FC Sioni Bolnisi

The football club in Bolnisi was founded in 1936. For years they took part in Georgian domestic competitions under the name Madneuli. While being in the second division in early 1990s, the team emerged among the candidates challenging for the top league.

For the first time Sioni participated in Umaglesi Liga in the 1995/96 season and after initial several years made significant progress towards joining ambitious clubs vying for titles.

In 2002, they reached the Cup final, although failed to prevail over Dinamo Tbilisi.[1]

In the 2003/04 season, Sioni and FC WIT Georgia shared the first position in the league, and the title was decided in a championship play-off. WIT won the game 2–0, but the crowd violence during the match led UEFA to ban Sioni from the UEFA Cup participation.[2]

The third attempt two years later turned out successful. The club set a remarkable unbeaten home record by winning 14 games out of 15 and ended the season five points clear of a main rival.[3] Kakha Tskhadadze became Manager of the Year, while striker Koka Mikuchadze, who scored 19 goals, was named in the symbolic team of the season. Sioni represented Georgia in the UEFA Champions League 2006-07, where they defeated FK Baku from Azerbaijan in the first qualifying round,[4] but were eliminated by Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia in the second stage, losing 2–0 both home and away.[5]

Old Logo

As champions, in January 2007 Sioni participated in the CIS Cup in Moscow where they defeated two opponents out of three, although failed to qualify for the play-offs on goal difference.[6]

Sioni achieved another league success in 2013/14. Under Vladimir Burduli the club, strengthened by some experienced players, including former national team members Valeri Abramidze and Revaz Kemoklidze, won the bronze medals. Two years later Sioni played in the national Cup final for the second time in fifteen years.[7] Soon their performance deteriorated, which saw the team relegated to Liga 2 for the first time in the last two decades.[8]

Following a two-year tenure in the second division, Sioni secured another promotion in 2021.[9] The team topped the league from the very beginning and, although slipped up in midseason which resulted in the sacking of the manager, eventually they comfortably won the championship contest.[10]

Sioni spent the entire 2022 season in battles to move out of the drop zone. Due to poor results, the club twice replaced managers during the year. At the end of the season, they lost both play-off ties to Samtredia and suffered a third relegation in seven seasons.[11]

As of 1 August 2023[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 3 DF  GEO Giorgi Didebashvili 4 DF  GEO Zurab Sekhniashvili 5 DF  GEO Nikoloz Chikovani 6 MF  GEO Nikoloz Abuladze 7 MF  GEO Andria Khorkheli 8 MF  GEO Irakli Janjgava 9 FW  GEO Ivane Khabelashvili 10 MF  GEO Tengiz Tsikaridze 11 MF  GEO Nika Ghambarashvili 12 GK  GEO Levan Isiani 13 DF  GEO Nugzar Spanderashvili 14 FW  GEO Tornike Mumladze 15 DF  GEO Giorgi Koripadze

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 FW  GEO Luka Kokosadze 18 MF  GEO Aleksandre Jeladze 19 MF  GEO Irakli Zaridze 20 FW  GEO Mikheil Kochakidze 22 DF  GEO Levan Kurdadze 23 DF  GEO Gocha Tsirdava 25 MF  GEO Andria Devdariani 27 FW  RUS Georgios Shengelia 29 MF  GEO Giorgi Ugrekhelidze 32 GK  GEO Giorgi Ugrekhelidze 35 DF  GEO Nikoloz Nozadze 36 FW  GEO Nika Kharaishvili

• Umaglesi Liga/Erovnuli Liga

Winners (1): 2005–06

Runners-up (1): 2003-04

Third place (1): 2013-14

• Pirveli Liga/Erovnuli Liga 2

Winners (2): 1994–95 East , 2021

Third place (1): 2017

• Georgian Cup

Runners-up (2): 2002-03, 2015-16

Rich Metals Group, engaged in mining activities near Bolnisi, signed a first sponsorship contract with Sioni in 2016.[13]

While Sioni is a Georgian equivalent of Zion, the football club is named after Bolnisi Sioni, the fifth century cathedral located near the current municipal centre.

• Official website
• Official Facebook page
• FC Bolnisi Results on Flashscore
• Profile on Soccerway