FC Gardabani
FC Gardabani (Georgian: სკ გარდაბანი) is a Georgian association football club from the city of Gardabani.
| Full name | FC Gardabani |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Ground | Gardabani Central Stadium |
| Chairman | Ahmad Saad Imam |
| Manager | Guram Chvintiashvili |
| Coach | Giorgi Macharadze |
| League | Liga 3 |
| 2022 | 3rd of 14, Liga 4 (promoted) |
Within less than a decade since joining Georgian football, Gardabani have had different years from the lowest division to the 2nd tier. Following the 2023 season, they won promotion to Liga 3, the third tier of the national football system.
History
Gardabani were established in 2015 as a municipal club. They won the regional league tournament in the very first season.[1] Promoted to Liga 3, Gardabani took the 1st place amid a tight competition with Mtskheta and Tskhumi.[2]
The club spent one year in the second division, which has been their highest point. After getting relegated, Gardabani took part in Liga 3 for two seasons.
They knocked out three teams of the 2018 Cup campaign and reached the fourth round.[3] In the same year, along with other nine teams that finished in the bottom half of the table, Gardabani were relegated to the fourth tier.[4] However, the club no longer participated in any league for next two years.
With the help of Egyptian investors Gardabani resumed functioning in early February 2021. The new management also unveiled plans to create a football academy for children and form another team for the Amateur League.[5]
In the first season the club failed to gain promotion, although the next year turned out fruitful. In the Cup, Gardabani defeated three opponents, including two third-tier members, and reached the fourth round, while in the league they topped the table from the start, won 22 matches out of 26 and accomplished their goal.[6] The club continued a successful league campaign the next season as well. After a 2–0 away win over Sulori Vani on the last matchday, they emerged victorious from a hard-fought battle for Liga 3 and achieved the second successive promotion.
Seasons
| Season | Division | Pos. | M | W | D | L | GF–GA | Pts | Domestic Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | Meore Liga, Group East | 1st of 14↑ | 26 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 133-25 | 70 | – |
| 2016 | Liga 2, Group Red | 9th of 9↓ | 16 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 13-42 | 4 | Round 2 |
| 2017 | Liga 3, Group White | 5th of 10 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 26-24 | 24 | Round 3 |
| Promotion Group | 4th of 10 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 40-18 | 31 | ||
| 2018 | Liga 3 | 17th of 20↓ | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 39-63 | 39 | Round 4 |
| The club was dissolved in 2019–20 | |||||||||
| 2021 | Regionuli Liga, Group East | 3rd of 24 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 58-20 | 52 | – |
| 2022 | Regionuli Liga, Group B | 1st of 14↑ | 26 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 110-19 | 68 | Round 3 |
| 2023 | Liga 4 | 3rd of 14↑ | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 53-28 | 52 | Round 2 |
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
- "საფეხბურთო კლუბ "გარდაბნის" ხელმძღვანელი:"კლუბის მესვეურებს გუნდის აღდგენაში უცხოელი ინვესტორები დაეხმარებიან"". vbetnews.com (in Georgian), 5 February 2021.
- "Meore Liga 2015-16". soccerway.com.
- "საქართველოს თასის მეოთხედფინალში ეროვნული ლიგის მხოლოდ 2 წარმომადგენელი გავიდა". sportall.ge (in Georgian), 20 September 2018.
- "Liga 3 in 2018". gff.ge.
- "გარდაბანში გუნდი აღადგინეს - მას ეგვიპტელები დაეხმარებიან". 1tv.ge (in Georgian), 6 February 2021.
- "Group B, 2022". gff.ge.