Liga 4 (Georgia)
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.
| Founded | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Country | Georgia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Level on pyramid | 4 |
| Promotion to | Liga 3 |
| Relegation to | Regionuli Liga |
| Domestic cup(s) | Georgian Cup |
| Current champions | Gonio (2023) |
| Website | liga.gff.ge |
| Current: 2023 Liga 4 | |
As of the 2024 season, Algeti and Odishi 1919 hold the longest tenure in this division. They have been in Liga 4 since its inaugurating season.
There are currently three former top-division teams participating in the tournament: Chikhura (2012–20), Mertskhali (1990–92, 2003–04) and Sulori (1991, 1991–92).
Structure and format
In 2018, GFF decided to form an additional division between Liga 3 and Regionuli Liga by introducing Liga 4 for the 2019 season. After the first year the top two clubs were promoted to Liga 3 and the bottom two were supposed to be relegated to Regional league. However, in February 2020 the league regulation sustained new changes, which saved the doomed teams from relegation and enlarged the tournament with four more Regionuli Liga clubs.[1]
In January 2021, the Federation announced that the number of clubs participating in the upcoming season would be increased to twenty,[2] although for the next year they were reduced back to sixteen.
After the 2022 season the top three teams earned automatic promotion to Liga 3 and the bottom four clubs were relegated to Regionuli Liga.[3] The league underwent one change in 2023: with fourteen clubs competing this season, the drop zone was reduced to two places.
The number of teams in each season:
• 2019 = 10
• 2021 = 20
• 2023 = 14
• 2024 = 15
Each club play each of the other clubs twice (once at home and once away) and obtain three points for a win, one for a draw and no points for a loss. From these points a league table is constructed.
At the end of the season the top three teams gain promotion to Liga 3. Similarly, the three teams that finish at the bottom are relegated to Regionuli Liga. A team can be spared relegation if another team either resigns or is expelled from the league.
Final league position is determined, in order, by points obtained, head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, head-to-head goals scored, head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams), goal difference and goals scored.
Since Liga 4 is the bottom national tier, this is where the Federation may expel a team from higher divisions. Shukura is the latest club demoted in January 2024.[4]
It is the only national division where no play-offs are held.
Current members
Fifteen teams will be competing in the league in 2024.
Chikhura, Mertskhali and Sulori have taken part in the top division. There are also six junior teams of higher league members represented in the division this season.
The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order.
| Club | Position last season | Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeti | 9th | Marneuli[a] | Kvemo Kartli |
| Chikhura | 16th in Liga 3 | Sachkhere | Imereti |
| Didube | 1st in Regionuli Liga A | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Gagra-2 | 1st in Regionuli Liga B | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Margveti 2006 | 5th | Zestafoni | Imereti |
| Merani Martvili-2 | 7th | Martvili | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti |
| Merani Tbilisi-2 | 15th in Liga 3 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Mertskhali | 1st in Regionuli Liga C | Ozurgeti | Guria |
| Odishi 1919 | 4th | Zugdidi | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti |
| Samgurali-2 | 6th | Tskaltubo | Imereti |
| Skuri | 12th | Tsalenjikha | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti |
| Sulori | 8th | Vani | Imereti |
| Varketili-2 | 11th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| WIT Georgia-2 | 10th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Zana | Regionuli Liga PO winner | Abasha | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti |
a Based in Tbilisi
Seasons
Previous years
In the first season, ten teams played 27 games each. Eventually, two clubs from Tbilisi finished in top places awarding them promotion to the upper league.[5]
The 2020 season was scheduled to start in April, but Covid-2019 postponed it for four months. In July GFF decided to form White and Red Groups with winners getting automatic promotion and bottom two clubs going down.[6] 16 teams were split into two groups. The football season started in August and lasted five months with each team playing 14 games only. Two winners and two runners-up were promoted to Liga 3.
The next year, Promotion and Relegation Groups were created after the first phase. In the end the first four teams of the former advanced to Liga 3, while the bottom four of the latter dropped down a further level to Regionuli Liga.
In contrast, the 2022 and 2023 seasons were held as a single two-round tournament.
Promoted teams
| 2019 | Spaeri Tbilisi • Tbilisi City |
| 2020 | Varketili Tbilisi • Didube Tbilisi • Merani-2 Tbilisi • Magaroeli Chiatura |
| 2021 | Dinamo-2 Tbilisi • Zestafoni • Borjomi • Irao Tbilisi |
| 2022 | Locomotive-2 Tbilisi • Shturmi • Matchakhela |
| 2023 | Gonio • Betlemi • Gardabani |
Note: Teams indicated in bold are champions.
Relegated teams
| 2019 | N/A |
| 2020 | N/A |
| 2021 | Torpedo-2 Kutaisi • Tbilisi • Imereti Khoni • Egrisi Senaki |
| 2022 | Didube Tbilisi • Samegrelo • Magaroeli • Iberia Tbilisi |
| 2023 | Kolkheti-2 1913 • Dinamo Zugdidi |
Participation per club
Taking into account the 2024 season, thirty-seven teams have been members of this league for at least one year.
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Their current status as of 2024:
| Erovnuli Liga 2 | 4 | |
| Liga 3 | 8 | |
| Liga 4 | 15 | |
| Regionuli Liga | 5 | |
| Defunct | 5 |
References
- "დიდი ცვლილებები ლიგა 4-ში". lelo.ge (in Georgian). 13 Feb 2020.
- "სიახლე საქართველოს ჩემპიონატში". popsport.com (in Georgian). 25 Jan 2021.
- "სფფ-ში აღმასრულებელი კომიტეტის სხდომა გაიმართა". gff.ge (in Georgian), 22 February 2022.
- "ეროვნული ლიცენზირების შედეგები". gff.ge (in Georgian ). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- "Liga 4 in 2019". gff.ge.
- "ლიგა 4 და თასი: წილი ნაყარია!." lelo.ge (in Georgian). 23 Jul 2020.