# FC Borjomi

FC Borjomi (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი ბორჯომი) is a Georgian football club based in Borjomi. They compete in Liga 3, the third tier of the Georgian football system.
The team has spent four seasons in the top flight.
Their home ground is the Jemal Zeinklishvili Stadium.

## History

Founded in 1936, FC Borjomi participated in the Georgian regional championship for many years.
From 1993/94 they spent several seasons in the second and third division. In 2004/05 Borjomi finished 2nd in Liga 2 and got promoted to Umaglesi Liga, where the club competed for four seasons.
The fifth place in 2005/06 is the best result Borjomi have achieved in Georgian leagues. It is noteworthy that the club won 14 home games out of 15, including against the top three leaders.
In the 2007/08 season Borjomi won the group stage of David Kipiani Cup and reached the semifinals, but the next year the club finished in the bottom place and quit the league.
A few years later Borjomi experienced some significant revival. Having convincingly won the third division in 2014, the next year team achieved great progress towards the return to the top league. As the runners-up, they booked a place for promotion play-off game against Lokomotive Tbilisi. This dramatic final match ended 3-3 and the winner of the tie was determined after the penalty shoot-out.
Shortly some harsh times followed with two relegations within four seasons. Borjomi sank to a low ebb in 2019 when they failed to preserve a place in the third division. Аs a result, the head coach was replaced and 90% of players parted ways with the club.
In 2021, the club won the first stage of Liga 4 competition, qualified for the Promotion Group and managed to advance back to the third league from the third place.

## Seasons

    Season League Pos. P W D L GF GA Pts Cup 1993/94 Pirveli Liga East 13 3412517 485941 – 1994/95 Pirveli Liga East 10 309417 477031 – 1995/96 Pirveli Liga East 19 365427 317819 – 1996/97 Pirveli Liga East 7 3821413 515267 2nd Round 1998/99 Pirveli Liga East 9 269215 364229 Preliminary Round 2000/01 Pirveli Liga 7 22859 221929 – Relegation Round 2 10523 12832 – 2001/02 Pirveli Liga 12↓ 222119 16687 – 2002/03 Regionuli Liga Centre – 2003/04 Regionuli Liga Centre ↑ – 2004/05 Pirveli Liga 2↑ 302235 743669 1st round 2005/06 Umaglesi Liga 5 301929 502659 Quarterfinals 2006/07 10 268612 293530 Quarterfinals 2007/08 9 269413 323931 Semifinals 2008/09 11↓ 302721 218513 Round of 32 2013/14 Meore Liga 1↑ 302451 1072577 – 2014/15 Pirveli Liga, B 2 3016614 404354 – 2015/16 Pirveli Liga 4 3417107 453261 – 2016 Pirveli Liga 3↓ 16817 221722 2nd Round 2017 Liga 3 White 4 18774 221728 2nd Round Relegation Group 3 18864 302130 2018 Liga 3 7 3818713 665661 1st Round 2019 Liga 3 9↓ 3612321 305739 Round of 32 2020 Liga 4 Red Group 3 14725 271321 2nd Round 2021 Liga 4 Red Group 1 181332 461642 2nd Round Promotion Group 3↑ 181134 301936 2022 Liga 3 8 3012513 474041 1st Round 2023 11 3011217 507835 2nd Round 2024 12 308418 315828 3rd Round

## Current squad

As of 12 March 2024
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 Gelashvili |
| 3 | DF | GEO | Lasha Jincharashvili |
| 4 | DF | NGA | Chinedu Nwoloki |
| 6 | DF | GEO | Mikheil Gabadze |
| 7 | FW | GEO | Guram Shetsiruli |
| 8 | MF | GEO | Sandro Kvantidze |
| 9 | FW | GEO | Saba Martiashvili |
| 10 | MF | GEO | Bachana Beruchashvili |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 11 | MF | GEO | Tornike Muzashvili |
| 13 | DF | GEO | Davit Udumashvili |
| 14 | FW | GEO | Giorgi Paksashvili |
| 16 | GK | GEO | Saba Shalikashvili |
| 19 | DF | GEO | Temur Iluridze |
| 20 | MF | GEO | Mikheil Kochakidze |
| 21 | MF | GEO | Saba Nadiradze |
| 24 | FW | GEO | Mikheil Acharadze |
| 25 | DF | GEO | Vano Kurdghelashvili (C) |

## Managers

| Name | From | To |
| Koba Tediashvili | 2018 | 2019 |
| Malkhaz Latsabidze | 2020 | 2022 |
| Gocha Avsajanishvili | 2022 | 2022 |
| Giorgi Macharadze | 2023 | 2023 |
| Malkhaz Latsabidze | 2023 | 2023 |
| Konstantine Asanidze | 2023 | |

## Honours

Erovnuli Liga 2
* 2nd: 2004-05, 2014-15 (Group B)
* 3rd: 1999-2000 (Group A), 2016

## Stadium

The club's home ground is a stadium named after Borjomi-born player Jemal Zeinklishvili, who was a member of Dinamo Tbilisi squad during their victorious season in the Soviet Top league in 1964.
The arena was announced unfit for hosting official matches in 2020, which forced the local municipal authorities to unveil reconstruction plans. In March 2024, an eighteen-month rehabilitation project was announced.
For this reason, since 2021 the team has been using other football grounds such as Mtskheta Park and the Grigol Jomartidze stadium for their home games.

## Name

Between 1936 and 2004 - FC Tori Borjomi
Since 2004 - FC Borjomi
The term Tori comes from a medieval name of the region where Borjomi and surrounding areas are situated.
FC Tori, another football club based in Borjomi, competed in Regionuli Liga between 2016 and 2022.