 | |||
| Full name | Football Club Sioni Bolnisi | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1936; 89 years ago (1936) | ||
| Ground | Tamaz Stepania Stadium,Bolnisi | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 | ||
| Chairman | Levan Silagadze | ||
| Manager | Varlam Kilasonia | ||
| League | Erovnuli Liga 2 | ||
| 2024 | Erovnuli Liga 2, 3rd of 10 | ||
| Website | fcsioni | ||
FC Sioni (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი სიონი) is aGeorgian professionalfootball club based inBolnisi. They compete inErovnuli Liga Liga 2, the second tier of theGeorgian league system.
The team has won the league title on one occasion, in 2005/06. Sioni play their home matches at local stadium named afterTamaz Stepania.
The football club in Bolnisi was founded in 1936. For years they took part in Georgian domestic competitions under the nameMadneuli. While being in the second division in early 1990s, the team emerged among the candidates challenging for the top league.
For the first time Sioni participated inUmaglesi Liga in the1995/96 season and after initial several years made significant progress towards joining ambitious clubs vying for titles.
In 2002, they reached the Cup final, although failed to prevail overDinamo Tbilisi.[1]
In the2003/04 season, Sioni andFC WIT Georgia shared the first position in the league, and the title was decided in a championship play-off. WIT won the game 2–0, but the crowd violence during the match led UEFA to ban Sioni from theUEFA Cup participation.[2]
The third attempt two years later turned out successful. The club set a remarkable unbeaten home record by winning 14 games out of 15 and ended the season five points clear of a main rival.[3]Kakha Tskhadadze became Manager of the Year, while strikerKoka Mikuchadze, who scored 19 goals, was named in the symbolic team of the season. Sioni representedGeorgia in theUEFA Champions League 2006-07, where they defeatedFK Baku fromAzerbaijan in the first qualifying round,[4] but were eliminated byBulgarian championsLevski Sofia in the second stage, losing 2–0 both home and away.[5]
As champions, in January 2007 Sioni participated in theCIS Cup inMoscow where they defeated two opponents out of three, although failed to qualify for the play-offs on goal difference.[6]
Sioni achieved another league success in2013/14. UnderVladimir Burduli the club, strengthened by some experienced players, including former national team membersValeri Abramidze andRevaz Kemoklidze, won the bronze medals. Two years later Sioni played in the national Cup final for the second time in fifteen years.[7] Soon their performance deteriorated, which saw the team relegated toLiga 2 for the first time in the last two decades.[8]
Following a two-year tenure in the second division, Sioni secured another promotion in 2021.[9] The team topped the league from the very beginning and, although slipped up in midseason which resulted in the sacking of the manager, eventually they comfortably won the championship contest.[10]
Sioni spent the entire 2022 season in battles to move out of the drop zone. Due to poor results, the club twice replaced managers during the year. At the end of the season, they lost bothplay-off ties toSamtredia and suffered a third relegation in seven seasons.[11]
| Season | League | Pos | Top scorers | Goals | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2nd | 14/20 | Round of 16 | ||
| 1991 | 2nd | 18/18↓ | Quarterfinals | ||
| 1991/92 | 3rd | ↑ | ― | ||
| 1992/93 | 2nd | 5/16 | Round of 16 | ||
| 1993/94 | 2nd, East | 12/18 | ― | ||
| 1994/95 | 2nd, East | 1/16↑ | 1st round | ||
| 1995/96 | 1st | 9/16 | Round of 16 | ||
| 1996/97 | 1st | 9/16 | Quarterfinals | ||
| 1997/98 | 1st | 13/16 | Round of 16 | ||
| 1998/99 | 1st | 13/16 | Round of 16 | ||
| 1999/2000 | 1st | 6/16 | 2nd round | ||
| 2000/01 | 1st | 8/12 | Round of 16 | ||
| 2001/02 | 1st | 8/12 | Shalva Isiani | 12 | Round of 16 |
| 2002/03 | 1st | 5/12 | Levan Shavgulidze | 11 | Runners-up |
| 2003/04 | 1st | 2/12 | Boris Goncharov | 17 | Round of 16 |
| 2004/05 | 1st | 7/10 | Davit Gogoladze | 8 | Round of 16 |
| 2005/06 | 1st | 1/16 | Akaki Mikuchadze | 19 | Semifinals |
| 2006/07 | 1st | 6/14 | Semifinals | ||
| 2007/08 | 1st | 8/14 | 1st round | ||
| 2008/09 | 1st | 5/11 | Quarterfinals | ||
| 2009/10 | 1st | 6/10 | Aleksandre Gogoberishvili | 6 | Round of 16 |
| 2010/11 | 1st | 8/10 | Revaz Gotsiridze | 7 | Quarterfinals |
| 2011/12 | 1st | 12/12 | Giorgi Kutsurua | 4 | Round of 16 |
| 2012/13 | 1st | 10/12 | Giorgi Kakhelishvili, Valeri Abramidze,Lado Akhalaia | 4 | Semifinals |
| 2013/14 | 1st | 3/12 | Rezo Jikia | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 2014/15 | 1st | 13/16 | Data Sitchinava | 11 | 2nd round |
| 2015/16 | 1st | 5/16 | Dimitri Tatanashvili | 11 | Runners-up |
| 2016 | 1st | 6/14↓[a] | Davit Volkovi | 6 | 2nd round |
| 2017 | 2nd | 3/10↑[b] | Jaba Dvali | 21 | Round of 16 |
| 2018 | 1st | 8/10[c] | Davit Kirkitadze | 6 | 3rd round |
| 2019 | 1st | 9/10↓[d] | Jaba Ugulava | 9 | Round of 16 |
| 2020 | 2nd | 7/10 | Zviad Sikharulia | 4 | 2nd Round |
| 2021 | 2nd | 1/10↑ | Data Sitchinava | 20 | Round of 16 |
| 2022 | 1st | 8/10↓[e] | Nika Khorkheli | 9 | Round of 32 |
| 2023 | 2nd | 4/10 | Vano Khabelashvili Gocha Tsirdava | 9 | Round of 16 |
| 2024 | 2nd | 3/10[f] | Data Sitchinava | 21 | 3rd round |
Seasons spent in Georgian leagues since 1990:
●Umaglesi Liga /Erovnuli Liga (1st tier):25
●Pirveli Liga /Erovnuli Liga 2 (2nd tier):11
●Meore Liga (3rd tier):1
Correct up to 2025 season
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | UEFA Cup | QR |  FK Púchov | 0–3 | 0–3 |
| 2006–07 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q |  Baku FC | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| 2Q |  PFC Levski Sofia | 0–2 | 0–2 | ||
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Flamurtari | 2–3 | 2–1 |
As of 10 March 2025[12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Kakha Tskhadadze (Dec 31, 2005 – Aug 31, 2006)Giorgi Kipshidze (Jul 1, 2007 – Jun 30, 2008)Otar Korgalidze (Jul 1, 2008 – Jun 30, 2009)Temur Makharadze (Jul 1, 2008 – Jun 30, 2010)Giorgi Kipshidze (Jul 1, 2010 – Mar 19, 2011)Khvicha Kasrashvili (Mar 18, 2011–1?)Vakhtang Chagelishvili (Jul 1, 2011–1?)Levan Bajelidze (Sept 15, 2011 – Jan 12, 2012)Khvicha Kasrashvili (Jan 15 – Aug 27, 2012)Armaz Jeladze (Aug 28, 2012 – Jun 1, 2013)Giorgi Kiknadze (Jun 1, 2013–Oct, 2013)Vladimir Burduli (Oct, 2013–)Koba Zhorzhikashvili (2017–2018)Teimuraz Shalamberidze (2018–2019)Davit Kokiashvili (February - July 2020)Varlam Kilasonia (July 2020 - June 2021)
Giorgi Daraselia (June 2021 - March 2022) Ucha Sosiashvili (March - November 2022)Giorgi Chelidze (November - December 2022)Koba Zhorzhikashvili (February - June 2023) Giorgi Okropiridze (June 2023 - March 2024) Giorgi Devdariani (March – June 2024) Gaga Kirkitadze (June – September 2024)Giorgi Chelidze (October 2024 – May 2025)Varlam Kilasonia (since May 2025)Rich Metals Group, engaged in mining activities near Bolnisi, signed a first sponsorship contract with Sioni in 2016.[13]
WhileSioni is a Georgian equivalent ofZion, the football club is named afterBolnisi Sioni, the fifth century cathedral located near the current municipal centre.
