Founded | 1990 |
---|---|
Country | Georgia |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 16 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Promotion to | Erovnuli Liga 2 |
Relegation to | Liga 4 |
Domestic cup(s) | Georgian Cup |
Current champions | Aragvi (2023) |
Website | liga.gff.ge |
Current: 2023 Liga 3 |
Liga 3, organized by the Georgian Football Federation since 1990, is the third division of professional football in Georgia.
Until 2017, when the current name was introduced, it was known as Meore Liga (the Second league).
There were 20 teams competing in the league in 2017. In 2019, when Liga 4 was formed, their number was reduced to ten, [1] although after two seasons GFF decided to extend the league to 14 at the expense of two bottom teams from the previous season and two second-placed clubs from Liga 4 While and Red Groups. [2] For 2022 the number of clubs was increased to 16. [3]
Seasons run based on Spring-Autumn system with each team playing an equal amount of home and away games against their league rivals.
The league operates based on a system of promotion and relegation. Starting from the 2022 season, champions and runners-up win automatic promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while the teams that finish in the third and fourth positions book a place in promotion play-off home and away games against respectively the 8th and 7th placed clubs of Liga 2. Three bottom teams are relegated to Liga 4. [4]
In case two or more clubs obtain the same number of points, their head-to-head records are next to be taken into consideration.
● 2017–18 = 20
● 2019–20 = 10
● 2021 = 14
● 2022–24 = 16
Sixteen teams will compete in Liga 3 for the 2024 season. Five of them, namely Borjomi, Guria, Merani Martvili, Merani Tbilisi and Zestaponi, have previously played in the top division. There are also two reserve teams of higher league members this season.
The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order.
Clubs | Position last season | Location | Region |
---|---|---|---|
Betlemi | 2nd in Liga 4 | Keda | Adjara |
Bakhmaro | 12th | Chokhatauri | Guria |
Borjomi | 11th | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti |
Gardabani | 3rd in Liga 4 | Gardabani | Kvemo Kartli |
Gonio | 1st in Liga 4 | Gonio | Adjara |
Gori | 8th | Gori | Shida Kartli |
Guria | 9th | Lanchkhuti | Guria |
Iberia-2 1999 [a] | 7th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
Locomotive-2 | 10th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
Matchakhela | 14th | Khelvachauri | Adjara |
Merani M | 9th in Liga 2 | Martvili | Martvili |
Merani T | 10th in Liga 2 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
Meshakhte | 5th | Tkibuli | Imereti |
Orbi [b] | 6th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
Varketili | 4th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
Zestaponi | 13th | Zestaponi | Imereti |
a Until February 2024 known as Saburtalo-2
b Until January 2024 known as Irao
Season | West | East | Center |
---|---|---|---|
2011–12 | Chikhura Sachkhere II | Sasco Tbilisi | — |
2012–13 | Matchakhela Khelvachauri | Kartli 2011 | — |
2013–14 | Lazika Zugdidi | Borjomi | — |
2014–15 | Imereti Khoni | Tskhumi Sukhumi | Liakhvi Tskhinvali |
2015–16 | Sulori Vani | Gardabani | Mark Stars |
2016 | Betlemi ● Margveti ● Samegrelo | Algeti ● N.Dinamo ● Shevardeni ● Telavi | Gori |
Note: Due to the season being transitional in 2016, none of the teams was promoted
Notes: Apart from the champions who were automatically promoted to the second division, the teams indicated in bold gained promotion after winning the play-offs against their Liga-2 rivals. Due to the changed format, in 2022 and 2023, the runner-ups of the seasons were also promoted directly.
The number of relegated teams per each recent season varies due to the fact that the competition format is subject to frequent changes.
Season | Clubs |
---|---|
2017 | Odishi-1919 Zugdidi ● Chkherimela Kharagauli ● Liakhvi Tskhinvali ● Sapovnela Terjola |
2018 | Samegrelo Chkhorotsku ● Magaroeli Chiatura ● Varketili Tbilisi ● Algeti Marneuli ● Mark Stars Tbilisi ● Imereti Khoni ● Gardabani ● Sulori Vani ● Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 ● Machakhela Khelvachauri |
2019 | Borjomi ● Betlemi Keda |
2020 | NONE |
2021 | Magaroeli Chiatura ● Didube Tbilisi |
2022 | Tbilisi City* |
2023 | TBD ● Merani-2 ● Chikhura |
Note: Tbilisi City failed to obtain a league license for the 2023 season.
Including the 2024 season there have been 45 teams in total competing in this league since 2017. Gori are topping the list with an overall nine-year continuous tenure in the third tier, including all the eight seasons after its re-branding as Liga 3.
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As of 2024 their current status is:
Erovnuli Liga | 3 | |
Erovnuli Liga 2 | 7 | |
Liga 3 | 16 | |
Liga 4 | 9 | |
Regionuli Liga | 5 | |
Defunct | 5 |
FC Borjomi is a Georgian football club based in Borjomi. Since 2021, they have played in Liga 3, the third tier of the Georgian football system.
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.
FC Shukura Kobuleti, commonly known as Shukura Kobuleti or simply Shukura, is a Georgian football club from Kobuleti, the second largest city in Adjara.
FC Aragvi Dusheti, or simply Aragvi Dusheti is a Georgian association football club currently based in Tbilisi.
Liga 4, organized by the Georgian Football Federation, is the fourth tier of the national football league. It was founded in 2019 as a part of comprehensive reorganization of the league system.
Regionuli Liga, run by Georgian Football Federation since 1990, is the fifth and lowest division of the Georgian league system after Erovnuli Liga, Erovnuli Liga 2, Liga 3 and Liga 4. Its participants are both professional clubs and reserve teams of higher league members.
FC Margveti 2006 is a Georgian association football club from Zestaponi, which competes in Liga 4, the fourth division of the Georgian football system.
FC Rustavi is a Georgian football club based in the city of Rustavi. They compete in Erovnuli Liga 2, the 2nd tier of the national football system.
The 2021 Erovnuli Liga 2 was the 5th season under its current title and the 33rd season of second tier football in Georgia. The season began on 1 March and ended on 3 December.
The 2021 Liga 3 was the fifth season under its current title and the 33rd season of third tier football in Georgia. The season began on 2 April and ended on 2 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 with promotion play-offs completed in 10 December.
The 2021 Liga 4 was the third season of fourth-tier football in Georgia under its current title. The season began on 30 March and ended on 22 November.
The 2022 Erovnuli Liga 2 was the sixth season under its current title and the 34th season of second-tier football in Georgia. The four-round competition began on 1 March and ended on 2 December with playoffs completed on 12 December.
Тhe 2020 Liga 3 season was the fourth one under its current name and 33rd since Georgia formed independent football league system in 1990.
Тhe 2019 Liga 3 was the third season under its current name and 32nd third-tier season since Georgia formed independent football league system in 1990. It began on 4 March and ended with promotion play-off return legs on 10 December.
Тhe 2018 Liga 3 was the second season under its current name and 31st third-tier season after the creation of independent football league system in Georgia. As a single two-round competition, it began on 5 March and ended on 6 December.
The 2020 Liga 4 was the second season of fourth-tier football in Georgia under its current title. The matches were supposed to begin in April, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions it was postponed until 15 August. The season ended on 18 December.
The 2022 Liga 4 was the fourth season of fourth-tier football in Georgia under its current title. The season began on 5 April and ended on 20 November.
The 2023 Liga 4 was the fifth season of fourth-tier football in Georgia under its current title. It began on 5 April and ended on 20 November.
The 2023 Liga 3 was the seventh season under its current title and the 35th season of third-tier football in Georgia. The regular two-round tournament began on 4 April and ended on 1 December with promotion play-offs completed on 10 December. Each team played thirty matches in as many rounds.