FC Samtredia

FC Samtredia (Georgian: სკ სამტრედია), commonly known simply as Samtredia, is a Georgian association football club based in the city of Samtredia.

FC Samtredia
FC Samtredia.png
Full nameFootball Club Samtredia
Founded1936; 87 years ago (1936) as Sanavardo Samtredia
GroundErosi Manjgaladze Stadium, Samtredia, Georgia
Capacity3,000
ChairmanGia Omanadze
CoachGiorgi Shashiashvili
LeagueErovnuli Liga
20223rd of 10 in Erovnuli Liga 2, Promoted

The club gained promotion to Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of Georgian football system, after the 2022 season. Their home ground is Erosi Manjgaladze Stadium.

In 2016, Samtredia won the champion's title and the Super Cup.

HistoryEdit

In the Soviet leaguesEdit

Established in 1936, Samtredia spent years in the Georgian championship before the club obtained the right to participate in the Soviet Second League, the third tier of the Soviet football system. Several times Lokomotivi Samtredia finished their season as runners-up, twice won the league, although eventually failed to win the knock-out stages of the competition against winners of other two zones.[1]

Season League Pos Notes
1973 II, zone 4 12
1974 II, zone 3 9
1975 II, zone 1 10
1976 II, zone 1 13
1977 II, zone 4 12
1978 II, zone 4 8
1979 II, zone 4 2
1980 II, zone 9 1 Play-off, lost
1981 II, zone 9 2
1982 II, zone 9 2
1983 II, zone 9 4
1984 II, zone 9 4
1985 II, zone 9 10
1986 II, zone 9 7
1987 II, zone 9 1 Play-offs, lost
1988 II, zone 3 8
1989 II, zone 9 4

Below are all-time results during these 17 consecutive seasons in the Second league.

M W D L GF–GA
626 300 121 205 992-813

Following the 1989 season the Samtredian team as well as all other Georgian clubs withdrew from their relevant Soviet leagues after Georgian Football Federation broke ties with the Soviet Football Federation and formed an independent championship.

After IndependenceEdit

Sanavardo Samtredia became member of a new national Umaglesi liga. While twice, in 1993/94 and 1995/96, they finished in the 4th place, in 1994/1995 the club ended the season with the silver, which implied qualification for the preliminary round of UEFA Cup. But the debut in European football competitions turned out unsuccessful.[2] Soon they fell from the top flight followed by relegation from Pirveli Liga as well.

In 2014/15 Samtredia reached the final of David Kipiani Cup. In previous rounds they had knocked out four opponents, including contenders for the title Dinamo Batumi, Torpedo Kutaisi and Chikhura, but resistance offered to Dinamo Tbilisi proved insufficient.[3]

The most fruitful period for Samtredia was in mid-2010s, when they finished among top three teams of Umaglesi liga for three seasons in a row. Moreover, in 2016, under head coach Giorgi Tsetsadze they became champions for the first time in their history after victory over Chikhura Sachkhere in the championship playoffs.[4] Samtredia completed the season with the double after they beat Georgian Cup holders Torpedo Kutaisi in the Super Cup game.[5]

In 2019, the club took part in Liga 2, although returned to the top division after one season. Manager Kakhaber Kacharava, who guided Samtredia back to the top flight, had to quit the club in September 2020 after just one point earned in last five league games and a shock Cup defeat from Liga 3 minnows Tbilisi City.[6]

New head coach Giorgi Mikadze steered Samtredia away from the relegation zone, but in February 2021 he was replaced by Giorgi Tsetsadze, who had once brought the club to their only champion's title.[7] His second tenure lasted eight months, though. The team lost a survival struggle and finished at the bottom of the table.[8]

As in the previous case three years earlier, it took Samtredia a year to move back to the top flight. Under Giorgi Shashiashvili the team beat their rivals for a playoff spot and qualified for decisive matches for the third time in the last five years. Another victory over Sioni completed their successful league campaign in 2022.[9]

SeasonsEdit

Domestic leaguesEdit

Season Div Pos Top goalscorer Goals Cup
1990 1st 12/18 Round of 32
1991 1st 18/20
1991/92 1st 15/20 Round of 16
1992/93 1st 10/17 Round of 16
1993/94 1st 4/10 Round of 16
1994/95 1st 2/16 Gia Jishkariani 18 Quarterfinals
1995/96 1st 4/16 Zurab Ionanidze 23 Semifinals
1996/97 1st 14/16  Round of 16
1997/98 2nd 2/14  Quarterfinals
1998/99 1st 8/16 Round of 16
1999/2000 1st, Champ.Group 7/8 Round of 32
2000/01 1st 12/12  Round of 32
2001/02 2nd, Releg.Round 10/11 Round of 32
2002/03 2nd 16/16 Round of 32
2003/04 2nd 14/16 Round of 32
2007/08 2nd 8/10 1st Round
2008/09 2nd 1/11  Round of 16
2009/10 1st 7/10   Zaur Khachiperadze 11 Round of 16
2010/11 1st 10/10    Giga Kverenchkhiladze 4 Round of 32
2011/12 2nd, A Group 3/8   Papuna Shatirishvili 3 Round of 32
2012/13 2nd 5/12   Zaur Khachiperadze 9 Round of 16
2013/14 2nd 1/14    Zviad Kantaria 11 Round of 32
2014/15 1st 6/16   Tornike Kapanadze 7 Runners-up
2015/16 1st 2/16   Budu Zivzivadze 16 Quarterfinals
2016 1st 1/14   Budu Zivzivadze 11 Quarterfinals
2017 1st 3/10   Davit Rajamashvili 8 Round of 16
2018 1st 9/10    Giorgi Pantsulaia 6 Round of 16
2019 2nd 2/10    Guram Samushia 15 Round of 16
2020 1st 7/10   Nijat Gurbanov 4 Round of 16
2021 1st 10/10    Nikola Prelčec 4 Round of 32
2022 2nd 3/10    Dato Kirkitadze 8 Round of 32

European recordEdit

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1995–96 UEFA Cup PR   FK Vardar 0–2 0–1 0–3
2016–17 UEFA Europa League 1QR   Gabala 2–1 1–5 3–6
2017–18 UEFA Champions League 2QR   Qarabag 0–1 0–5 0–6
2018–19 UEFA Europa League 1QR   Tobol 0–1 0–2 0–3

Current squadEdit

As of 28 February 2023[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 Rezo Lomidze
2 DF   GEO Giorgi Gvishiani (On loan from Dinamo Tbilisi)
3 DF   GEO Irakli Kamladze
4 DF   GEO Mate Abuladze
6 MF   GEO Bakar Mirtskhulava
7 MF   GEO Revaz Injgia
8 MF   GEO Shalva Ekvtimishvili
9 MF   AZE Abdulla Khaybulayev (On loan from Sabah)
10 MF   GEO Luka Robakidze
11 MF   GEO Dato Kirkitadze
13 GK   BLR Jaroslav Burichenkov
15 DF   GEO Giorgi Koripadze
17 DF   GEO Zviad Nachkebia
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF   GEO Levan Khmaladze (C)
20 MF   GEO Givi Ioseliani
21 DF   GEO Vakhtang Bochorishvili
23 DF   GEO Varlam Kilasonia
25 FW   CMR Cyrille Tchamba
27 MF   NGA Mathew Olatunji
29 FW   GEO Vano Chargeishvili
30 MF   GEO Malkhaz Chitaishvili
33 MF   GEO Bakar Laghadze
40 DF   GEO Davit Ubilava
MF   GEO Anzor Tevzadze
MF   GEO Irakli Zaridze

ManagersEdit

Notable playersEdit

Born in Samtredia, Kаkha Kaladze began his football career at the age of 11 in FC Samtredia's junior team as a striker.

HonoursEdit

SponsorsEdit

Since 2019 Archi development company has been a general sponsor of FC Samtredia.[12]

NameEdit

Throughout their history Samtredia have also been named Lokomotivi, Sanavardo, Juba and Iberia[13] with the current name regained in 2006.

Samtredia literally means a place where pigeons reside and comes from Georgian word mtredi - pigeon.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ "Samtredia in 1970-80s". wildstat.com.
  2. ^ "Samtredia vs Vardar 1995 History". uefa.com.
  3. ^ "დინამო (თბ)-სამტრედია 5:0 - ძლევაი საკვირველი". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 27 May 2015.
  4. ^ "ფეხბურთი: "სამტრედია" საქართველოს ჩემპიონი გახდა". netgazeti.ge (in Georgian), 11 December 2016.
  5. ^ "სამტრედია - ტორპედო: პირველი სუპერთასი და პირველი დუბლი". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 27 February 2017.
  6. ^ "კახა კაჭარავამ "სამტრედია" დატოვა". fanebi.com (in Georgian), 23 September 2020.
  7. ^ "გია ცეცაძე: სამტრედიაში იმიტომ დავბრუნდი, რომ ეს ჩემი უსაყვარლესი გუნდია". 1tv.ge (in Georgian), 10 February 2021.
  8. ^ "სამტრედია შაშიაშვილმა ჩაიბარა". leadersport.ge (in Georgian). 14 February 2022.
  9. ^ "სამტრედია" ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაბრუნდა, „სიონი" ლიგა 2-ში გავარდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 11 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Players". erovnuliliga.ge. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  11. ^ Georgia - List of Champions - RSSSF
  12. ^ "არქი "სამტრედიას" გენერალური სპონსორი გახდა". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 17 September 2019.
  13. ^ "The history of FC Samtredia". fcsamtredia.com. 6 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.

External linksEdit