FC Gonio
FC Gonio (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი გონიო) is a Georgian association football club based in Gonio, the southern settlement of Batumi.
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| Founded | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Ground | Central Stadium Gonio, Batumi, Georgia |
| Chairman | Davit Dolidze |
| Coach | Nikoloz Sabanadze |
| League | Liga 4 |
| 2022 | 2nd of 11, Regionuli Liga Group B, promoted |
They started taking part in the national league in 2021 and have achieved two promotions within the three seasons. Being currently a member of Liga 4, the fourth tier of the national league system, Gonio have secured a place in Liga 3 for the 2024 season.
History
The club was established in April 2021 and included in the Regionuli Liga West Group tournament for the upcoming season.[1] After two initial wins under manager Giorgi Zoidze, Gonio afterwards stayed in midtable. In early July, before the season resumed, a new head coach was appointed. During this season, the team recorded six victories with a large margin, including 8–0 in October.[2]
The next year Gonio made their debut in the David Kipiani Cup, the Georgian National Cup, where they beat two opponents, including a third-tier team.[3] Gonio were involved in the promotion chase along with two other clubs throughout the league season. They eventually came second in the table and qualified for the play-offs.[4] In a crucial game held in Batumi, Gonio cruised to victory over Gldani and secured promotion to the fourth division.[5]
Before the start of their new league campaign, Gonio signed several players with even a top-tier experience and unveiled their ambitious plan to advance further into the third division. An initial five-game winning run in Liga 4 indicated that they were serious title contenders. On 28 June 2023, Gonio recorded the biggest win in their history (14:1). Together with Betlemi Keda, in September they became a co-author of a unique occasion in Georgian football when a club gained promotion with seven matches still to play.[6]
Seasons
| Year | League | Pos | M | W | D | L | GF–GA | Pts | Domestic Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Regionuli Liga West | 5th of 9 | 24 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 51–34 | 41 | – |
| 2022 | Regionuli Liga, Group C | 2nd of 11↑ | 20 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 87–16 | 48 | Round 3 |
| 2023 | Liga 4 | TBD | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | Round 3 |
Squad
As of 1 March 2023[7]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| General Director | Irakli Beridze |
| Head coach | Nika Sabanadze |
| Assistant coach | Mikheil Kakaladze |
| Goalkeeper coach | Yuri Maminashvili |
Managers
| Name | Nat. | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giorgi Zoidze |  |
April 2021 | July 2021 |
| Irakli Gogichaishvili | |
July 2021 | December 2022 |
| Amiran Gogitidze | |
January 2023 | July 2023 |
| Nika Sabanadze | |
July 2023 |
Stadium
The team's home ground is the Central stadium, although some matches occasionally are held also at Akhalsopeli stadium near Khelvachauri.
Name
The town of Gonio is located at a historic place famous for its Roman-era fortress.
References
- "ფეხბურთს გონიოშიც თამაშობენ". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 3 May 2021.
- "Regionuli liga, 2021". gff.ge.
- "გონიომ" ყიფიანის თასის მეორე ეტაპზე ხობის "კოლხეთი" დაამარცხა". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 26 May 2022.
- "Regionuli liga C, 2022". gff.ge (in Georgian).
- "საფეხბურთო კლუბმა გონიომ საქართველოს მეოთხე ლიგის საგზური მოიპოვა". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 28 November 2023.
- "უპრეცედენტო ფაქტი - "ბეთლემმა" და "გონიომ" ლიგა 3-ის საგზური სეზონის დასრულებამდე ორი თვით ადრე მოიპოვეს". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 28 September 2023.
- "Gonio players". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 1 March 2023.