# Otar Kakabadze

Otar Kakabadze (Order of Honor) (Georgian: ოთარ კაკაბაძე, romanized: otar k'ak'abadze, pronounced; born 27 June 1995) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Polish club Cracovia, which he captains, and the Georgia national team.

## Club career
### Dinamo Tbilisi

Born in Tbilisi, Kakabadze was a Dinamo Tbilisi youth graduate. He made his debut with the reserves on 27 November 2012, starting in a 2–0 away win against Racha Ambrolauri, and scored his first senior goal in a 6–0 home routing of Kakheti Telavi on 19 October 2013.
Kakabadze was promoted to the main squad in 2014. He made his professional debut on 16 September of that year, coming on as a second-half substitute for Irakli Dzaria in a 6–0 home thrashing of Shukura Kobuleti.
Kakabadze quickly established himself as a starter at Dinamo, and scored his first professional goal on 23 October 2015, netting the winner in a 2–1 home success over FC Tskhinvali.

### Gimnàstic

On 7 July 2016, Kakabadze signed a three-year deal with Spanish Segunda División side Gimnàstic de Tarragona.
On 4 January 2017, it was confirmed, that Kakabadze had signed a loan-deal with Danish Superliga club Esbjerg fB for the rest of the season. Upon returning, he became a regular starter for Nàstic.

### FC Luzern

On 30 August 2018, Kakabadze was transferred to Swiss side FC Luzern.

### Tenerife

On 25 September 2020, Kakabadze returned to Spain and its second division after agreeing to a contract with CD Tenerife.

### Cracovia

On 12 June 2021, Ekstraklasa club Cracovia announced signing Kakabadze on a three-year deal.
During this period Kakabadze took part in 69 league matches, scoring six times. During the 2022–23 season, he was included in the Ekstraklasa Team of the Week four times.
In May 2024, his contract with the club was extended until 2027.

## International career

After representing Georgia at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, Kakabadze made his debut for the full squad on 8 October 2015, starting in a 4–0 home win against Gibraltar for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers.
In late March 2024, Kakabadze played both UEFA Euro 2024 play-off matches in full and contributed to the senior team's historic achievement. In May 2024, he was selected in Georgia's squad for the tournament played in Germany. He appeared in all four of Georgia's games, as they caused an upset by qualifying for the knockout phase. Kakabadze recorded an assist in their final game of the tournament, a 1–4 loss to Spain in the round of 16.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 9 November 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Dinamo Tbilisi II | 2011–12 | Pirveli Liga | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi II | 2012–13 | Pirveli Liga | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi II | Total | Total | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 2014–15 | Umaglesi Liga | 23 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 2015–16 | Umaglesi Liga | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi | Total | Total | 40 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 2 |
| Gimnàstic | 2016–17 | Segunda División | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 |
| Gimnàstic | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 36 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 1 |
| Gimnàstic | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Gimnàstic | Total | Total | 44 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 |
| Esbjerg (loan) | 2016–17 | Danish Superliga | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Luzern | 2018–19 | Swiss Super League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 0 |
| Luzern | 2019–20 | Swiss Super League | 20 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 |
| Luzern | 2020–21 | Swiss Super League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Luzern | Total | Total | 33 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
| Tenerife | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 0 |
| Cracovia | 2021–22 | Ekstraklasa | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 3 |
| Cracovia | 2022–23 | Ekstraklasa | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 2 |
| Cracovia | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 2 |
| Cracovia | 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 |
| Cracovia | Total | Total | 83 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 8 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 242 | 10 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 279 | 13 |
* ↑ Includes Georgian Cup, Copa del Rey, Swiss Cup, Polish Cup
* 1 2 Appearances in Georgian Super Cup
* ↑ Appearances in play-offs
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of match played 19 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Georgia | 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2016 | 4 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2017 | 8 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2018 | 8 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2019 | 10 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2020 | 5 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2021 | 9 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2022 | 6 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2023 | 5 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2024 | 13 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 71 | 0 |

## Honours

Dinamo Tbilisi
* Umaglesi Liga: 2013–14, 2015–16
* Georgian Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
* Georgian Super Cup: 2014, 2015