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FC Odishi 1919 is a Georgian association football club based in Zugdidi, the administrative centre of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. Being a municipal club,[1] they currently take part in Liga 4, the forth tier of Georgian league system.

FC Odishi 1919

Full name	FC Odishi 1919
Ground	Ganmukhuri Central stadium
Capacity	2,000
Manager	Besik Sherozia
League	Liga 4
2021	1st, Liga 4 Relegation Round
Website	Club website

History

On 20 May 1919 two students of Zugdidi gymnasium Leo Chedia and Pier Kobakhidze organized a first football match in the city with Mertskhali (Swallows) represented as a local team. This date is considered a birthday for football in Zugdidi.[2]

The main football club of the city has had various names, especially after 1990, and as Dinamo Zugdidi, Odishi, Zugdidi, Baia, and Mglebi has taken part in Umaglesi Liga in different seasons.

Lazika Zugdidi, the predecessor of Odishi 1919, competed in lower divisions in early 2010s. Despite being the third division leaders for most of the 2012/13 season, only at the end they lost a promotion chance.[3] A year later, though, the team remained unstoppable until a place in Pirveli Liga was booked.[4]

The debutants of the second division performed remarkably well to join the battle for a promotion spot. The club slipped up at the very end again, losing three games in a row in the last five matches, which allowed Locomotive Tbilisi to claim a second place paving the way for play-offs. Still, the third place in 2014-15 in Liga 2 has been the best result shown by Lazika.[5]

With another promotion attempt set as their goal, the club started the next season. But its first phase turned out so awful that the manager and some key players were axed. Ukrainian manager Sergey Zhitski as well as forward Levan Kutalia were invited.[6] In the same season Lazika was introduced as Odishi 1919. As the manager pointed out, while taking this decision a special emphasis was given to the history of football in Zugdidi.[7]

Soon a sharp decline followed, which resulted in two successive relegations. It took the club one year to win promotion from Regionuli Liga.[8] Since then Odishi 1919 have been competing in Liga 4, formed in 2019.

Seasons

Year	League	Pos	M	W	D	L	GF–GA	P	Notes
2012/13	Meore Liga West	2/13	24	18	3	3	71-16	57
2013/14	Meore Liga West	1/13	24	18	2	4	67-19	56	Promoted
2014/15	Pirveli Liga Group A	3/10	36	20	6	10	69-41	66
2015/16	Pirveli Liga	7/18	34	14	6	14	52-58	48
2016	Pirveli Liga Group Red	8/9	16	7	1	8	31-32	16*	* -6 points;[9] Relegated
2017	Liga 3 Red Group	9/10	18	3	5	10	13-27	14	Relegated
	Relegation round	7/10	18	7	3	8	27-31	24
2018	Regionuli Liga, Group West	2/8	14	8	3	3	27-15	27	Promoted
2019	Liga 4	7/10	27	8	5	14	42-46	29
2020	Liga 4 Red Group	6/8	14	5	4	5	21-17	19
2021	Liga 4 White Group	6/10	18	9	2	7	29-32	29
	Relegation Round	1/10	18	13	1	4	36-25	40

Manager

Head coach Besik Sherozia, who previously worked in Umaglesi Liga clubs Kolkheti-1913, Shukura and Zugdidi, has been in charge of Odishi 1919 since early 2020.

Current squad

As of April 2022[10]

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  GEO Saba Akhalaia 2 DF  GEO Mikheil Chkopoia 3 DF  GEO Makar Akubardia 4 DF  GEO Giorgi Gagua 5 DF  GEO Beka Sartania 6 MF  GEO Luka Letandze 7 MF  GEO Giorgi Tsindeliani 8 MF  GEO Giorgi Beradze 9 MF  GEO Beka Kakachia 10 FW  GEO Dima Berandze

No. Pos. Nation Player 11 GK  GEO Gigi Gogua 13 GK  GEO Manuchar Ivardava 14 MF  GEO Shota Lomia 15 FW  GEO Bachana Chedia 16 MF  GEO Saba Chkadua 17 MF  GEO Gaga Gamsakhurdia 18 MF  GEO Saba Danelia 19 DW  GEO Davit Gogokhia 20 FW  GEO Nika Pazhava

Stadium

The club currently hosts home games at Central stadium located in Ganmukhuri, which is shared with FC Dinamo Zugdidi. The ground's capacity is 2,000.

Name

As an old name for Samegrelo, the term Odishi was widely applied in medieval times.

External links

Official website

Page on Facebook

On Soccerway

References

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