FC Imereti Khoni

Imereti Khoni
Full nameFC Imereti Khoni
Founded1936
GroundIpolite Khvichia stadium
Capacity1,500
ManagerDato Chelidze
LeagueRegionuli Liga
20246th of 13,
Regionuli Liga, Group C

FC Imereti (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი იმერეთი) is a Georgian association football club from the town of Khoni. They currently take part in Regionuli Liga, the fifth tier of the national league system.

History

Founded in 1936, Imereti spent many years in Georgian Soviet championship under the name Imereti Tsulukidze. The second division has been the highest league they participated at any time since 1990.

In 2014/15 Imereti, trained by manager Koba Zhorzhikashvili, won a tight competition against Sulori Vani for promotion to Pirveli Liga.[1] The club pledged to become promotion chasers for the top flight and carry out some reconstruction of the stadium, which was regularly overcrowded during the matches.[2]

In the next season the club performed below expectations, but still with positive prospect looming ahead. However, near the end of 2016 Imereti were delivered a severe blow. The Disciplinary Committee of Georgian Football Federation upon completion of its investigation on a possible match-fixing incident involving Imereti decided to annul the latter's points in the league table and expel the club to a lower division. The manager was sentenced to a life-long ban on any football activities.[3]

Back in the third league the club quickly recovered and took part in the promotion round. Simultaneously, Imereti set their own historic record by reaching the fifth round of David Kipiani Cup after having eliminated upper league teams Sioni Bolnisi and Merani Tbilisi. But in the semifinal game they were beaten by Chikhura Sachkhere, who later clinched the Cup title.[4]

In 2018, Imereti finished in the relegation play-off zone and defeated Regionuli Liga group winner Dinamo Batumi-2 in a two-legged tie for Liga 4.[5] Their troubles continued in this division as well, although two decisions made by GFF regarding the league format in the next two years saved the club from further relegation.

In the 2021 season, the team still failed to finish above the drop zone and slumped to the bottom of the Georgian football leagues.[6]

Seasons

Season League Pos. MP W D L GF–GA P Notes
2014/15 Meore Liga West 1st of 15 28 24 3 1 89-11 75 Promoted
2015/16 Pirveli Liga 13th of 18 34 10 11 13 34-53 41
2016 Pirveli Liga Group White 8th of 9 16 4 3 9 20-29 0 Relegated
2017 Liga 3 Red Group 2nd of 10 18 9 6 3 20-10 33
Promotion Round 6th of 10 18 5 6 7 13-26 21
2018 Liga 3 16th of 20 38 12 9 17 44-52 45 Relegated
2019 Liga 4 10th of 10 27 3 2 22 25-74 11
2020 Liga 4 Red Group 7th of 8 14 4 1 9 16-24 13
2021 Liga 4 Red Group 10th of 10 18 2 3 13 12-51 9 Relegated
Relegation Round 9th of 10 18 2 2 14 13-53 8
2022 Regionuli Liga, Group C 7th of 11 20 8 1 11 32-47 25
2023 Regionuli Liga, Group C 6th of 13 24 11 2 11 60-41 35
2024 Regionuli Liga, Group C 6th of 13 24 9 3 12 45-58 30

Honours

• Meore Liga

Winners (1): 2014–15 (Group West)

Stadium

Imereti play home matches at a municipal stadium with the capacity of 1,500 seats, named after Ipolite Khvichia, the distinguished Georgian actor born in Khoni district.

Name

Imereti is the name of the province where Khoni is located.

Profile on Soccerway

Page on Facebook

References

  1. ^ "Meore Liga 2014/15". soccerway.com.
  2. ^ "ხონის იმერეთის ამბიციები მეორე ლიგაში". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 8 June 2015.
  3. ^ "კიდევ ერთი გარიგებული მატჩი". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 15 November 2015.
  4. ^ "საჩხერის "ჩიხურა" დავით ყიფიანის სახელობის თასის ფინალშია" (in Georgian). fanebi.com. 1 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Imereti vs Dinamo Batumi-2". gff.ge, 10 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Liga 4, 2021". gff.ge (in Georgian).