Despite the name, due to the enduring Georgian–Ossetian conflict they were unable to host their opponents in the city of Tskhinvali, playing home games instead in Georgian-controlled areas, mostly in Gori, Tbilisi and Rustavi.
In early 2020, the club was disqualified from Liga 3 after their failure to solve a severe financial crisis.[1]
Several times the club has undergone name changes:[2]
Spartaki until 1990
Liakhvi from 1990 to 2003
Tskhinvali from 2003 to 2007
Spartaki from 2007 to 2015
Tskhinvali after 2015
History
The original Spartaki Tskhinvali were founded in 1936, and during the time of the Soviet Union were a mainstay in the regional Georgian League, which was the fourth division in the Soviet league table. The club's biggest success came in 1987 when they won the regional Georgian Cup.[3]
With the creation of independent Georgian league the club changed their name into Liakhvi and played several games of the first season until being withdrawn from the competition.
The team was restored in 2007, in an effort for the Georgian government to regain control over the break-away region of South Ossetia.[4] Having won the second league in 2013, they were promoted to the Umaglesi Liga.[5]
In January 2015 the team was renamed as FC Tskhinvali.[6] In 2014/15 the club reached semifinals of the national Cup for the first time, but failed to overcome Dinamo Tbilisi (1–2 on aggregate). Their championship game four days prior to the return leg ended with Tskhinvali's sensational 4–1 victory.[7]
Tskhinvali were relegated from Umaglesi Liga after the transitional 2016 season. For three years the team competed in the second division. After an automatic relegation[9] they were supposed to play in Liga 3 the next year, although unable to cope with long-standing financial difficulties, the club was expelled from the league in January 2020.[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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