FC Samgurali Tskhaltubo

FC Samgurali Tskhaltubo

Full name	ს.კ. სამგურალი წყალტუბო
Founded	1945;76 years ago (1945)
Ground	26 May Stadium
Capacity	12,000 (Old standard)
President	Mikheil Iashvili
Manager	Samson Pruidze
League	Erovnuli Liga
2021	Erovnuli Liga, 7th
Home colours Away colours Third colours

FC Samgurali Tskaltubo is a Georgian association football club from Tskhaltubo, which takes part in Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of the national league.

The team has been runner-up of the Georgian Cup three times.

History

In the Soviet and national leagues

Formed in 1945 as FC Medic, the football club from Tskhaltubo had the most prolific years in 1980s. Between 1983 and 1990 under the name Shadrevani they became champions of the Georgian Soviet league three times, once finished as runners-up and once won bronze medals.

Since 1990, when Georgian Football Federation formed an independent championship, 4th place taken in 1994 has been the best result shown by Samgurali in Umaglesi Liga. After 2001/02 they were relegated to Liga 2, where the team spent most of the seasons until 2019, although Samgurali also played in Liga 3 for several years. ^[1]

After an 18-year break Samgurali managed to return to the first division following the 2020 season, completing the double promotion in two years.

Recent years

Season	Division	Position	MP	W	D	L	GD	P	Notes
2010/11	2nd	14th of 17	32	8	6	18	38-64	30
2011/12	2nd, Group A	7th of 10	18	6	5	7	27-23	23
2012/13	2nd, Group B	6th of 12	30	13	7	10	59-48	46
2013/14	2nd, Group B	7th of 14	26	11	6	9	49-49	39
2014/15	2nd, Group A	4th of 10	36	19	3	14	76-50	60
2015/16	2nd	6th of 18	34	16	3	15	60-46	51
2016	2nd Group Red	2nd of 9	16	10	2	4	29-24	32
2017	2nd	4th of 10	36	16	5	15	46-46	53
2018	2nd	8th of 10	36	12	5	19	40-56	41	Relegation play-off, lost
2019	3rd	2nd of 10	36	21	7	8	52-29	70	Promotion play-off, won
2020	2nd	2nd of 10	18	8	6	4	23-12	30	Promotion play-off, won [2]
2021	1st	7the of 10	36	9	14	13	34-46	41

Apart from winning the promotion to Erovnuli Liga, the team in 2020 also achieved an impressive success by reaching the final of David Kipiani Cup for the first time since 1999. As in the previous case though, they again lost the final game on penalty shoot-out. ^[3]

Neither the third attempt made the next year was fruitful. Having won four away games en route to the final, Samgurali lost the tie in the regular time with a narrow margin. ^[4]

Honours

• Georgian Soviet Championship
  • Champion: 1983, 1985, 1989
• Georgian Soviet Cup
  • Champion: 1988, 1989
• Georgian Cup :
  • Runners-up: 1999, 2020, 2021
• Erovnuli Liga 2
  • Champion: 1996
  • Silver Medal winner: 1997, 2004, 2020
  • Bronze Medal winner: 2001

Top scorers

With 41 goals scored in the 1992/93 season Merab Megreladze has been the leading goalscorer not only in the history of Samgurali, but also in Georgian top football division since its creation in 1990.

Current squad

As of 7 August, 2021 ^[5]

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   GEO Maksime Kvilitaia 2 DF   GEO Ushangi Bandzeladze 3 DF   GEO Achiko Shalamberidze 4 DF   GEO Omar Patarkatsishvili 5 MF   NGA Luqman Gilmore 6 MF   CIV Yusuf Toure 7 FW   GEO Sergo Kukhianidze 9 MF   GEO Papuna Poniava 10 MF   GEO Demur Chikhladze 11 MF   GEO Davit Kirkitadze 12 GK   GEO Murman Svanidze 15 DF   GEO Nika Kalandarishvili 17 FW   GEO Aleksandre Verulidze

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 FW   GHA Rapik Aminu 19 MF   GEO Nika Khvadagiani 20 DF   GEO Levan Kurdadze 21 MF   GEO Irakli Lekvtadze 22 MF   GEO Grigol Dolidze 23 DF   GEO Giorgi Tevzadze 24 MF   GEO Tornike Gobronidze 25 DF   GEO Shalva Burjanadze 27 MF   GEO Tedo Kikabidze 28 GK   GEO Kakhaber Meshveliani 29 FW   GEO Giorgi Bukhaidze 37 MF   GEO Nikoloz Voskanovi 39 FW   GEO Nikoloz Khelidze

Manager

Samson (Soso) Pruidze is widely recognized as one of the most experienced and successful Georgian managers. He started his career as a football coach in Samgurali in 1994. Later he worked for Margveti Zestafoni, Samtredia and Borjomi before getting appointed at Chikhura Sachkhere, where he spent the national record-breaking 12 years.

Samson Priudze reunited with Samgurali on 15 April 2021. ^[6]

Other teams

The reserve team known as Samgurali-2, which has recently spent one season in the third division, won Regionuli Liga Group West in 2021 and advanced to Liga 4. ^[7]

References

1. "აღზევება: "სამგურალის" გზა მაღალი საზოგადოებისკენ". lelo.ge (in Georgian). 29 Dec 2020. Retrieved 29 Dec 2020.
2. "სამგურალი ეროვნულ ლიგაში აღზევდა". 19 Dec 2020. Retrieved 29 Dec 2020.
3. "Სამგურალი - გაგრა". 8 November 2020.
4. "სამგურალის მესამე ვერცხლი საქართველოს თასზე". fcsamgurali.ge (in Georgian).
5. "Players". Erovnuliliga. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
6. "წყალტუბოს ,,სამგურალს" სოსო ფრუიძე გაწვრთნის". fcsamgurali.ge (in Georgian).
7. "2021 in Regional league". gff.ge.

External links

• Official website
• On Soccerway