# FC Dila Gori

FC Dila (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი დილა) is a Georgian professional football club based in Gori. The club takes part in the Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of Georgian football, and plays their home games at the Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium.
Dila won the Georgian Cup in 2012 and Georgian Championship in 2015.

## History
### In the Soviet leagues

Founded in 1949, the club was named after poem "Dila" (literally - morning) written by Joseph Stalin, who was born in the city and spent his youth there.
Until 1961, they played under the name Dinamo Gori in Group A of Georgian republican championship. Following the second place in 1965, the next year Dila took part in the Soviet third league and despite an unbeaten run at home finished 11th among 20 clubs in zone 4, Group B.
In 1969, Dila won the competition among the Caucasian teams. The club played several seasons in zone 4 of the Soviet Second League and after 1979 moved to zone 9 where Transcaucasia was represented. In 1967, 1974, and 1986, Dila reached the 3rd place which was their best result in the Soviet third division.

### In Georgian leagues

In 1990, Georgia formed an independent league, which included all clubs from the first three Soviet football divisions. Before 2000 Dila were an average team sitting in mid-table, but in the second decade their performance deteriorated. Although most of the seasons Dila participated in the top league, twice they were relegated to Liga 2 and once to Liga 3.
In 2010, the rise started with Dila gaining two consecutive promotions within two years. In 2012 the club clinched their first title after winning the Georgian Cup and during the next five seasons four times represented Georgia in qualifying rounds of UEFA club competitions, including the Champions League. Also, twice in a row Dila participated in Europa League play-offs. During this period they were reinforced by national team members Nukri Revishvili, Giorgi Navalovski, Otar Martsvaladze and Mate Vatsadze.
Dila won their first top-tier medals in 2013. With a single point in the starting four matches the club seemed an unlikely candidate for trophies, but later they produced an eleven-game winning run, beating all league opponents one after another, and ended up in the second place.
The club achieved their biggest success in the 2014/15 season under 25-year-old head coach Ucha Sosiashvili. Dila, whose squad included experienced players Aleksandre Kvakhadze, Irakli Modebadze and Nika Kvekveskiri, entered the title race in an early stage and concluded the season with six points clear from their two immediate rivals. Forward Irakli Modebadze became a league topscorer with 16 goals.
Facing some financial difficulties, FC Dila as a municipal property was sold at a public auction the next year. As a result, Israeli business group Starsportinvest took charge of the club in October 2016.
For three consecutive seasons starting from 2020 Dila emerged victorious from long tight contests over the league bronze medals. In 2023, they finished on equal points with Torpedo but missed out on the 3rd place due to disadvantage in head-to-head statistics only. A year later, the team sitting on top of the table at half season closed in on achieving their best result in ten years. However, they first squandered the lead and eventually, after suffering a narrow home defeat on the final day of the season, slumped to 3rd.

### Seasons

    Season League Pos. Pl. W D L GF GA P Cup Europe 1990 Umaglesi Liga 10 3412616 525842 Round of 8 1991 11 19739 293224 Round of 8 1991–92 10 3814816 646450 Round of 16 1992–93 13 3211516 394938 Round of 8 1993–94 9 184212 123514 Round of 8 1994–95 8 3010713 253537 Round of 8 1995–96 8 3012414 535540 Quarter-finals 1996–97 8 3010713 303937 1997–98 9 3011415 313637 Semi-finals 1998–99 10 3010515 375435 Round of 8 1999–00 8 14626 192420 Quarter-finals 2000–01 10↓ 225314 144418 Quarter-finals 2001–02 Pirveli Liga 2↑ 221543 511449 Round of 8 2002–03 Umaglesi Liga 7 226313 172921 Quarter-finals 2003–04 6 221048 282034 Semi-finals Inter-Toto Cup 2004–05 10 362430 208810 Round of 8 2005–06 11 309417 354431 Round of 16 2006–07 13 263617 215615 Round of 16 2007–08 14↓ 261520 12538 Quarter-finals 2008–09 Pirveli Liga East 5↓ 301299 483145 – 2009–10 Meore Liga East 1↑ – 2010–11 Pirveli Liga 3↑ 322093 582169 Round of 16 2011–12 Umaglesi Liga 5 2810711 383237 Winner 2012–13 2 322228 602648 Quarter-finals Europa League Play-off 2013–14 9 3211813 443641 Semi-finals Europa League Play-off 2014–15 1 301974 502164 Quarter-finals 2015–16 3 301956 512562 Second Round Champions League 2Q 2016 5 12525 131217 Second Round Europa League 1Q 2017 Erovnuli Liga 7 3611817 415141 Quarter-finals 2018 5 3617127 604063 Round of 16 2019 7 36111015 404443 Round of 16 2020 3 18864 291730 Quarter-finals 2021 3 3617109 483561 Round of 16 Conference League 1Q 2022 3 3617811 483559 Quarter-finals Conference League 1Q 2023 4 3617910 563960 Quarter-finals Conference League 3Q 2024 3 3619116 583068 Third round

#### Notes

* ↑ Lost 0–2 to Samgurali in playoffs
* ↑ Defeated Samtredia 2–0 in playoffs
* ↑ Beat Guria 2–0 in playoffs

### European competitions

Dila Gori debuted in UEFA competitions in 2004. Although the club did not obtain an Intertoto Cup slot based on their league position, they replaced a higher placed team, which abstained from the participation. After being held to a goalless draw at home, Marek Dupnitsa beat Dila in the return leg. Later the next decade there were three more cases when the Georgian side achieved relatively better results in away games than back home.
As the Cup winners, the team reached Europe League play-offs in 2012. During this campaign Dila eliminated two opponents, including Anorthosis Famagusta, which was further subjected to UEFA sanctions for crowd disturbances occurred during their home game.
The next year Dila similarly prevailed in two rounds of the competition before their road to the group stage was blocked by Rapid Vienna. The team's performance against Igor Tudor's Hajduk Split was widely hailed this season.
In next four cases the club wrapped up their European seasons after the first round.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
| 2004 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1Q | Marek Dupnitsa | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q | AGF Aarhus | 3–1 | 2–1 | 5–2 |
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q | Anorthosis Famagusta | 0–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 |
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | PO | Marítimo | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q | AaB | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 |
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q | Hajduk Split | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | PO | Rapid Wien | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–4 |
| 2015–16 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Partizan | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Shirak | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q | Žilina | 2–1 | 1–5 | 3–6 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q | KuPS | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q | DAC Dunajská Streda | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q | Vorskla Poltava | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–3 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 3Q | APOEL | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 2025–26 | UEFA Conference League | 1Q | | | | |

#### Notes

* 1Q: First qualifying round
* 2Q: Second qualifying round
* 3Q: Third qualifying round
* PO: Play-off round
Fully up to date as of match played 17 August 2023
* ↑ Shirak won 4–1 on penalties.
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| UEFA Champions League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| UEFA Europa League | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 11 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 28 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 24 | 32 |

## Stadium

The club play their home matches at the Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, a 5,000 seater football stadium situated in Gori.

## Crest and colours

The club's colors are Red and light blue.

### Shirt sponsors and kit manufacturers

| Period | Kit Supplier | Kit Sponsor |
| 2010–2011 | Saller | HeidelbergCement |
| 2011–2012 | Jako | |
| 2012–2013 | Nike | |
| 2013–2014 | Saller | AGP |
| 2014–2015 | Saller | Lider-Bet |
| 2021–2022 | Adidas | Marsbet |

## Current squad

    As of 1 March 2025
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 | GEO | Davit Kereselidze |
| 3 | DF | POR | Pedro Mendes |
| 4 | DF | GEO | Vakhtang Bochorishvili |
| 5 | DF | GEO | Zurab Rukhadze |
| 6 | DF | GEO | Aleksandre Andronikashvili |
| 7 | FW | MLI | Aboubacar Konté |
| 9 | FW | SEN | Ibrahima Dramé |
| 11 | MF | GEO | Otar Parulava |
| 12 | GK | GEO | Luka Sanikidze |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 13 | DF | BRA | João Araújo |
| 14 | MF | GHA | Dominic Amponsah |
| 17 | MF | GHA | Blankson Anoff |
| 20 | MF | GEO | Irakli Bugridze |
| 22 | FW | GEO | Shota Shekiladze |
| 23 | MF | ANG | António Lopes |
| 26 | DF | FRA | Jean-Marc Tiboué |
| 28 | FW | CGO | Déo Bassinga |
| 33 | DF | CGO | Ramaric Etou |

## Honours

* Erovnuli Liga
** Champions: 2014–15
** Runners-up: 2012–13
** Bronze medals: 2015–16, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024
* Georgian Cup
** Winners: 2011–12

## Managers

* Gia Tsetsadze (Feb 1, 2010 – Oct 27, 2011)
* Temur Makharadze (Nov 15 2011 – Mar 26 2012)
* Temur Shalamberidze (March 27 – Sept 8 2012)
* Giorgi Daraselia (July 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012)
* Valdas Ivanauskas (January 23 – May 31, 2013)
* Giorgi Devdariani (June 1, 2013 – Oct 17, 2013)
* Ramaz Sogolashvili (17 Oct 2013 – 29 May 2014)
* Ucha Sosiashvili (30 May 2014 – 11 Jan 2017)
* Ziv Avraham Arie (16 January 2017 – 2 June 2017)
* Giorgi Dekanosidze (June – July 2017)
* Giorgi Daraselia (July 2017 – August 2018)
* Giorgi Shashiashvili (August – December 2018)
* Giorgi Dekanosidze (January – July 2019)
* Georgi Nemsadze (August 2019 – December 2020)
* Andriy Demchenko (December 2020 – August 2023)
* Irakli Modebadze (interim, August – October 2023)
* Ever Demaldé (October – December 2023)
* Rui Mota (January – June 2024)
* Francisco Castro (since July 2024)

## Top goalscorers

| Season | Name | Goals |
| 2011–12 | Davit Chagelishvili | 5 |
| 2012–13 | Roman Akhalkatsi, Irakli Modebadze | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Irakli Modebadze | 9 |
| 2014–15 | Irakli Modebadze | 16 |
| 2015–16 | Otar Martsvaladze | 19 |
| 2016 | Aleko Gamtsemlidze | 3 |
| 2017 | Giorgi Pantsulaia | 8 |
| 2018 | Mykola Kovtalyuk | 21 |
| 2019 | Alvin Fortes | 8 |
| 2020 | Mykola Kovtalyuk | 10 |
| 2021 | Tornike Kapanadze | 10 |
| 2022 | Tornike Kapanadze | 9 |
| 2023 | Thierry Gale, Mykola Kovtalyuk | 10 |
| 2024 | Tayrell Wouter | 19 |