FC Metalurgi Rustavi

FC Metalurgi Rustavi
Founded1948 (1948)
Dissolved2015
GroundPoladi StadiumRustavi, Georgia
Capacity6,200

Metalurgi Rustavi was a Georgianfootball team based in Rustavi, which has twice won the national league.

In Soviet times, the club played under the name "Metalurgi" (Rustavi), then during the independence of Georgia, the club was called "Gorda" (Rustavi) and FC Rustavi.

After FC Tbilisi merged with club FC Rustavi in 2006, FC Olimpi Rustavi was established.

History

Football in Rustavi could be traced back to Metalurgi Rustavi in the Soviet era.

In 1990, the club became a member of the newly created Umaglesi Liga under the name Gorda with Givi Nodia at the helm. In the first three seasons Gorda came third twice. Following Nodia's departure from the team, the management reversed its decision regarding the name. For the next six seasons Metalurgi did not achieve any significant success, although they signed several players who later joined the national team, namely Soso Grishikashvili, Zurab Menteshashvili, Aleksandre Rekhviashvili, and Levan Kobiashvili.

The club was renamed back to Gorda in 1998. Around this period the team usually stayed in the bottom half of the table. In 2002, Gorda lost playoffs to Mtskheta and suffered a first relegation to Pirveli Liga. A year later, being Rustavi this time, they prevailed over the same opponents in play-offs, but due to financial difficulties failed to obtain a top-flight license.[1]

Before the 2006 season, it was announced that Rustavi would merge with Umaglesi Liga side Tbilisi and take part in the main division as Olimpi Rustavi. Starting from this year, Olimpi was regarded as one of the main title contenders.

In 2007, the team won their first Georgian Umaglesi Liga title,[2] followed by the second title three years later.[3] In the same season they recorded an unbeaten run consisting of 27 league matches.[4] With 26 goals netted in 31 matches Anderson Aquino became their top scorer of this season. Having beaten WIT Georgia 2–0, Olimpi won the Super Cup as well.

For the 2011–12 season the club changed its name to Metalurgi Rustavi after a thirteen-year wait. Metalurgi finished on equal points as Zestaponi and was faced with a bizarre scandal involving the Football Federation. As these clubs differently inferred new league regulations determining a winner of the tournament, they both declared themselves a champion. Initially, the GFF sided with Metalurgi, although after an executive committee extraordinary meeting held the next day, it announced a final decision in favor of Zestaponi.[5]

Despite some decline, experienced by Metalurgi in following years, their players occasionally still featured in different post-season nominations. In one of such events in December 2014, Otar Kiteishvili was voted among three best young players.[6]

The 2014–15 season turned out critical.[7] Despite sitting among the top five teams before the winter break, soon the overall situation rapidly deteriorated. The club had amassed debts exceeding 8₾ million and could not afford to pay salaries to its staff and players.[8] After a fifteen-game winless run, Metalurgi ended up in the relegation zone. Following a 5–0 loss to Lokomotivi in playoffs, they were relegated.[9]

Their last season was in the Meore Liga, the third division, in 2015–16, but midway through the season they withdrew from the league.[10] Subsequently, Metalurgi were declared bankrupt. A new Rustavi club emerged representing the city in Liga 2, although they did not have any legal connections.[11]

Honours

Seasons

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated
SeasonLeaguePos.PWDLGFGAPCupEurope
Gorda Rustavi
1990Umaglesi Liga3342239633369QuarterfinalsDid not qualify
1991919757342226—
1991–923382297713875Round of 32
Metalurgi Rustavi
1992–93Umaglesi Liga73214711736949Round of 32Did not qualify
1993–949205114324616Runner-up
1994–9573012810483744Semifinals
1995–965302208703666Round of 16
1996–97103011217445735Round of 16
1997–98113010416324134Round of 32
Gorda Rustavi
1998–99Umaglesi Liga123071112284632Round of 16Did not qualify
1999-00122813312422834Round of 16
2000–01113281113324226Round of 16
2001–0210328816274725Quarterfinals
2002–0310329419304825Round of 32
2003–04Pirveli Liga43016311463151Round of 32
FC Rustavi
2004–05Pirveli Liga113010713394337Round of 32 Did not qualify
2005–06834131011503749Round of 32
FC Olimpi Rustavi
2006–07Umaglesi Liga126196157963Round of 16Did not qualify
2007–084261646261652Quarter finalsUEFA Champions League 1st qualifying round
2008–093301695402057Runner-upDid not qualify
2009–101362574692679Round of 16UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round
2010–1133620610523166Quarter finalsUEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying round
FC Metalurgi Rustavi
2011–12Umaglesi Liga2281747392855Semi-finalsUEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round
2012–1373212812293544Semi-finalsUEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round
2013–1453213613353945Quarter finalsDid not qualify
2014–1514306816254626Quarter finalsDid not qualify
2015–16 Meore LigaWithdrew

European record

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away
2007–08UEFA Champions League1Q KazakhstanFC Astana0–0 0–3
2009–10UEFA Europa League1Q Faroe IslandsB36 Tórshavn2–0 2–0
2Q PolandLegia Warszawa0–1 0–3
2010–11UEFA Champions League2Q KazakhstanAktobe1–1 0–2
2011–12UEFA Europa League1Q ArmeniaBanants1–1 1–0
2Q KazakhstanIrtysh Pavlodar1–1 2–0
3Q FranceStade Rennais2–5 0–2
2012–13UEFA Europa League1Q AlbaniaTeuta6–1 3–0
2Q Czech RepublicViktoria Plzeň1–3 0–2

Notable Players

Managers

References

  1. ^"მეტალურგი" ბრუნდება". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 10 June 2011.
  2. ^"საქართველოს ჩემპიონატი რუსთავის "ოლიმპი" ჩემპიონ". gff.ge (in Georgian), 20 მაისი 2007. 20 May 2007.
  3. ^"Olimpi scale Georgian heights again". UEFA. 5 May 2010.
  4. ^"ეროვნული ფეხბურთის ციფრების ანატომია". ambebi.ge (in Georgian), 9 June 2010. 9 June 2010.
  5. ^""ზესტაფონი" - საქართველოს საფეხბურთო ჩემპიონატის 2011-2012 წლების გამარჯვებული". droni.ge (in Georgian). 21 May 2012.
  6. ^"წლის რჩეულები: 2014". mysports.ge (in Georgian), 25 December 2014.
  7. ^"ვარლამ კილასონია: ეს კატასტროფაც აღარ არის!."sportall.ge (in Georgian), 17 March 2015.
  8. ^"რუსთავის "მეტალურგი" იშლება?". rustavi2.ge (in Georgian). 3 March 2015.
  9. ^"ვარლამ კილასონია: ამიტომაც ჩააგდეს "ლოკომოტივთან" მატჩი..."sportall.ge (in Georgian), 4 June 2015.
  10. ^"Meore Liga 2015-16". soccerway.com.
  11. ^გია ტუხაშვილი (11 April 2017). "რუსთავი: აღზევება". lelo.ge (in Georgian).
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