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.

FC Rustavi
Full nameFootball Club Rustavi
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)
GroundPoladi Stadium, Rustavi
Capacity3,000
ManagerBachana Tskhadadze
CoachVarlam Kilasonia
LeagueErovnuli Liga 2
20233rd of 16 in Liga 3 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

Season League Pos P W D L GF GA Pts Domestic Cup
2015/16 2nd 9/18 34 10 13 11 33 33 43 1st round
2016 1/9 16 12 2 2 40 15 32[a] Preliminary round
2017 1/10 36 26 5 5 72 25 83 14 finals
2018 1st 7/10 36 8 13 15 33 44 37 18 finals
2019 8/10 36 9 11 16 40 56 38 14 finals
2020 2nd 4/10 18 7 5 6 35 27 26 116 finals
2021 9/10 36 11 6 19 46 58 39 116 finals
2022 7/10 28 6 5 17 34 54 23 18 finals
2023 3rd 3/16 30 19 4 7 63 31 61 1st round
  1. ^ Six points deducted

Top goalscorers edit

Season Div. Name Goals
2015–16 2nd   Zviad Metreveli, Zaza Tsitskishvili 6
2016 2nd   Data Sitchinava 12
2017 2nd   Data Sitchinava 30
2018 1st   Beka Kavtaradze, Zaza Tsitskishvili,
Otar Martsvaladze
4
2019 1st   Beka Kavtaradze 8
2020 2nd   Toma Tabatadze 13
2021 2nd   Paata Kiteishvili 12
2022 2nd   Bantu Mzwakali 9
2023 3rd   Bachuki Gotsadze 10

Penalty shoot-outs edit

Season Date Competition Round Opponent Venue Result Score
2017 13 September 2017 Georgian Cup Quarterfinals Dinamo Tbilisi Home Lost 0–3
2019 25 September 2019 Georgian Cup Quarterfinals Torpedo Kutaisi Home Lost 2–4

Squad edit

As of 8 April 2024[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   GEO Luka Jojua
2 DF   GEO Giorgi Talakhadze
4 DF   GEO Giorgi Samadashvili
5 DF   GEO Nika Chumburidze
6 MF   GEO Zaur Sichinava
7 DF   GEO Davit Manjgaladze
8 MF   GEO Luka Kemoklidze
9 FW   GEO Giorgi Gabedava
10 MF   GEO Bachuki Gotsadze
11 MF   GEO Nika Japaridze
12 GK   IRN Mehdi Karimihachehsoo
13 DF   GEO Giorgi Gotsadze (C)
14 MF   GEO Giorgi Jalagonia
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF   GEO Lasha Kochladze
17 MF   GEO Mate Kometiani
20 MF   GEO Nikoloz Jikia
22 MF   JPN Yuta Nakano
23 DF   GEO Varlam Kilasonia
24 MF   GHA Solomon Kessi
25 GK   GEO Nikoloz Ramishvili
26 MF   GHA Billy Jibril
27 DF   GEO Mamuka Kapanadze
29 FW   GNB Mohamed Sila
30 GK   GEO Giorgi Begashvili
33 MF   GEO Giorgi Gegechkori

Managers edit

Club staff edit

Position Name
General Director Bachana Tskhadadze
Head coach Varlam Kilasonia
Assistant coach
Goalkeeper coach Andro Koroshinadze

Honours edit

Notable players edit

Other teams edit

Rustavi also have a reserve team, which participates in Group A of Regionuli Liga.[14] Their home ground is the Poladi stadium.

References edit

  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. ^ "2024 Regional league". gff.ge.

External links edit