FC Telavi
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 | |||
| Full name | Football Club Telavi | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 19, 2016 | ||
| Ground | Givi Chokheli Stadium Telavi, Georgia | ||
| Capacity | 12,000 | ||
| Chairman | Soso Grishikashvili | ||
| Manager | Valery Gagua | ||
| League | Erovnuli Liga 2 | ||
| 2025 | 8th of 10 (relegated) | ||
| Website | fctelavi | ||
FC Telavi (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი თელავი) is a Georgian professional football club based in the city of Telavi, Kakheti. Following the 2025 season, they were relegated to Erovnuli Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian football.
While the municipal stadium named after Givi Chokheli awaits a thorough reconstruction, Telavi use Kavkasioni Arena as their home ground.
History
[edit]First steps
[edit]The football club was founded in 2016 by former football players Irakli Vashakidze, Soso Grishikashvili and Aleksandre Amisulashvili.[1]Telavi successfully completed their first season in Regionuli Liga in 2016 and earned a place in III division. The next year they finished 2nd in Group White and in promotion play-offs defeated Guria 3–2 on aggregate.[2]
In 2018, Telavi took a foothold in Liga 2 coming 5th in the final table. In David Kipiani Cup Telavi eliminated four opponents, including Dila Gori, and reached the semifinals where they lost to Torpedo Kutaisi, the future champions of the competition.[3]
The next year they booked another promotion play-off, beat Rustavi in both games and advanced to the Erovnuli Liga.[4] With this result the team achieved three promotions within the four seasons. Also, after a twelve-year pause the first-tier football finally returned to the capital of Kakheti.
In Erovnuli Liga
[edit]Following this promotion, nine new players, including four foreigners, strengthened the squad for 2020.[5] During their very first season the club was widely praised for decent performance. Having lost just two games out of 18, FC Telavi finished in the 6th place.[6]
The next season began poorly. After being winless for 17 games Telavi seemed a primary candidate for relegation, which resulted in the exit of manager. Starting from mid-June the team experienced some revival, producing an unbeaten run for seven matches, including five wins. They secured six more victories in the last quarter of the season, leapfrogged the rivals and accomplished a great escape. With this achievement Giorgi Mikadze claimed the Manager of Erovnuli Liga Round 4 (October–December) award[7] and received a nomination for Coach of the Season.[8]
Despite a promising forecast to the season, things went awry in early 2023. By mid-season, with the club sitting bottom of the table, fourteen players had been released in a summer overhaul preceded by departure of two managers. Instead, more than a dozen of new players was brought led by Irakli Rukhadze, the top goalscorer for three consecutive seasons a few years earlier.[9] Тhese changes brought an immediate impact. After the summer break Telavi won six of their eight games and climbed out of the relegation zone. As a result, when the Erovnuli Liga summed up part 3 (rounds 19–28) of the season, Giorgi Mikadze was recognized as best manager with three players - Begić, Guti and Rukhadze - named in the best eleven of the league.[10]
Starting from 2023, Telavi fought three successive relegation battles against their 2nd division opponents. Their third playoff ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Meshakhte which resulted in their first demotion from an upper league.
Statistics
[edit]Seasons
[edit]Year Division Pos P W D L GF GA Pts Cup 2017 3rd, White Group 2/10 18 10 5 3 30 18 35 1⁄32 finals Promotion Group 3/10[a]↑ 18 12 3 3 56 15 39 2018 5/10 36 12 12 12 45 43 48 1⁄2 finals 2019 3/10[b]↑ 36 19 6 11 70 36 63 1⁄8 finals 2020 6/10 18 4 12 2 21 14 24 1⁄4 finals 2021 6/10 36 12 8 16 35 53 44 1⁄8 finals 2022 7/10 36 8 15 13 29 36 39 1⁄8 finals 2023 8/10[c] 36 10 7 19 34 62 37 1⁄8 finals 2024 9/10[d] 36 8 10 18 32 43 34 1⁄4 finals 2025 8/10[e] ↓ 36 9 9 18 36 59 36 1⁄16 finals
Top goalscorers
[edit]| Season | Div. | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2nd |  Giorgi Nikabadze | 10 |
| 2019 | 2nd | Irakli Rukhadze | 16 |
| 2020 | 1st | Irakli Rukhadze | 5 |
| 2021 | 1st | Irakli Rukhadze | 7 |
| 2022 | 1st | Imeda Ashortia Giorgi Kvernadze | 3 |
| 2023 | 1st | Imeda Ashortia Irakli Rukhadze | 6 |
| 2024 | 1st | Tornike Morchiladze  Dejan Georgijević | 6 |
| 2025 | 1st | Mikheil Basheleishvili  Inigo Martin | 5 |
Managerial history
[edit]| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Giorgi Dekanosidze | 2017 | 2018 |
 Denys Khomutov | 2019 | 2019 |
| Revaz Gotsiridze | 2019 | 2021 |
| Giorgi Mikadze | 2021 | 2021 |
| Giorgi Chelidze | 2022 | 2022 |
| Giorgi Tsetsadze | 2022 | 2023 |
 Vardan Minasyan | 2023 | 2023 |
| Giorgi Mikadze (2) | 2023 | 2023 |
 Georgios Kostis | 2023 | 2023 |
 Oleg Vasilenko | 2024 | 2024 |
| Armen Adamyan | 2024 | 2024 |
 Pambos Christodoulou | 2024 | 2024 |
| Valery Gagua | 2025 |
Current squad
[edit]As of 4 September, 2025[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Management
[edit]Ownership
[edit]The club is governed by shareholders. Currently, 33% of the share belongs to chairman Soso Grishikashvili while the rest have been purchased by Armenian businessmen Vardan Hakopian and Tigran Hakobian.[12]
Telavi received the first Armenian investment in March 2023.[13]
Coaching positions
[edit]| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Valery Gagua |
| Assistant coach | Levan Merebashvili |
| Fitness coach | Alexander Parnyuk |
| Goalkeeping coach | Bukhu Odikadze |
| First-team analyst | Andro Giorgobiani |
Sponsors
[edit]In early 2018, FC Telavi signed a sponsorship contract with m2 Development company.[14]
In late 2022, the club announced a partnership deal with a wine-producing company based in Telavi.[15]
Stadium
[edit]Givi Chokheli football ground is home to FC Telavi, although the club played most of their home games in the last several seasons at 2,000-seater Kavkasioni Rugby Arena.[16]
In October 2020, local authorities made a presentation on construction plans for a brand new stadium.[17]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "ვინ თქვა, კახეთში ფეხბურთი არ უყვართო?! თელავში გუნდი ფეხბურთელებმა აღადგინეს". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 10 September 2016.
- ^ ""თელავმა" პლეი-ოფში "გურიას" სძლია და მე-2 ლიგაში აღზევდა" (in Georgian). reginfo.ge. 4 December 2017.
- ^ ""ტორპედო" საქართველოს დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ფინალში გავიდა". topnews.ge (in Georgian). 7 November 2018.
- ^ ""თელავმა" "რუსთავი" დაამარცხა და ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაწინაურდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 11 December 2019.
- ^ "თელავმა ცხრა ფეხბურთელი დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 29 February 2020.
- ^ "2020 Final table". eliga.ge.
- ^ "გიორგი მიქაძე ეროვნული ლიგის მეოთხე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელია". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 10 December 2021. Retrieved 11 Dec 2021.
- ^ "ELIGA AWARDS 2021". europop.ge (in Georgian). 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ ""თელავი" 14 ფეხბურთელს შეელია და 13 ახალი მოთამაშე დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 9 July 2023.
- ^ "მიქაძე მესამე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელად დაასახელეს". atiani.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Players". eliga.ge.
- ^ "შპს საფეხბურთო კლუბი თელავი". companyinfo,ge (in Georgian). 16 September 2024.
- ^ "სომხური ინვესტიცია ქართულ ფეხბურთში". commersant.ge (in Georgian). 27 March 2023.
- ^ "m2 უძრავი ქონება" საფეხბურთო კლუბ "თელავის" გენერალური სპონსორი გახდა" (in Georgian). netgazeti.ge. 28 February 2018.
- ^ ""თელავი" ახალ სეზონს ფინანსურად გაძლიერებული შეხვდება" (in Georgian). 5 December 2022.
- ^ "მამუკა ბახტაძემ თელავში რაგბის სტადიონი დაათვალიერა და ახალგაზრდა მორაგბეებს შეხვდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 24 November 2018.
- ^ "თელავს თანამედროვე სტანდარტების შესაბამისი სტადიონი ექნება". telavi.gov.ge (in Georgian). 30 October 2020.
 | |||
| Full name | Football Club Telavi | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 19, 2016 | ||
| Ground | Givi Chokheli Stadium Telavi, Georgia | ||
| Capacity | 12,000 | ||
| Chairman | Soso Grishikashvili | ||
| Manager | Valery Gagua | ||
| League | Erovnuli Liga 2 | ||
| 2025 | 8th of 10 (relegated) | ||
| Website | fctelavi.ge | ||
FC Telavi (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი თელავი) is a Georgian professional football club based in the city of Telavi, Kakheti. Following the 2025 season, they were relegated to Erovnuli Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian football.
While the municipal stadium named after Givi Chokheli awaits a thorough reconstruction, Telavi use Kavkasioni Arena as their home ground.
History
First steps
The football club was founded in 2016 by former football players Irakli Vashakidze, Soso Grishikashvili and Aleksandre Amisulashvili.[1]Telavi successfully completed their first season in Regionuli Liga in 2016 and earned a place in III division. The next year they finished 2nd in Group White and in promotion play-offs defeated Guria 3–2 on aggregate.[2]
In 2018, Telavi took a foothold in Liga 2 coming 5th in the final table. In David Kipiani Cup Telavi eliminated four opponents, including Dila Gori, and reached the semifinals where they lost to Torpedo Kutaisi, the future champions of the competition.[3]
The next year they booked another promotion play-off, beat Rustavi in both games and advanced to the Erovnuli Liga.[4] With this result the team achieved three promotions within the four seasons. Also, after a twelve-year pause the first-tier football finally returned to the capital of Kakheti.
In Erovnuli Liga
Following this promotion, nine new players, including four foreigners, strengthened the squad for 2020.[5] During their very first season the club was widely praised for decent performance. Having lost just two games out of 18, FC Telavi finished in the 6th place.[6]
The next season began poorly. After being winless for 17 games Telavi seemed a primary candidate for relegation, which resulted in the exit of manager. Starting from mid-June the team experienced some revival, producing an unbeaten run for seven matches, including five wins. They secured six more victories in the last quarter of the season, leapfrogged the rivals and accomplished a great escape. With this achievement Giorgi Mikadze claimed the Manager of Erovnuli Liga Round 4 (October–December) award[7] and received a nomination for Coach of the Season.[8]
Despite a promising forecast to the season, things went awry in early 2023. By mid-season, with the club sitting bottom of the table, fourteen players had been released in a summer overhaul preceded by departure of two managers. Instead, more than a dozen of new players was brought led by Irakli Rukhadze, the top goalscorer for three consecutive seasons a few years earlier.[9] Тhese changes brought an immediate impact. After the summer break Telavi won six of their eight games and climbed out of the relegation zone. As a result, when the Erovnuli Liga summed up part 3 (rounds 19–28) of the season, Giorgi Mikadze was recognized as best manager with three players - Begić, Guti and Rukhadze - named in the best eleven of the league.[10]
Starting from 2023, Telavi fought three successive relegation battles against their 2nd division opponents. Their third playoff ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Meshakhte which resulted in their first demotion from an upper league.
Statistics
Seasons
Year Division Pos P W D L GF GA Pts Cup 2017 3rd, White Group 2/10 18 10 5 3 30 18 35 1⁄32 finals Promotion Group 3/10[a]↑ 18 12 3 3 56 15 39 2018 5/10 36 12 12 12 45 43 48 1⁄2 finals 2019 3/10[b]↑ 36 19 6 11 70 36 63 1⁄8 finals 2020 6/10 18 4 12 2 21 14 24 1⁄4 finals 2021 6/10 36 12 8 16 35 53 44 1⁄8 finals 2022 7/10 36 8 15 13 29 36 39 1⁄8 finals 2023 8/10[c] 36 10 7 19 34 62 37 1⁄8 finals 2024 9/10[d] 36 8 10 18 32 43 34 1⁄4 finals 2025 8/10[e] ↓ 36 9 9 18 36 59 36 1⁄16 finals
Top goalscorers
| Season | Div. | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2nd |  Giorgi Nikabadze | 10 |
| 2019 | 2nd | Irakli Rukhadze | 16 |
| 2020 | 1st | Irakli Rukhadze | 5 |
| 2021 | 1st | Irakli Rukhadze | 7 |
| 2022 | 1st | Imeda Ashortia Giorgi Kvernadze | 3 |
| 2023 | 1st | Imeda Ashortia Irakli Rukhadze | 6 |
| 2024 | 1st | Tornike Morchiladze  Dejan Georgijević | 6 |
| 2025 | 1st | Mikheil Basheleishvili  Inigo Martin | 5 |
Managerial history
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Giorgi Dekanosidze | 2017 | 2018 |
 Denys Khomutov | 2019 | 2019 |
| Revaz Gotsiridze | 2019 | 2021 |
| Giorgi Mikadze | 2021 | 2021 |
| Giorgi Chelidze | 2022 | 2022 |
| Giorgi Tsetsadze | 2022 | 2023 |
 Vardan Minasyan | 2023 | 2023 |
| Giorgi Mikadze (2) | 2023 | 2023 |
 Georgios Kostis | 2023 | 2023 |
 Oleg Vasilenko | 2024 | 2024 |
| Armen Adamyan | 2024 | 2024 |
 Pambos Christodoulou | 2024 | 2024 |
| Valery Gagua | 2025 |
Current squad
As of 4 September, 2025[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Management
Ownership
The club is governed by shareholders. Currently, 33% of the share belongs to chairman Soso Grishikashvili while the rest have been purchased by Armenian businessmen Vardan Hakopian and Tigran Hakobian.[12]
Telavi received the first Armenian investment in March 2023.[13]
Coaching positions
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Valery Gagua |
| Assistant coach | Levan Merebashvili |
| Fitness coach | Alexander Parnyuk |
| Goalkeeping coach | Bukhu Odikadze |
| First-team analyst | Andro Giorgobiani |
Sponsors
In early 2018, FC Telavi signed a sponsorship contract with m2 Development company.[14]
In late 2022, the club announced a partnership deal with a wine-producing company based in Telavi.[15]
Stadium
Givi Chokheli football ground is home to FC Telavi, although the club played most of their home games in the last several seasons at 2,000-seater Kavkasioni Rugby Arena.[16]
In October 2020, local authorities made a presentation on construction plans for a brand new stadium.[17]
External links
- Profile on Soccerway
- Page on Facebook
- FC Telavi Results
References
- ^ "ვინ თქვა, კახეთში ფეხბურთი არ უყვართო?! თელავში გუნდი ფეხბურთელებმა აღადგინეს". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 10 September 2016.
- ^ ""თელავმა" პლეი-ოფში "გურიას" სძლია და მე-2 ლიგაში აღზევდა" (in Georgian). reginfo.ge. 4 December 2017.
- ^ ""ტორპედო" საქართველოს დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ფინალში გავიდა". topnews.ge (in Georgian). 7 November 2018.
- ^ ""თელავმა" "რუსთავი" დაამარცხა და ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაწინაურდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 11 December 2019.
- ^ "თელავმა ცხრა ფეხბურთელი დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 29 February 2020.
- ^ "2020 Final table". eliga.ge.
- ^ "გიორგი მიქაძე ეროვნული ლიგის მეოთხე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელია". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 10 December 2021. Retrieved 11 Dec 2021.
- ^ "ELIGA AWARDS 2021". europop.ge (in Georgian). 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ ""თელავი" 14 ფეხბურთელს შეელია და 13 ახალი მოთამაშე დაიმატა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 9 July 2023.
- ^ "მიქაძე მესამე წრის საუკეთესო მწვრთნელად დაასახელეს". atiani.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Players". eliga.ge.
- ^ "შპს საფეხბურთო კლუბი თელავი". companyinfo,ge (in Georgian). 16 September 2024.
- ^ "სომხური ინვესტიცია ქართულ ფეხბურთში". commersant.ge (in Georgian). 27 March 2023.
- ^ "m2 უძრავი ქონება" საფეხბურთო კლუბ "თელავის" გენერალური სპონსორი გახდა" (in Georgian). netgazeti.ge. 28 February 2018.
- ^ ""თელავი" ახალ სეზონს ფინანსურად გაძლიერებული შეხვდება" (in Georgian). 5 December 2022.
- ^ "მამუკა ბახტაძემ თელავში რაგბის სტადიონი დაათვალიერა და ახალგაზრდა მორაგბეებს შეხვდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 24 November 2018.
- ^ "თელავს თანამედროვე სტანდარტების შესაბამისი სტადიონი ექნება". telavi.gov.ge (in Georgian). 30 October 2020.