# 2023 Liga 3 (Georgia)

The 2023 Liga 3 (Georgia) season was the 7th edition under its current title and the 35th edition of third tier football in Georgia. The regular two-round tournament began on 4 April and ended on 1 December with promotion play-offs completed on 10 December. Each team played thirty matches in as many rounds.
Gori had the longest tenure in the league with the 7th consecutive season while Meshakhte and Bakhmaro entered into the sixth year. On the other hand, three of the four new members (Locomotive-2, Rustavi and Shturmi) made their debut in Liga 3.

## Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the previous season:

### To Liga 3

Promoted from Liga 4
Locomotive-2 • Shturmi • Matchakhela
Relegated from Liga 2
Rustavi

### From Liga 3

Relegated to Liga 4
Tbilisi City
Promoted to Liga 2
Dinamo Tbilisi-2 • Kolkheti-1913 • Kolkheti Khobi

## Teams

Sixteen teams were competing in Liga 3 for the 2023 season. Five of them previously played in the top division, namely Borjomi (2005–09), Chikhura (2012–20), Guria Lanchkhuti (1990–99, 2001–02, 2013–16), Rustavi (2018–19) and Zestaponi (2004–15) with the latter being the two-times national champions. There were also three reserve teams of higher league members this season.
The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order:
| Clubs | Position last season | Location | Region |
| Aragvi$^a$ | 3rd | Dusheti | Mtskheta-Mtianeti |
| Bakhmaro | 10th | Chokhatauri | Guria |
| Borjomi | 8th | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti |
| Chikhura | 16th | Sachkhere | Imereti |
| Gori | 6th | Gori | Shida Kartli |
| Guria | 11th | Lanchkhuti | Guria |
| Irao $^b$ | 9th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Locomotive-2 | 1st in Liga 4 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Matchakhela | 3rd in Liga 4 | Khelvachauri | Adjara |
| Merani-2 Tbilisi | 13th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Meshakhte | 14th | Tkibuli | Imereti |
| Rustavi | 7th in Liga 2 | Rustavi | Kvemo Kartli |
| Saburtalo-2 | 7th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Shturmi$^c$ | 2nd in Liga 4 | Sartichala | Kvemo Kartli |
| Varketili | 5th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Zestaponi | 15th | Zestaponi | Imereti |
$^a$ Based in Tbilisi, plays at Marakana football ground.
$^b$ Holds home games in Kaspi.
$^c$ Uses the Sagarejo Central stadium as their home ground.

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Aragvi (C, P) | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 66 | 21 | +45 | 68 | Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2 |
| 2 | Shturmi (P) | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 67 | 27 | +40 | 68 | Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2 |
| 3 | Rustavi | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 63 | 31 | +32 | 61 | Qualification for promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Varketili | 30 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 54 | 35 | +19 | 60 | Qualification for promotion play-offs |
| 5 | Meshakhte | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 49 | 24 | +25 | 55 | |
| 6 | Irao | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 50 | |
| 7 | Saburtalo-2 | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 26 | +19 | 45 | |
| 8 | Gori | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 46 | 48 | −2 | 43 | |
| 9 | Guria | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 44 | 55 | −11 | 39 | |
| 10 | Locomotive-2 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 50 | 42 | +8 | 35 | |
| 11 | Borjomi | 30 | 11 | 2 | 17 | 50 | 78 | −28 | 35 | |
| 12 | Bakhmaro | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 33 | |
| 13 | Zestaponi | 30 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 33 | 46 | −13 | 29 | |
| 14 | Matchakhela | 30 | 8 | 2 | 20 | 38 | 81 | −43 | 26 | Relegation to Liga 4 |
| 15 | Merani-2 (R) | 30 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 30 | 58 | −28 | 22 | Relegation to Liga 4 |
| 16 | Chikhura (R) | 30 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 23 | 101 | −78 | 7 | Relegation to Liga 4 |

## Results
### Regular season

| Home \ Away | ARA | BOR | BKH | CHI | GOR | GUR | IRA | LC2 | MAT | MR2 | MES | RST | SB2 | STR | VAR | ZES |
| Aragvi | | 6–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 6–0 |
| Borjomi | 2–4 | | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–7 | 2–4 | 3–0 |
| Bakhmaro | 0–2 | 1–2 | | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 8–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Chikhura | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–4 | | 0–2 | 3–5 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–7 | 0–1 |
| Gori | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–3 | | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–4 | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Guria | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | | 2–1 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| Irao | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 1–3 | | 0–1 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Locomotive-2 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | | 6–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Matchakhela | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–4 | 0–5 | | 2–1 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 3–1 |
| Merani-2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–7 |
| Meshakhte | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–1 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 |
| Rustavi | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 7–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Saburtalo-2 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| Shturmi | 2–0 | 6–2 | 3–1 | 7–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Varketili | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 3–2 |
| Zestaponi | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |

### Promotion play-offs

On 11 January 2024, the Federation announced that following the expulsion of Shukura from the 2nd division to Liga 4, Rustavi would be admitted to replace them next season with Matchakhela also spared from relegation.