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FC Rustavi

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Not to be confused with Metalurgi Rustavi. Football club
FC Rustavi
Full nameFootball Club Rustavi
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)
GroundTechnical Centre, Rustavi
Capacity1,000
ManagerBachana Tskhadadze
CoachVarlam Kilasonia
LeagueErovnuli Liga 2
20242nd of 10 in Erovnuli Liga 2
Websitefc-rustavi.ge
Home colours Away colours

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 Georgian football.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Seasons

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 Preliminary round
2017 1/10 36 26 5 5 72 25 83 1⁄4 finals
2018 1st 7/10 36 8 13 15 33 44 37 1⁄8 finals
2019 8/10 36 9 11 16 40 56 38 1⁄4 finals
2020 2nd 4/10 18 7 5 6 35 27 26 1⁄16 finals
2021 9/10 36 11 6 19 46 58 39 1⁄16 finals
2022 7/10 28 6 5 17 34 54 23 1⁄8 finals
2023 3rd 3/16 30 19 4 7 63 31 61 1st round
2024 2nd 2/10 36 20 5 11 62 41 65 1⁄8 finals
  1. Six points deducted
  2. Lost 1–3 on aggregate to Telavi in Liga 1/2 play-offs
  3. Beat Kolkheti 1913 on away goles in Liga 2/3 play-offs
  4. Lost 0–2 on aggregate to Kolkheti Khobi in Liga 2/3 play-offs
  5. Promoted despite losing 4–7 on aggregate to Locomotive in Liga 2/3 play-offs
  6. Lost 2–3 on aggregate to Telavi in Liga 1/2 play-offs

Top goalscorers

Season Div. Name Goals
2015–16 2nd Georgia (country) Zviad Metreveli, Zaza Tsitskishvili 6
2016 2nd Georgia (country) Data Sitchinava 12
2017 2nd Georgia (country) Data Sitchinava 30
2018 1st Georgia (country) Beka Kavtaradze, Zaza Tsitskishvili,
Otar Martsvaladze
4
2019 1st Georgia (country) Beka Kavtaradze 8
2020 2nd Georgia (country) Toma Tabatadze 13
2021 2nd Georgia (country) Paata Kiteishvili 12
2022 2nd South Africa Bantu Mzwakali 9
2023 3rd Georgia (country) Bachuki Gotsadze 10
2024 2nd Georgia (country) Giorgi Gabedava 15

Penalty shoot-outs

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

As of 8 April 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. 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 Giorgi Talakhadze
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Samadashvili
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Chumburidze
6 MF Georgia (country) GEO Zaur Sichinava
7 DF Georgia (country) GEO Davit Manjgaladze
8 MF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Kemoklidze
9 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Gabedava
10 MF Georgia (country) GEO Bachuki Gotsadze
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Japaridze
12 GK Iran IRN Mehdi Karimihachehsoo
13 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Gotsadze (C)
14 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Jalagonia
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Kochladze
17 MF Georgia (country) GEO Mate Kometiani
20 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Jikia
22 MF Japan JPN Yuta Nakano
23 DF Georgia (country) GEO Varlam Kilasonia
24 MF Ghana GHA Solomon Kessi
25 GK Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Ramishvili
26 MF Ghana GHA Billy Jibril
27 DF Georgia (country) GEO Mamuka Kapanadze
29 FW Guinea-Bissau GNB Mohamed Sila
30 GK Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Begashvili
33 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Gegechkori

Managers

Name Nat. From To
Giorgi Mishvelidze Georgia (country) September 2015 April 2016
Varlam Kilasonia Georgia (country) April 2016 December 2017
Vladimir Gazzayev Russia January 2018 June 2018
Varlam Kilasonia (2) Georgia (country) June 2018 September 2018
Ucha Sosiashvili Georgia (country) September 2018 December 2018
Badri Kvaratskhelia Georgia (country)Azerbaijan February 2019 April 2019
Varlam Kilasonia (3) Georgia (country) May 2019 July 2020
Suliko Davitashvili Georgia (country) July 2020 August 2020
Temur Makharadze Georgia (country) August 2020 February 2021
Vladimer Khachidze Georgia (country) February 2021 July 2021
Armaz Jeladze Georgia (country) August 2021 April 2022
Levan Jokhadze Georgia (country) May 2022 November 2022
Valeri Abramidze Georgia (country) November 2022 December 2022
Varlam Kilasonia (4) Georgia (country) February 2023

Club staff

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

Honours

Notable players

Other teams

Rustavi also have a reserve team, which participates in Group A of Regionuli Liga. 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. "2024 Regional league". gff.ge.

External links

2025 Erovnuli Liga 2 clubs
Erovnuli Liga clubs
Current (2025)
Former
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