FC Metalurgi Rustavi

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

Not to be confused with FC Rustavi.
FC Metalurgi Rustavi
Founded1948 (1948)
Dissolved2015
GroundPoladi Stadium
Rustavi, Georgia
Capacity6,200

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 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 were 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 Zestafoni and 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 favour of Zestafoni.[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 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
Season League Pos. Pl. W D L GF GA P Cup Europe Notes Manager
1990 Umaglesi Liga 3 342239 633369 Gorda Rustavi
1991 Umaglesi Liga 9 19757 342226 Gorda Rustavi
1991–92 Umaglesi Liga 3 382297 713875 Gorda Rustavi
1992–93 Umaglesi Liga 7 3214711 736949 Metallurgi Rustavi
1993–94 Umaglesi Liga 9 Metallurgi Rustavi
1994–95 Umaglesi Liga 7 Metallurgi Rustavi
1995–96 Umaglesi Liga 5 Metallurgi Rustavi
1996–97 Umaglesi Liga 10 Metallurgi Rustavi
1997–98 Umaglesi Liga 11 Metallurgi Rustavi
1998–99 Umaglesi Liga 12 Gorda Rustavi
1999-00 Umaglesi Liga 12 Gorda Rustavi
2000–01 Umaglesi Liga 11 Gorda Rustavi
2001–02 Umaglesi Liga 10 Gorda Rustavi
2002–03 Umaglesi Liga 10 Gorda Rustavi
2003–04 Pirveli Liga 4 FC Rustavi
2004–05 Pirveli Liga 11 3010713 394337 FC Rustavi
2005–06 Pirveli Liga 8 34131011 503749 FC Rustavi
2006–07 Umaglesi Liga 1 261961 57963 Round of 16 FC Olimpi Rustavi
2007–08 Umaglesi Liga 4 261646 261652 Quarter-finals UEFA Champions League 1st qualifying round FC Olimpi Rustavi
2008–09 Umaglesi Liga 3 301695 402057 Runner-up FC Olimpi Rustavi
2009–10 Umaglesi Liga 1 362574 692679 Round of 16 UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round FC Olimpi Rustavi
2010–11 Umaglesi Liga 3 3620610 523166 Quarter-finals UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying round FC Olimpi Rustavi
2011–12 Umaglesi Liga 2 281747 392855 Semi-finals UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round FC Metalurgi Rustavi
2012–13 Umaglesi Liga 7 3212812 293544 Semi-finals UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round FC Metalurgi Rustavi
2013–14 Umaglesi Liga 5 3213613 353945 Quarter-finals FC Metalurgi Rustavi
2014–15 Umaglesi Liga 14 306816 254626 Quarter-finals FC Metalurgi Rustavi

European record
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away
2007–08 UEFA Champions League 1Q Kazakhstan FC Astana 0–0 0–3
2009–10 UEFA Europa League 1Q Faroe Islands B36 Tórshavn 2–0 2–0
2Q Poland Legia Warszawa 0–1 0–3
2010–11 UEFA Champions League 2Q Kazakhstan Aktobe 1–1 0–2
2011–12 UEFA Europa League 1Q Armenia Banants 1–1 1–0
2Q Kazakhstan Irtysh Pavlodar 1–1 2–0
3Q France Stade Rennais 2–5 0–2
2012–13 UEFA Europa League 1Q Albania Teuta 6–1 3–0
2Q Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň 1–3 0–2

Notable Players

Managers
  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Kiknadze (July 1, 2006 – Jan 1, 2007)
  • Ukraine Anatoliy Piskovets (Sept 1, 2007 – Feb 1, 2008)
  • Georgia (country) Khvicha Kasrashvili
  • Georgia (country) Teimuraz Makharadze (July 1, 2008 – Oct 4, 2010)
  • Georgia (country) Nestor Mumladze (Oct 10, 2010 – Nov 1, 2010)
  • Georgia (country) Armaz Jeladze (Nov 2010 – Aug 11)
  • Georgia (country) Koba Zhorzhikashvili (Aug 9, 2011 – Oct 1, 2012)
  • Georgia (country) Georgi Kipiani (Oct 3, 2012 – May 31, 2013)
  • Georgia (country) Gela Sanaia (June 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013)
  • Georgia (country) Varlam Kilasonia (Jan 1, 2014–)

References
  1. "მეტალურგი" ბრუნდება". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 10 June 2011.
  2. "საქართველოს ჩემპიონატი რუსთავის "ოლიმპი" ჩემპიონ". gff.ge (in Georgian), 20 მაისი 2007.
  3. "Olimpi scale Georgian heights again". uefa.com. 5 May 2010.
  4. "ეროვნული ფეხბურთის ციფრების ანატომია". ambebi.ge (in Georgian), 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 (2017-04-11). "რუსთავი: აღზევება". lelo.ge (in Georgian).
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