2022 Liga 3 (Georgia)

The 2022 Liga 3 was the 6th season under its current title and the 34th season of third tier football in Georgia. The regular two-round tournament began on 4 April and ended on 1 December[1] with promotion play-offs completed in 10 December.

Liga 3
Season2022
Dates4 April - 1 December
ChampionsDinamo-2
PromotedDinamo-2
Kolkheti 1913
Kolkheti Khobi
RelegatedTbilisi City
Matches played240
Goals scored748 (3.12 per match)
Biggest home winVarketili 10-0 Chikhura
(29 September)
Biggest away winChikhura 0-7 Aragvi
(6 October)
Highest scoringVarketili 10-0 Chikhura
(29 September)
Longest winning runDinamo-2
Kolkheti 1913
(7 matches)
Longest unbeaten runKolkheti 1913 (16)
Longest winless runChikhura (30)
Longest losing runChikhura (15)
← 2021
2023 →
All statistics correct as of 10 December.

Review

Based on GFF decision, the number of Liga 3 clubs was increased from 14 to 16 teams for this season. In contrast with the previous year, three teams were relegated, two clubs gained automatic promotion and two more qualified for play-offs.[2]

Both unbeaten at home, Dinamo-2 and Kolkheti 1913 sealed their promotion three rounds before the end of the season.[3][4] Kolkheti Khobi joined them after the play-offs.

Chikhura continued their horrible run in this league as well. Rooted to the foot of the table with a single point in thirty games, they suffered three relegations in three successive seasons.[5] Zestafoni, who faced financial difficulties after mid-season, also failed to stay up. Six more teams fought hard to avoid relegation. Eventually, Meshakhte, the last of the three Imeretian clubs, lost a crucial final match and ended up in the drop zone.[6]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the previous season:

    Teams and Stadiums
    Locations of Liga 3 football clubs in 2022

    Six former first-tier teams were competing in Liga 3 this season, namely Borjomi (2005-09), Chikhura Sachkhere (2012-20), Guria Lanchkhuti (1990–99, 2001–02, 2013–16), Kolkheti-1913 Poti (1990-2006, 2010-2013, 2014–18), Kolkheti Khobi (1990–92, 1999–2000) and Zestafoni (2004-15).

    Clubs represented in the league this season are listed below in alphabetical order:

    Clubs Position in 2021 Location Stadium Region
    Aragvi5thDushetiOMC*Mtskheta-Mtianeti
    Bakhmaro8thChokhatauriBoris PaichadzeGuria
    Borjomi3rd in Liga 4BorjomiJemal ZeinklishviliSamtskhe-Javakheti
    Chikhura10th in Erovnuli Liga 2SachkhereCentraluriImereti
    Dinamo-21st in Liga 4TbilisiDinamo AcademyTbilisi
    Gori6thGoriKartliShida Kartli
    Guria11thLanchkhutiEvgrapi ShevardnadzeGuria
    Irao4th in Liga 4TbilisiSpaeriTbilisi
    Kolkheti9thKhobiPaata TatarashviliSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
    Kolkheti 19132ndPotiFazisiSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
    Merani-212thTbilisiOlimpiuri CompleksiTbilisi
    Meshakhte10thTkibuliTemur MaghradzeImereti
    Saburtalo-27thTbilisiBendelaTbilisi
    Tbilisi City3rdTbilisiGldani SC*Tbilisi
    Varketili4thTbilisiVarketili SC*Tbilisi
    Zestafoni2nd in Liga 4ZestafoniDavid AbashidzeImereti

    Note: OMC stands for Olympic Preparation Centre while SC means Football Centre.

    League table
    Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
    1 Dinamo-2 (C, P) 30 22 5 3 72 22 +50 71 Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2
    2 Kolkheti 1913 (P) 30 21 6 3 76 29 +47 69
    3 Aragvi 30 16 9 5 56 25 +31 57 Qualification for promotion play-offs
    4 Kolkheti (P, O) 30 15 9 6 53 32 +21 54
    5 Varketili 30 14 9 7 65 43 +22 51
    6 Gori 30 15 5 10 58 38 +20 50
    7 Saburtalo-2 30 13 4 13 46 44 +2 43
    8 Borjomi 30 12 5 13 47 40 +7 41
    9 Irao 30 11 6 13 49 52 −3 39
    10 Bakhmaro 30 10 8 12 38 42 −4 38
    11 Tbilisi City (R) 30 11 5 14 38 48 −10 38 Resigned from the league in Winter 2023.
    12 Guria 30 11 4 15 42 49 −7 37
    13 Merani-2 30 11 4 15 37 50 −13 37
    14 Meshakhte (T) 30 10 5 15 35 39 −4 35 Readmitted
    15 Zestafoni (T) 30 4 3 23 18 77 −59 15
    16 Chikhura (T) 30 0 1 29 19 119 −100 1
    Source: gff.ge
    Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.
    (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated

    According to the existing regulations, the bottom three teams were supposed to be relegated. However, on 17 January 2023 the Football Federation announced that all of them would stay up and replace those three clubs, among them Tbilisi City, who had failed to get a Liga 3 license for the upcoming season.[7]

    Results

    Regular season
    Home \ Away ARA BKH BOR CHI DT2 GOR GUR IRA KOL KKH MR2 MES SB2 TBC VAR ZES
    Aragvi 1–0 0–2 4–1 1–0 1–3 3–1 6–3 2–2 0–0 2–1 0–0 1–1 4–0 5–1 5–0
    Bakhmaro 4–1 0–1 4–0 0–3 2–2 1–0 5–1 1–2 0–0 1–1 3–2 1–0 1–1 1–1 1–0
    Borjomi 0–0 2–1 5–1 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–1 0–4 1–1 3–4 2–1 1–0 0–1 1–1 7–0
    Chikhura 0–7 0–3 0–2 1–4 1–6 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–2 1–3 1–4 0–1 0–4 1–4 1–2
    Dinamo-2 1–1 3–0 2–1 6–0 4–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 4–2 3–0 2–1 5–0 4–1 4–3 3–0
    Gori 0–2 0–0 4–1 5–0 0–1 1–1 3–1 0–4 0–1 2–3 3–1 3–1 0–0 1–0 1–0
    Guria 1–3 1–1 1–0 4–1 0–2 1–6 3–1 1–3 2–1 2–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 1–4 5–1
    Irao 0–1 3–1 1–3 2–0 0–1 1–1 1–0 1–5 2–0 1–1 3–0 1–1 2–1 3–4 7–1
    Kolkheti 1913 0–0 3–1 2–2 5–2 1–1 2–0 5–1 2–2 4–0 2–1 3–2 5–0 3–0 2–2 2–0
    Kolkheti 0–0 1–2 3–1 4–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 4–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 1–2 6–0 3–1 2–1
    Merani-2 1–2 1–2 1–4 5–0 1–0 0–3 1–0 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–0 1–3 1–0 1–4 1–0
    Meshakhte 1–0 1–0 0–1 6–0 2–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 1–2 0–0 1–3 3–2 1–0 1–2 2–0
    Saburtalo-2 0–1 5–0 2–1 5–3 0–2 1–3 2–0 2–0 5–1 0–1 3–0 2–0 1–1 1–3 0–0
    Tbilisi City 1–0 1–1 2–1 3–0 1–3 1–4 1–4 2–0 0–2 2–5 1–2 2–0 1–2 1–0 6–0
    Varketili 0–0 2–0 1–3 10–0 0–0 4–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–2 1–1 1–0
    Zestafoni 1–3 3–1 4–2 1–1 0–6 0–3 0–3 0–4 0–2 0–2 3–0 1–1 0–1 0–2 0–2
    Source: [8]
    Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

    Promotion play-offs

    First leg

    WIT Georgia0–0Aragvi
    Report
    Gldani Football Centre, Tbilisi
    Referee: G.Avazashvili
    Kolkheti Khobi1–0Rustavi
    Chedia 8' Report
    Paata Tatarishvili Stadium, Khobi
    Referee: G.Kikacheishvili

    Second leg

    Aragvi0–1WIT Georgia
    Report Nachkebia 45'
    Marakana, Tbilisi
    Referee: B.Ninua
    Rustavi0–1Kolkheti Khobi
    Report Toradze 72'
    Technikuri Centri, Rustavi
    Referee: A.Nonikashvili

    Following these matches Kolkheti Khobi achieved promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while Aragvi remained in Liga 3 for the next season.

    References
    1. "ეროვნული ლიგა 3-ის კალენდარი (in Georgian)". fczestafoni.ge. 17 January 2022.
    2. "სფფ-ში აღმასკომის სხდომა გაიმართა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 22 February 2022.
    3. "Dinamo-2 in Liga 2 from next year". fcdinamo.ge. 11 November 2022.
    4. "ლიგა 2-ში „კოლხეთი 1913" და „დინამო თბილისი 2" ითამაშებენ". 1tv.ge (in Georgian), 14 November 2022.
    5. "ქართული ფეხბურთის ორი დიდი ტკივილი..." lelo.ge (in Georgian), 8 November 2022.
    6. "Liga 3, 2022". gff.ge (in Georgian).
    7. "მეშახტე", "ზესტაფონი", "ჩიხურა": იმერული სამაია ლიგა 3-ში რჩება!". fczestafoni.ge (in Georgian). 17 January 2023.
    8. "Liga 3 results". soccerway.com.
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