FC Locomotive Tbilisi

FC Locomotive Tbilisi is a Georgian football club from the capital, Tbilisi. During the existence of the USSR the club was a part of the Lokomotiv Voluntary Sports Society. The club has strong connections with the Georgian Railways.

Locomotive Tbilisi
Full nameFootball Club Lokomotive Tbilisi
Nickname(s)Railroaders
FoundedAugust 14, 1936 (1936-08-14)
GroundMikheil Meskhi Stadium
Mikheil Meskhi 2 Stadium
Tbilisi, Georgia
Capacity27,223
2,000
ChairmanAlex Topuria
ManagerJohn van Loen
LeagueErovnuli Liga 2
202210th in Erovnuli Liga, relegated
WebsiteClub website

History

Locomotive was founded on 14 August 1936 as a part of Lokomotiv sports society.[1] The club won Georgian championship in 1937, which gave them the permission to participate in USSR Top League. Their debut season in the highest level of the Soviet football championship came in 1938, where the club took 24th place out of 26 and got relegated. However, the Tbilisi-based club managed to get another promotion during the following season and participated in 1940 Soviet Top League. But they were eventually disqualified from the tournament. These were the only seasons when Locomotive managed to take part in the top league.[1]

From the following years until the dissolution of USSR, the club moved between the lower divisions, played in the second the third divisions of the Soviet football championship.

Nodar Akhalkatsi, the coach of FC Dinamo Tbilisi and one of the most successful managers in the Soviet football, started his managing career in Locomotive. He managed the club from 1967 to 1970.[1][2]

Since the post-Soviet era, Locomotive is one of the regular members of Erovnuli Liga. However, the club failed to win the championship. They were runners-up twice: in 2000-01 and in 2001–02 Umaglesi Liga. The club won Georgian Cup three times: in 2000, in 2002 and in 2005.

Some notable players of the club are: Levan Kenia, Levan Tskitishvili, Zurab Khizanishvili, Giorgi Arabidze, Giorgi Aburjania, Valeri Abramidze, Juan Diego González-Vigil and Endika Bordas.

Honours

European cups

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away
1999–00 UEFA Cup QR Northern Ireland Linfield 1–0 1–1
1R Greece PAOK 0–7 0–2
2000–01 UEFA Cup QR Slovakia Slovan 0–2 0–2
2001–02 UEFA Cup QR Malta Birkirkara 1–1 0–0
2002–03 UEFA Cup QR Denmark Copenhagen 1–4 1–3
2005–06 UEFA Cup 1R Armenia Banants 0–2 3–2
2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1Q Luxembourg Etzella 2–2 0–0
2020–21 UEFA Europa League 1Q Romania Universitatea Craiova 2–1
2Q Russia Dynamo Moscow 2–1
3Q Spain Granada 0–2

Current squad

As of 1 August, 2023.[3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Georgia (country) GEO Soso Kopaliani
2 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Grigalashvili
3 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Molashvili
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Pirtakhia
6 MF Georgia (country) GEO Revaz Khinchiashvili
7 FW Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Kurtanidze
8 MF Georgia (country) GEO Vano Shermadini
9 FW Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Ozbetelashvili
10 MF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Kekelidze
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Givi Mukbaniani
13 GK Georgia (country) GEO Levan Tandilashvili (on loan from FC Telavi)
16 GK Georgia (country) GEO Paolo Puladze
17 FW Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Kalandadze
19 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Khutsishvili
20 MF Georgia (country) GEO Gabriel Khutsishvili
21 MF Georgia (country) GEO Gegi Geguchadze (on loan from Saburtalo)
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 FW Georgia (country) GEO Saba-Amiko Kiknadze
23 MF Georgia (country) GEO Revaz Bushelashvili
24 DF Georgia (country) GEO Beka Kharaishvili
25 DF Georgia (country) GEO Zura Zosiashvili
26 GK Georgia (country) GEO Shalva Vibliani
27 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Gabadze
28 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Ninidze
30 MF Georgia (country) GEO Lasha Menteshashvili
35 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Tamazashvili
36 MF Zambia ZAM Bonephaneso Phiri
37 MF Georgia (country) GEO Sandro Melikishvili
39 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Chanturia
DF Georgia (country) GEO Roman Chachua
MF Georgia (country) GEO Sandro Shetsiruli
MF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Basheleishvili
MF Georgia (country) GEO Bidzina Makharoblidze

Reserve team

Lokomotive II — participant in a number of seasons in the second and third most important leagues in Georgia.[4] Reached the final of the 2022 Georgian Cup as a fourth league team.[5]

References


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