2022 Liga 3 (Georgia)

Last updated
Liga 3
Season2022
Dates4 April - 1 December
Champions Dinamo-2
Promoted Dinamo-2
Kolkheti 1913
Kolkheti Khobi
RelegatedTbilisi City
Matches played240
Goals scored748 (3.12 per match)
Biggest home winVarketili 10-0 Chikhura
(29 September)
Biggest away win Chikhura 0-7 Aragvi
(6 October)
Highest scoringVarketili 10-0 Chikhura
(29 September)
Longest winning run Dinamo-2
Kolkheti 1913
(7 matches)
Longest unbeaten run Kolkheti 1913 (16)
Longest winless run Chikhura (30)
Longest losing run Chikhura (15)
2021
2023
All statistics correct as of 10 December.

The 2022 Liga 3 was the sixth season under its current title and the 34th season of third tier football in Georgia. The regular two-round tournament began on 4 April and ended on 1 December [1] with promotion play-offs completed in 10 December.

Contents

Review

Based on GFF decision, the number of Liga 3 clubs was increased from 14 to 16 teams for this season. In contrast with the previous year, three teams were relegated, two clubs gained automatic promotion and two more qualified for play-offs. [2]

Both unbeaten at home, Dinamo-2 and Kolkheti 1913 sealed their promotion three rounds before the end of the season. [3] [4] Kolkheti Khobi joined them after the play-offs.

Chikhura continued their horrible run in this league as well. Rooted to the foot of the table with a single point in thirty games, they suffered three relegations in three successive seasons. [5] Zestaponi, who faced financial difficulties after mid-season, also failed to stay up. Six more teams fought hard to avoid relegation. Eventually, Meshakhte, the last of the three Imeretian clubs, lost a crucial final match and ended up in the drop zone. [6]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the previous season:

    Teams and Stadiums

    Six former first-tier teams were competing in Liga 3 this season, namely Borjomi (2005-09), Chikhura Sachkhere (2012-20), Guria Lanchkhuti (1990–99, 2001–02, 2013–16), Kolkheti-1913 Poti (1990-2006, 2010-2013, 2014–18), Kolkheti Khobi (1990–92, 1999–2000) and Zestaponi (2004-15).

    Clubs represented in the league this season are listed below in alphabetical order:

    ClubsPosition in 2021 LocationStadiumRegion
    Aragvi 5th Dusheti OMC* Mtskheta-Mtianeti
    Bakhmaro 8th Chokhatauri Boris Paichadze Guria
    Borjomi 3rd in Liga 4 Borjomi Jemal Zeinklishvili Samtskhe-Javakheti
    Chikhura 10th in Erovnuli Liga 2 Sachkhere Centraluri Imereti
    Dinamo-2 1st in Liga 4 Tbilisi Dinamo Academy Tbilisi
    Gori 6th Gori Kartli Shida Kartli
    Guria 11th Lanchkhuti Evgrapi Shevardnadze Guria
    Irao 4th in Liga 4 Tbilisi Spaeri Tbilisi
    Kolkheti 9th Khobi Paata Tatarashvili Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
    Kolkheti 1913 2nd Poti Fazisi Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
    Merani-2 12th Tbilisi Olimpiuri Compleksi Tbilisi
    Meshakhte 10th Tkibuli Temur Maghradze Imereti
    Saburtalo-2 7th Tbilisi Bendela Tbilisi
    Tbilisi City 3rd Tbilisi Gldani SC* Tbilisi
    Varketili 4th Tbilisi Varketili SC* Tbilisi
    Zestaponi 2nd in Liga 4 Zestaponi David Abashidze Imereti

    Note: OMC stands for Olympic Preparation Centre while SC means Football Centre.

    League table

    PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion, qualification or relegation
    1 Dinamo-2 (C, P)3022537222+5071Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2
    2 Kolkheti 1913 (P)3021637629+4769
    3 Aragvi 3016955625+3157Qualification for promotion play-offs
    4 Kolkheti (P, O)3015965332+2154
    5 Varketili 3014976543+2251
    6 Gori 30155105838+2050
    7 Saburtalo-2 30134134644+243
    8 Borjomi 30125134740+741
    9 Irao 30116134952339
    10 Bakhmaro 30108123842438
    11 Tbilisi City (R)301151438481038Resigned from the league in Winter 2023.
    12 Guria 30114154249737
    13 Merani-2 301141537501337
    14 Meshakhte (T)30105153539435Readmitted
    15 Zestaponi (T)30432318775915
    16 Chikhura (T)300129191191001
    Source: gff.ge
    Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.
    (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated

    According to the existing regulations, the bottom three teams were supposed to be relegated. However, on 17 January 2023 the Football Federation announced that all of them would stay up and replace those three clubs, among them Tbilisi City, who had failed to get a Liga 3 license for the upcoming season. [7]

    Results

    Regular season

    Home \ Away ARA BKH BOR CHI DT2 GOR GUR IRA KOL KKH MR2 MES SB2 TBC VAR ZES
    Aragvi 1–00–24–11–01–33–16–32–20–02–10–01–14–05–15–0
    Bakhmaro 4–10–14–00–32–21–05–11–20–01–13–21–01–11–11–0
    Borjomi 0–02–15–10–10–10–00–10–41–13–42–11–00–11–17–0
    Chikhura 0–70–30–21–41–61–31–30–21–21–31–40–10–41–41–2
    Dinamo-2 1–13–02–16–04–11–12–12–14–23–02–15–04–14–33–0
    Gori 0–20–04–15–00–11–13–10–40–12–33–13–10–01–01–0
    Guria 1–31–11–04–10–21–63–11–32–12–02–02–10–11–45–1
    Irao 0–13–11–32–00–11–11–01–52–01–13–01–12–13–47–1
    Kolkheti 1913 0–03–12–25–21–12–05–12–24–02–13–25–03–02–22–0
    Kolkheti 0–01–23–14–12–23–03–14–12–11–00–01–26–03–12–1
    Merani-2 1–21–21–45–01–00–31–00–10–21–11–01–31–01–41–0
    Meshakhte 1–01–00–16–02–01–01–01–11–20–01–33–21–01–22–0
    Saburtalo-2 0–15–02–15–30–21–32–02–05–10–13–02–01–11–30–0
    Tbilisi City 1–01–12–13–01–31–41–42–00–22–51–22–01–21–06–0
    Varketili 0–02–01–310–00–04–23–11–10–22–22–23–13–21–11–0
    Zestaponi 1–33–14–21–10–60–30–30–40–20–23–01–10–10–20–2
    Source: [8]
    Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

    Promotion play-offs

    First leg

    WIT Georgia 0–0 Aragvi
    Report
    Gldani Football Centre, Tbilisi
    Referee: G.Avazashvili
    Kolkheti Khobi 1–0 Rustavi
    Chedia Soccerball shade.svg8' Report
    Paata Tatarishvili Stadium, Khobi
    Referee: G.Kikacheishvili

    Second leg

    Aragvi 0–1 WIT Georgia
    Report Nachkebia Soccerball shade.svg45'
    Marakana, Tbilisi
    Referee: B.Ninua
    Rustavi 0–1 Kolkheti Khobi
    Report Toradze Soccerball shade.svg72'
    Technikuri Centri, Rustavi
    Referee: A.Nonikashvili

    Following these matches Kolkheti Khobi achieved promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while Aragvi remained in Liga 3 for the next season.

    References

    1. "ეროვნული ლიგა 3-ის კალენდარი (in Georgian)". fczestafoni.ge. 17 January 2022.
    2. "სფფ-ში აღმასკომის სხდომა გაიმართა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 22 February 2022.
    3. "Dinamo-2 in Liga 2 from next year". fcdinamo.ge. 11 November 2022.
    4. "ლიგა 2-ში „კოლხეთი 1913" და „დინამო თბილისი 2" ითამაშებენ". 1tv.ge (in Georgian), 14 November 2022.
    5. "ქართული ფეხბურთის ორი დიდი ტკივილი..." lelo.ge (in Georgian), 8 November 2022.
    6. "Liga 3, 2022". gff.ge (in Georgian).
    7. "მეშახტე", "ზესტაფონი", "ჩიხურა": იმერული სამაია ლიგა 3-ში რჩება!". fczestafoni.ge (in Georgian). 17 January 2023.
    8. "Liga 3 results". soccerway.com.