FC Shukura Kobuleti

FC Shukura Kobuleti

Full name	FC Shukura Kobuleti
Founded	1968;56 years ago (1968)
Ground	Chele Arena
Capacity	6,000
Chairman	Davit Lortkipanidze
League	Suspended
2023	10th in Erovnuli Liga, relegated
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

FC Shukura Kobuleti, commonly known as Shukura Kobuleti or simply Shukura, is a Georgian football club from Kobuleti, the second largest city in Adjara.

After the 2023 season, the team was first relegated to Erovnuli Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian football, and later expelled to Liga 4. But they withdrew without playing a single match there.

History

Established in 1968, Shukura played eight seasons in the Soviet third division. ^[1]

After an independent Georgian league was formed in 1990, the club took part in II league competition before getting promoted to Umaglesi Liga for 1993/94. After one season, though, they lost a relegation battle. ^[2]

A decade later the team managed to earn another promotion after 2003/04, but facing severe financial problems, Shukura was unable to play in the first tier. ^[3]

In 2011/12, Shukura won the third division and advanced to II league. They had another successful season in 2013/14, when the club returned to the top flight and also for the first time reached the semifinals of David Kipiani Cup after Umaglesi Liga clubs WIT Georgia and Merani had been eliminated. ^[4]

In October 2019, Giorgi Shashiashvili took the helm of Shukura and a year later led the club to successful completion of their promotion goal, ^[5] although after one season the club returned to league 2.

The team came close to the Cup final in 2021. Having initially beaten Dinamo Tbilisi, Shukura was ahead of Samgurali three minutes before the stoppage time, but still lost a dramatic five-goal thriller. ^[6] In 2022, Shukura sealed the first place in Liga 2 for the third time in a decade and claimed the champion's record-breaking fifth title in the history of the second division. ^[7] In the same year, development company Alliance Group Holding was confirmed as a majority stakeholder (83%) of the club with its chairman Ayet Kukava taking over the remaining share. ^[8]

Despite large-scale pre-season changes, Shukura were faced with a turbulent period back in the Erovnuli Liga in 2023. Unable to play at the home ground during the entire season, they were handed a transfer ban at some point and, besides, deducted six points for financial issues. ^[9] With six matches still to play, Shukura were officially relegated in October. In January 2024, the Football Federation announced that due to Shukura's failure to meet licensing requirements the club would be demoted to the 4th tier. ^[10]

Seasons

Season	Div.	Pos	Notes	Top goalscorer	Cup
2012/13	2nd	3rd of 12	Group B	Giorgi Chelebadze - 13	1/8
2013/14	2nd	1st of 13	Group A, promoted	Giorgi Chelebadze - 22	1/2
2014/15	1st	7th of 16		Giorgi Chelebadze - 7	1/8
2015/16	1st	10th of 16		Elguja Lobjanidze - 7	1/4
2016	1st	5th of 7	White Group	Koba Shalamberidze - 4	1/16
2017	1st	10th of 10	Relegated	Davit Chagelishvili - 8	1/16
2018	2nd	7th of 10		Giorgi Chelebadze - 10	1/4
2019	2nd	6th of 10		Giorgi Kurmashvili - 7	1/16
2020	2nd	1st of 10	Promoted	Jefinho - 11	1/16
2021	1st	9th of 10	Relegated	Mikheil Sardalishvili - 8	1/2
2022	2nd	1st of 10	Promoted	Zurab Museliani - 12	1/4
2023	1st	10th of 10	Relegated	Davit Mujiri - 9	1/16

Current squad

As of 4 November 2023 ^[11]

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 Gogi Kulua 2 DF   GEO Giorgi Kavtaradze 3 MF   GEO Aleko Ananidze 4 DF   GEO Aliko Chakvetadze 5 MF   GUI Guy Koumba 7 FW   GEO Beka Verulidze 8 DF   GEO Giorgi Kimadze 9 MF   GEO Tornike Khabazi 10 FW   GEO Zurab Ghirdaladze 11 MF   GEO Gia Apkhazava 12 GK   GEO Giorgi Abramishvili 13 MF   GEO Gaga Gazdeliani 14 DF   GEO Luka Asatiani

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF   GEO Luka Nadiradze 16 MF   GEO Jani Tsetskhladze 17 FW   GEO Giorgi Janelidze 19 MF   GEO David Mujiri 21 DF   IRQ Mohammedi al-Khateeb 22 FW   GEO Luka Robakidze 23 MF   GEO Luka Lortkipanidze 24 FW   GEO Giorgi Gogolashvili 27 MF   GEO Beka Chankseliani 29 DF   GEO Irakli Kamladze 30 MF   GEO Lasha Kvaratskhelia 31 FW   GEO Saba Jincharadze 32 FW   ESP Mikel Abando

Managers

Name	Nat.	From	To
Aslan Baladze		August 2012	October 2013
Valerian Chkhartishvili		October 2013	December 2013
Besik Sherozia		January 2014	August 2014
Amiran Gogitidze		August 2014	November 2014
Kostyantin Frolov		November 2014	February 2015
Gela Sanaya		February 2015	August 2015
Temur Shalamberidze		September 2015	September 2016
Gia Guruli		September 2016	May 2017
Giorgi Shashiashvili		May 2017	January 2018
Giorgi Chelidze		January 2018	April 2018
Tengiz Kobiashvili		May 2018	September 2019
Giorgi Shashiashvili		September 2019	December 2021
Revaz Gotsiridze		January 2022	January 2023
Ucha Sosiashvili		January 2023	June 2023
Levan Jokhadze		July 2023	August 2023
Carlos González		September 2023	October 2023
Revaz Dzodzuashvili		October 2023

Honours

• Erovnuli Liga 2
  • Winners (5): 1992–93, 2003–04, 2013–14, 2020, 2022

Notable players

• Davit Khocholava,
  • Later played for the likes of FC Copenhagen and Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as being a player for the Georgian national team. He played 29 matches for Shukura in 2014/15.

Stadium

The Chele Arena, home ground to FC Shukura, is named after Revaz Chelebadze, the famous football player born in Kobuleti. It has the capacity of 6,000 seats. In 2023, a plan to build a new stadium with a capacity of 8,000 seats was unveiled. ^[12]

Other teams

Shukura have a reserve team, taking part in the Regionuli Liga tournament. ^[13]

Name

Shukura literally means a lighthouse, which is duly depicted on the club's emblem.

External links

• Soccerway

• Facebook

• FC Shukura Result

References

1. "Shukura in 1960s". wildstat.com.
2. "1993/94 in Umaglesi liga". soccerway.com.
3. "Pirveli liga in 2003/04". soccerway.com.
4. "Georgian Cup 2013/14". flashscore.com.
5. "Liga 2 in 2020". gff.ge.
6. "ზედიზედ მეორედ თასის ფინალში". samgurali.ge (in Georgian). 24 November 2021.
7. "ქობულეთის ეროვნული 2-ის შუქურა ჩემპიონია". crystalsport.ge (in Georgian). 6 November 2022.
8. "შპს საფეხბურთო კლუბი ქობულეთის შუქურა". companyinfo.ge (in Georgian).
9. "ქობულეთის "შუქურას" სატრანსფერო შეზღუდვა მოეხსნა". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 15 August 2023.
10. "ქობულეთის "შუქურამ" ლიცენზია ვერ მიიღო და ლიგა 4-ში დაქვეითდა". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
11. "Players". erovnuliliga.ge. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
12. "ქობულეთში უეფას მე-2 კატეგორიის სტადიონს ააშენებენ VIP შესასვლელითა და პარკინგით". batumelebi.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 12 October 2023.
13. "Regional league, 2023". gff.ge (in Georgian).