. Eventually, Rustavi could have remained in the league in case of a 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]

Starting from 2021, the club took part in two relegation battles. Initially, Rustavi prevailed over Kolkheti 1913 due to away goals, but in the next season they lost both matches to Kolkheti Khobi, which resulted in their relegation to the third division.[8]

During the 2023 season, Rustavi were battling for an automatic promotion spot. Although the team suffered a 4–7 aggregate defeat from Locomotive in play-offs, ultimately they were admitted back to the 2nd division after Shukura's disqualification by the Federation.[9]

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.[10]

The same scenario unfolded two years later when Rustavi's Cup campaign was stopped by Torpedo Kutaisi.[11]

Seasons

SeasonLeaguePosPWDLGFGAPtsDomestic Cup
2015/162nd9/18341013113333431st round
20161/9161222401532[lower-alpha 1]Preliminary round
20171/10↑3626557225831⁄4 finals
20181st7/1036813153344371⁄8 finals
20198/10↓36911164056381⁄4 finals
20202nd4/10187563527261⁄16 finals
20219/1036116194658391⁄16 finals
20227/10↓2865173454231⁄8 finals
20233rd3/16↑3019476331611st round
  1. ↑ Six points deducted

Top goalscorers

SeasonDiv.NameGoals
2015–162ndGeorgia (country) Zviad Metreveli, Zaza Tsitskishvili6
20162ndGeorgia (country) Data Sitchinava12
20172ndGeorgia (country) Data Sitchinava30
20181stGeorgia (country) Beka Kavtaradze, Zaza Tsitskishvili,
Otar Martsvaladze		4
20191stGeorgia (country) Beka Kavtaradze8
20202ndGeorgia (country) Toma Tabatadze13
20212ndGeorgia (country) Paata Kiteishvili12
20222ndSouth Africa Bantu Mzwakali9
20233rdGeorgia (country) Bachuki Gotsadze10

Penalty shoot-outs

SeasonDateCompetitionRoundOpponentVenueResultScore
201713 September 2017Georgian CupQuarterfinalsDinamo TbilisiHomeLost0–3
201925 September 2019Georgian CupQuarterfinalsTorpedo KutaisiHomeLost2–4

Squad

As of 28 April 2023[12]

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 Luka Jojua
2 DF Georgia (country) GEO Saba Nadiradze
3 DF Georgia (country) GEO Goga Gogoladze
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Samadashvili
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Talakhadze
6 DF Georgia (country) GEO Onise Kamladze
7 MF Georgia (country) GEO Davit Manjgaladze
8 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Bostoganashvili
9 DF Georgia (country) GEO Davit Mishvelidze
10 MF Georgia (country) GEO Bachuki Gotsadze
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Japaridze
13 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Gotsadze (C)
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF Georgia (country) GEO Goga Gogoladze
17 MF Georgia (country) GEO Zaur Sichinava
18 DF Georgia (country) GEO Vano Shengelidze
19 DF Georgia (country) GEO Archil Koberidze
20 DF Georgia (country) GEO Gabriel Kiteishvili
21 FW Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Gavasheli
22 MF Japan JPN Yuta Nakano
23 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Balarjishvili
24 MF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Kemoklidze
25 GK Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Andriadze
27 DF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Mgebrishvili

Managers

  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Mishvelidze (September 2015 – April 2016)
  • Georgia (country) Varlam Kilasonia (April 2016 – December 2017)
  • Russia Vladimir Gazzayev (January – June 2018)
  • Georgia (country) Varlam Kilasonia (June – September 2018)
  • Georgia (country) Ucha Sosiashvili (September – December 2018)
  • Azerbaijan Badri Kvaratskhelia (February – April 2019)
  • Georgia (country) Varlam Kilasonia (May 2019 – July 2020)
  • Georgia (country) Suliko Davitashvili (July – August 2020)
  • Georgia (country) Temur Makharadze (August 2020 – February 2021)
  • Georgia (country) Vladimer Khachidze (February – July 2021)
  • Georgia (country) Armaz Jeladze (August 2021 – April 2022)
  • Georgia (country) Levan Jokhadze (May – November 2022)
  • Georgia (country) Valeri Abramidze (November — December 2022)
  • Georgia (country) Varlam Kilasonia (Since February 2023)[13]

Club staff

PositionName
General DirectorBachana Tskhadadze
Head coachVarlam Kilasonia
Assistant coach
Goalkeeper coachAndro Koroshinadze

Honours

Notable players

Other teams

Rustavi also have a reserve team, which in the 2023 season participates in Group A of Regionuli Liga.[14] Their home ground is the 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. ↑ "ეროვნულ ლიგა 2-ში ხობის „კოლხეთი" და „ვიტ ჯორჯია" ითამაშებენ". 1tv.ge (in Georgian), 10 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "„შუქურა" ლიგა 4-ში დაქვეთდა, ლიგა 2-ში კი „რუსთავი" ითამაშებს - ეროვნულმა ლიგამ ლიცენზირების შედეგები გამოაქვეყნა #1TVSPORT „შუქურა" ლიგა 4-ში დაქვეთდა, ლიგა 2-ში კი „რუსთავი" ითამაშებს". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "რუსთავი-დინამო (თბ) 0:0 (პენ. 0:3) - რევიშვილის საოცრებანი". sportall.ge. 14 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "ქუთაისის "ტორპედო" დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ნახევარფინალშია". megatv.ge (in Georgian). 25 September 2019.
  12. ↑ "Rustavi players". eliga.ge.
  13. ↑ "რუსთავს ისევ კილასონია გაწვრთნის". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 16 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "2022 Regional league". gff.ge.
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