 | |||
| Full name | FC Tskhinvali | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Kartvelebi | ||
| Founded | 1936; 89 years ago (1936) | ||
| League | Currently suspended | ||
FC Tskhinvali is a defunctGeorgianfootball club, which in mid-2010s spent four seasons in the top tier of thenational league.
Despite the name, due to the enduringGeorgian–Ossetian conflict they were unable to host their opponents in the city ofTskhinvali, playing home games instead in Georgian-controlled areas, mostly inGori,Tbilisi andRustavi.
In early 2020, the club was disqualified fromLiga 3 after their failure to solve a severe financial crisis.[1]
Several times the club has undergone name changes:[2]
The original Spartaki Tskhinvali were founded in 1936, and during the time of the Soviet Union were a mainstay in the regional Georgian League, which was the fourth division in the Soviet league table. The club's biggest success came in 1987 when they won the regionalGeorgian Cup.[3]
With the creation of independent Georgian league the club changed their name intoLiakhvi and played several games of the first season until being withdrawn from the competition.
The team was restored in 2007, in an effort for the Georgian government to regain control over the break-away region of South Ossetia.[4] Having won the second league in 2013, they were promoted to theUmaglesi Liga.[5]
In January 2015 the team was renamed asFC Tskhinvali.[6] In 2014/15 the club reached semifinals of thenational Cup for the first time, but failed to overcomeDinamo Tbilisi (1–2 on aggregate). Their championship game four days prior to the return leg ended with Tskhinvali's sensational 4–1 victory.[7]
In the same season underKakha Kacharava the team reached their highest position in the league by finishing 4th and qualified for2015–16 Europa League competition.[8]
Tskhinvali were relegated fromUmaglesi Liga after the transitional2016 season. For three years the team competed in the second division. After an automatic relegation[9] they were supposed to play in Liga 3 the next year, although unable to cope with long-standing financial difficulties, the club was expelled from the league in January 2020.[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  FC Botoșani | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Season | Div. | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | 2nd | Zviad Metreveli | 21 |
| 2013–14 | 1st | Irakli Ekhvaia, Tornike Tukhareli | 4 |
| 2014–15 | 1st | Nika Kacharava | 12 |
| 2015–16 | 1st | Nika Kacharava | 13 |
| 2016 | 1st | Jaba Dvali | 7 |
| 2017 | 2nd | Tamaz Makatsaria | 21 |
| 2018 | 2nd | Zviad Metreveli | 8 |
| 2019 | 2nd | Data Sitchinava | 7 |
Badri Kvaratskhelia (Oct 1, 2010–1?)Vladimer Khachidze (Sept 15, 2011 – Oct 30, 2013)Kakhaber Kacharava (Nov 1, 2013–)Gocha Chikovani ( - April 2017) Malkhaz Latsabidze (May 2017 - May 2018)Yuri Gabiskiria (June - August 2018)
Roberto Landi (Sep - Oct 2018) Malkhaz Latsabidze (Nov - Dec 2018)
Xavier Munoz Sanchez (Mar - Jun 2019) Vladimer Vashadze (Jul - Sept 2019) Giga Kutivadze (Oct - Dec 2019)
