FC Spaeri (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი სპაერი) is a Georgian association football club based in Tbilisi. The club competes in Liga 2, the second tier of Georgian football.

Along with Gagra, they are the only 2nd division club to have won the Georgian Cup.[1]

History

Spaeri was established in 2017 by five individuals working in the Special State Protection Service.[2] The team mostly consisted of the servicemen of this organization and initially participated in the Tbilisi Open League - the then 5th (now 6th) and lowest level of the league pyramid[3] before becoming a member of the Regionuli Liga.[4]

Spaeri finished the 2018 season as runners-up and obtained the right to take part in the newly created Liga 4. Having won 21 games out of 27, they claimed the 2019 Liga 4 title and won automatic promotion to Liga 3.

Their debut in the third division was impressive with Spaeri vying for a promotion play-off place up until the last matchday. Eventually, the club came two points short of third place.[5]

The team improved their performance in 2021 and, following an unbeaten run in 20 league games, won the 2021 Liga 3 title six rounds before the end of the season.[6]

Initially, they did not seem encouraging in the second division. With a single point in their initial four matches, Spaeri were sitting bottom of the table. However, the team quickly recovered, produced the longest unbeaten streak of the season and qualified for the promotion play-offs by coming 2nd in the league. Forward Levan Papava became the top scorer of the league with 17 goals netted during the regular season.[7] He added a brace in a dramatic promotion-relegation tie against Erovnuli Liga side Gagra but the team failed to secure promotion as Gagra won on penalties.[8]

In 2024, Spaeri managed to win the Georgian Cup, defeating Dinamo Tbilisi in the final.[9] Doing so, they qualified for their first time ever to European football, securing a spot in the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League first qualifying round.

Seasons

Season League Position P W D L GF–GA Pts Cup
2017 Tbilisi Open League 1st of 9↑ 21 19 2 0 112-18 59 Did not enter
2018 Regionuli Liga, Group A 2nd of 11↑ 20 15 4 1 79-18 61 1st Round
2019 Liga 4 1st of 10↑ 27 21 1 5 73-29 64 3rd Round
2020 Liga 3 4th of 10 18 9 3 6 31-20 30 3rd Round
2021 1st of 10↑ 26 20 4 2 79-20 64 3rd Round
2022 Liga 2 2nd of 10 28 15 6 7 57-35 51 Round of 16
2023 3rd of 10 36 20 6 10 68-48 66 Round of 16
2024 5th of 10 36 14 9 13 50–47 51 Winners

Current squad

8 March 2025[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Georgia (country) GEO Bukhuti Putkaradze
2 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Pirtakhia
3 DF Georgia (country) GEO Luka Kachibaia
4 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Grigalashvili
5 MF Georgia (country) GEO Temur Tsalugelashvili
6 MF Georgia (country) GEO Tsotne Chotalishvili
7 MF Georgia (country) GEO Saba Gegiadze
8 MF Georgia (country) GEO Saba Maisuradze
9 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi A.Tsetskhladze
10 MF Georgia (country) GEO Levan Kobakhidze
11 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi D.Tsetskhladze
12 MF Georgia (country) GEO Levan Barabadze
13 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Magaldadze
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giga Samkharadze
17 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giga Tsurtsumia
18 MF Georgia (country) GEO Papuna Poniava
19 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Tamazashvili
20 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Kenchadze (c)
22 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Chagunava
23 GK Georgia (country) GEO Nikoloz Chomakhidze
24 FW Cameroon CMR Cyrille Tchamba
25 MF Georgia (country) GEO Zurab Golubiani
27 GK Georgia (country) GEO Luka Chakhnashvili
30 FW Georgia (country) GEO Zakaria Basilashvili
31 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Bunturi
40 FW South Africa RSA Sienda Mathenjwa

Managers

Name Nat. From To
Kakha Maisuradze Georgia (country) 2017 2024
Anzor Kighuradze Georgia (country) 2024

Stadium

The Spaeri Stadium, located in an eastern suburb of Tbilisi, was officially opened in September 2018.[11] Тhe pitch has an artificial turf.

Honours

References

  1. ^ "სპაერმა საქართველოს თასი "დინამოს" არ დაანება". atiani.ge (in Georgian). 5 December 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  2. ^ "გავიცნოთ სპაერი". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  3. ^ "გავიცნოთ "სპაერი" - სახელმწიფო დაცვის სპეციალური სამსახურის კლუბი". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  4. ^ "ახალი ქართული კლუბი სპაერი". sportall.ge (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  5. ^ "2020 regular season". soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Liga 3, 2021". gff.ge. Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
  7. ^ "Statistics, 2022". erovnuliliga.ge. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  8. ^ "გაგრას 3:3 ფლეი-ოფში პენალტებში გამარჯვება - თრილერი და". crystalsport.ge (in Georgian). 12 December 2022.
  9. ^ ""დინამო" ევროტურნირებს მიღმა დარჩა: საქართველოს თასი "სპაერმა" მოიგო" [Dinamo are out of European competitions as Spaeri win Georgian Cup]. worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 5 December 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  10. ^ "List of players". erovnuliliga.ge. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  11. ^ "სპაერის სტადიონი საზეიმო ვითარებაში გაიხსნა". sportall.ge (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Spaeri
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