Chikhura Sachkhere
Full nameFootball Club Chikhura Sachkhere
Founded1938 (1938)
GroundCentral Stadium
Sachkhere, Georgia
Capacity2,000
ChairmanNugzar Dekanoidze
ManagerVakhtang Turmanidze
LeagueLiga 3
2022Liga 3

Football Club Chikhura Sachkhere, commonly known as Chikhura Sachkhere or simply Chikhura, is a Georgian football club based in Sachkhere.

They compete in Liga 3, the third tier of Georgian league system.

History

Founded in 1938, during World War II the club was disbanded, but later they resumed participation in low leagues of the republican championship.[1]

Since 2002 Chikhura has been financed by the Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili. [1]

The club spent many years in lower divisions before getting promoted to Umaglesi Liga in 2012. The league gained a stable and decent member, known as a tough rival for championship title candidates. From the outset the club proved they were going to challenge the best teams. In 2013 Chikhura knocked out top flight sides Shukura, Dila and Sioni and reached David Kipiani Cup final.[2] Despite the defeat from Dinamo Tbilisi, they qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League 1st round. This was the first season that Chikhura Sachkhere appeared in European Competition with their first opponent being Liechtenstein's Cup Winners Vaduz.

From now until 2020 the club started regularly taking part in UEFA Europa league competitions, missing out just one season in between. In almost each case this provincial team with relatively negligent financial resources, which played their matches mostly in far-away Tbilisi, could afford to show a fighting spirit against their far stronger opponents. In this regard Chikhura drew attention and respect from Georgian fans during the European campaign regardless of who they supported in the domestic league. According to the statistics, the club achieved better results in away games.[3]

In 2014 Chikhura eliminated Turkish club Bursaspor in the second round of Europa League competition. [4] This remains one of the most memorable successes in the club's history.

In 2016 Chikhura won White Group of the league by finishing six points clear of Dinamo Tbilisi and took part in championship play-offs, where they were beaten by Samtredia. This was the closest point to champion's title the club have ever reached in their history.[5]

The next season Chikhura finally reaped the fruits of their efforts. After reaching the finals or semifinals of the Cup for five successive seasons, they clinched their first title. Goalkeeper Dino Hamzić, who did not concede a single goal during the entire campaign, was named man of the match.[6]

Giorgi Gabedava became another player, who was awarded following the 2018 season. He won in four nominations, including as the best striker of the season and top scorer with the latter shared with Budu Zivzivadze.[7] In the summer the club made headlines yet again, this time after their victory over Beitar Jerusalem and a home draw with Maribor Ljubljana.

2019 marked the beginning of the crisis. While thrashed by Aberdeen in Europa league, Chikhura failed to achieve anything noteworthy either in Erovnuli Liga or the Cup and with several key players departed, head coach Samson Pruidze left the club. The former Torpedo Kutaisi right-back had trained Chikhura for twelve seasons, an absolute record in national football history since the independence, which made him a legend among this generation of Georgian managers.[8]

In 2020 Chikhura played all home games in Tbilisi and in the worst result in years finished in the drop-zone. Although the club avoided an automatic relegation, they suffered a defeat in both play-off games from in-form Samgurali.[9] Following this season defender Shota Kashia, who had spent eight seasons in Chikhura, including last six years as a captain, parted ways with the club.

Chikhura's woes stretched into the next two years, when they ended up at rock bottom of both second and third leagues.[10] However, after the 2022 season the club avoided relegation due to disqualification of another team from Liga 3.[11]

Statistics

Domestic

Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GF GA P Cup Europe Notes Manager
1993–94 2nd West 13 263221 167011 Relegated
1995–96 2nd West 19 3810325 6212433 Relegated
2001–02 3rd West
2002–03 3rd West Promoted
2003–04 2nd 6 3015510 412950 Round of 32
2004–05 2nd 8 3012711 383543 Round of 32
2005–06 2nd 1 342464 873478 Round of 16 Promoted
2006–07 1st 12 265615 134621 Quarter-finals Relegated
2007–08 2nd East 5 271278 403743 Round of 32
2008–09 2nd East 2 301974 562164 Round of 16 Samson Pruidze
2009–10 2nd 6 281477 412849 Quarter-finals
2010–11 2nd 4 322066 582566 Round of 16 promotion play-off, lost
2011–12 2nd 1 14824 251526 Round of 16 Promoted
2012–13 1st 4 321769 493857 Runner-up
2013–14 1st 4 3213712 565046 Runner-up Europa League 2nd QR
2014–15 1st 5 3013710 393646 Semi-finals Europa League 3rd QR
2015–16 1st 4 301767 532657 Semi-finals
2016 1st 2 14932 291530 Semi-finals Europa League 1st QR
2017 1st 5 3617415 475455 Winner Europa League 1st QR
2018 1st 4 3619710 543364 Round of 16 Europa League 2nd QR
2019 1st 5 36121113 484447 Round of 16 Europa League 2nd QR
2020 1st 9 183411 184013 Semi-finals Play-off, relegated Vakhtang Turmanidze
2021 2nd 10 362430 249810 Round of 16 Relegated Vakhtang Turmanidze, Mirian Mikadze
2022 3rd 16 300129 191191 Second round Vladimer Zabakhidze
2023 3rd 16 302127 231017 First round Relegated

European competitions

Competition P W D L GF GA
UEFA Europa League 22 6 9 7 19 26
Season Competition Round Club Home Away
2013–14 UEFA Europa League 1Q Liechtenstein Vaduz 0–0 1–1
2Q Switzerland Thun 1–3 0–2
2014–15 UEFA Europa League 1Q North Macedonia Horizont Turnovo 3–1 1–0
2Q Turkey Bursaspor 0–0 0–0 [lower-alpha 1]
3Q Azerbaijan Neftchi Baku 2–3 0–0
2016–17 UEFA Europa League 1Q Moldova Zimbru Chișinău 2–3 1–0
2017–18 UEFA Europa League 1Q Austria Rheindorf Altach 0–1 1–1
2018–19 UEFA Europa League 1Q Israel Beitar Jerusalem 0–0 2–1
2Q Slovenia Maribor 0–0 0–2
2019–20 UEFA Europa League 1Q Luxembourg Fola Esch 2–1 2–1
2Q Scotland Aberdeen 1–1 0–5
Notes
  1. ↑ Chikhura Sachkhere won 4–1 on penalties.

Honours

Runners-up (1): 2016
Winners (1): 2017
Runners-up (2): 2012-13 and 2013-14
Winners (1): 2013
Winners (2): 2005-06 and 2011-12

Players

As of 7 August 2021[12]

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 Georgia (country) GEO Avto Kapanadze
2 MF Georgia (country) GEO Sandro Tatishvili
3 DF Brazil BRA Saulo de Akinio
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Aleksandre Tepnadze
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Avto Tsartsidze
7 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Ghvinashvili
9 MF Georgia (country) GEO Tsotne Samushia
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Vano Sharvadze
14 MF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Katsitadze
15 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tengiz Bughadze
17 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Mumladze
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF Georgia (country) GEO Teimuraz Choladze
19 MF Georgia (country) GEO Amiko Kutubidze
21 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Kharaishvili
22 FW Georgia (country) GEO Nodar Tutashvili
23 MF Georgia (country) GEO Ivan Potskhveria
25 FW Georgia (country) GEO Temur Cherkezia
26 MF Georgia (country) GEO Zurab Sadagashvili
27 DF Georgia (country) GEO Aleko Kareli
30 GK Georgia (country) GEO Goderdzi Kurdadze
37 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Kapanadze

Stadium

The team's home ground is the 2,000-seat Central stadium, although in recent years they played home games at Ivantsminda stadium, situated in six km from the district center.

Name

The club have had different names throughout their history, including "Spartaki", "Kolmeurne", "Peikari". [1]

Chikhura is the name of a river in Sachkhere.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "საჩხერის ნაკრებიდან უმაღლესი ლიგის გუნდამდე". FCChikhura.ge. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "Georgian Cup 2012/13". soccerway.com.
  3. ↑ "Chikhura statistics in UEFA competitions". wildstat.com.
  4. ↑ Chikhura - Bursaspor (UEFA Match Report)
  5. ↑ "Erovnuli liga 2016". flashscore.com.
  6. ↑ "დინო ჰამზიჩი ფინალის საუკეთესო მოთამაშეა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian).
  7. ↑ "გაბედავამ ერთდროულად 4 ნომინაციაში გაიმარჯვა". goal.ge (in Georgian).
  8. ↑ "ოფიციალურად: 12 წლის შემდეგ ჩიხურა სოსო ფრუიძემ დატოვა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian).
  9. ↑ "2020 play-offs". eliga.ge.
  10. ↑ "ოფიციალურად: საჩხერის ჩიხურა ეროვნულ ლიგა 3-ში დაქვეითდა". live.ge (in Georgian).
  11. ↑ "მეშახტე", "ზესტაფონი", "ჩიხურა": იმერული სამაია ლიგა 3-ში რჩება!". fczestafoni.ge (in Georgian). 17 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "Chikhura squad members". eliga.ge.
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