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.
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| Full name | Football Club Lokomotive Tbilisi | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Railroaders | |||
| Founded | August 14, 1936 | |||
| Ground | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium Mikheil Meskhi 2 Stadium Tbilisi, Georgia | |||
| Capacity | 27,223 2,000 | |||
| Chairman | Alex Topuria | |||
| Manager | John van Loen | |||
| League | Erovnuli Liga 2 | |||
| 2022 | 10th in Erovnuli Liga, relegated | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} |
Linfield | 1–0 | 1–1 |
| 1R |  |
PAOK | 0–7 | 0–2 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | QR |  |
Slovan | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| 2001–02 | UEFA Cup | QR |  |
Birkirkara | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | QR |  |
Copenhagen | 1–4 | 1–3 |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  |
Banants | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| 2008 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1Q |  |
Etzella | 2–2 | 0–0 |
| 2020–21 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  |
Universitatea Craiova | 2–1 | — |
| 2Q |  |
Dynamo Moscow | 2–1 | — | ||
| 3Q |  |
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.
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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
- "The history of FC Locomotive Tbilisi". FCloco.ge. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- Locomotive Tbilisi managers (in Russian)
- "Lokomotivi Tbilisi roster". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- Локомотиви-2 Тбилиси (in Russian)
- "მეოთხე ლიგაში მოთამაშე „ლოკომოტივი-2" საქართველოს თასის ფინალში გავიდა". radiotavisupleba.ge (in Georgian). 2 November 2022.