| Founded | 1948 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2015 | ||
| Ground | Poladi Stadium Rustavi, Georgia | ||
| Capacity | 6,200 | ||
Metalurgi Rustavi was a Georgian football team based in Rustavi, which has twice won the national league.
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.
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 the 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 was 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 Zestaponi and was 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 favor of Zestaponi. [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 the 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]
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| Season | League | Pos. | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | P | Cup | Europe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorda Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 1990 | Umaglesi Liga | 3 | 34 | 22 | 3 | 9 | 63 | 33 | 69 | Did not qualify | |
| 1991 | 9 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 34 | 22 | 26 | |||
| 1991–92 | 3 | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 71 | 38 | 75 | |||
| Metalurgi Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 1992–93 | Umaglesi Liga | 7 | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 73 | 69 | 49 | Did not qualify | |
| 1993–94 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 1996–97 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 11 | ||||||||||
| Gorda Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 1998–99 | Umaglesi Liga | 12 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1999-00 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2000–01 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 | '10 | ||||||||||
| FC Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 2003–04 | Pirveli Liga | 4 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2004–05 | 11 | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 39 | 43 | 37 | |||
| 2005–06 | 8 | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 50 | 37 | 49 | |||
| FC Olimpi Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 2006–07 | Umaglesi Liga | 1 | 26 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 57 | 9 | 63 | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 4 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 16 | 52 | Quarter finals | UEFA Champions League 1st qualifying round | |
| 2008–09 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 40 | 20 | 57 | Runner-up | Did not qualify | |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 36 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 69 | 26 | 79 | Round of 16 | UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round | |
| 2010–11 | 3 | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 52 | 31 | 66 | Quarter finals | UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying round | |
| FC Metalurgi Rustavi | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Umaglesi Liga | 2 | 28 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 28 | 55 | Semi-finals | UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round |
| 2012–13 | 7 | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 29 | 35 | 44 | Semi-finals | UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round | |
| 2013–14 | 5 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 35 | 39 | 45 | Quarter finals | Did not qualify | |
| 2014–15 | 14 | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 25 | 46 | 26 | Quarter finals | Did not qualify | |
| 2015–16 | Meore Liga | Withdrew | |||||||||
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q |  | FC Astana | 0–0 | 0–3 |
| 2009–10 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  | B36 Tórshavn | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| 2Q |  | Legia Warszawa | 0–1 | 0–3 | ||
| 2010–11 | UEFA Champions League | 2Q | | Aktobe | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| 2011–12 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  | Banants | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| 2Q | | Irtysh Pavlodar | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3Q |  | Stade Rennais | 2–5 | 0–2 | ||
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  | Teuta | 6–1 | 3–0 |
| 2Q |  | Viktoria Plzeň | 1–3 | 0–2 | ||
Notable Players
Giorgi Kiknadze (July 1, 2006 – Jan 1, 2007)
Anatoliy Piskovets (Sept 1, 2007 – Feb 1, 2008) Khvicha Kasrashvili Teimuraz Makharadze (July 1, 2008 – Oct 4, 2010) Nestor Mumladze (Oct 10, 2010 – Nov 1, 2010) Armaz Jeladze (Nov 2010 – Aug 11) Koba Zhorzhikashvili (Aug 9, 2011 – Oct 1, 2012) Georgi Kipiani (Oct 3, 2012 – May 31, 2013) Gela Sanaia (June 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013) Varlam Kilasonia (Jan 1, 2014–)FC Torpedo Kutaisi is a Georgian professional football club based in Kutaisi, Georgia's third largest city. The team competes in the Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of the national football league system.
Levan Kobiashvili is a Georgian former professional footballer and the current president of the Georgian Football Federation and a member of Parliament of Georgia.
FC Sioni is a Georgian football club based in Bolnisi. They compete in Erovnuli Liga Liga 2, the second tier of the Georgian league system.
Football Club Zestaponi is a Georgian football club based in Zestaponi. They play their home games at David Abashidze Stadium. Zestaponi was founded on 18 June 2004 by the initiative of the shareholders of JSC Giorgi Nikoladze Zestaponi Ferro-Alloy Plant.
Otar Martsvaladze is a Georgian former professional footballer who played for the Georgia national team.
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FC Samtredia, commonly known as Samtredia, is a Georgian professional football club based in the city of Samtredia.
FC Guria is a Georgian association football club from Lanchkhuti, which competes in Liga 3, the third tier of the national league.
The 2009–10 Umaglesi Liga was the 21st season of top-tier football in Georgia. It began on August 1, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. FC Olimpi Rustavi won the championship.
Giorgi Gabedava is Georgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Erovnuli Liga 2 club Rustavi.
The 2010–11 Georgian Cup was the sixty-seventh season overall and twenty-first since independence of the Georgian annual football tournament. The competition began on 24 August 2010 and ended on 26 May 2011. The defending champions were WIT Georgia, who won their first Georgian Cup last season.
The 2011–12 Umaglesi Liga was the 23rd season of top-tier football in Georgia. It began on 6 August 2011 and ended on 21 May 2012. The league added two teams for this season, increasing its size from ten to twelve teams.
The 2011–12 Georgian Cup was the sixty-eighth season overall and the twenty-second since independence of the Georgian annual football tournament. The competition began on 17 August 2011 and ended with the final in May 2012. The defending champions were Gagra. The winner of the competition, Dila Gori, qualified for the second qualifying round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.
The 2014–15 Umaglesi Liga was the 26th season of top-tier football in Georgia. The season began on 9 August 2014 and ended on 27 May 2015.
Budu Zivzivadze is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC and the Georgia national team.
Otar Kiteishvili is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz and the Georgia national team.
Mamuka Pantsulaia was a Georgian footballer who played as a forward and made one appearance for the Georgia national team.
FC Gareji 1960, commonly referred to as Gareji, is a Georgian Association football club from Sagarejo, which currently takes part in Erovnuli Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian football.
FC Margveti 2006, commonly referred to as Margveti, is a Georgian association football club from Zestaponi, which competes in Liga 4, the fourth division of Georgian football.
FC Rustavi is a Georgian football club based in the city of Rustavi. They compete in Erovnuli Liga 2, the 2nd tier of Georgian football.
