Budu Zivzivadze

Budu Zivzivadze (born 10 March 1994) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC and the Georgia national team.
Being the winner of Umaglesi Liga and Georgian Super Cup, he was named the Georgian Player of the Year in 2016.
Club career
At age 8, Budu Zivzivadze entered the Imedi football school in Kutaisi. He was a midfielder during the initial two years.
In 2011, he joined Dinamo Tbilisi. During the four seasons at this club he mainly played for its reserve team taking part in Pirveli Liga. With 23 goals netted in 21 matches for Dinamo-2 in 2013–14, Zivzivadze became the topscorer. He made a professional debut with the senior team on 11 September 2014 in an away game against Metalurgi Rustavi as a second-half substitute.
In 2015, Zivzivadze moved to the top-tier club Samtredia, where he displayed his goalscoring abilities and played a crucial role in winning their first ever champion's title. The striker was named the best player of the 2016 season.
Budu signed with Danish Superliga club Esbjerg fB in January 2017, but did not play much until he was loaned out to Dinamo Tbilisi for the 2018 season. He did very well, scoring 28 goals in all competitions. Zivzivadze shared a topscorer's award with Giorgi Gabedava. Also, he was included in symbolic team of the season. After returning to Esbjerg, the club announced on 29 January 2019, that he had left the club, this time permanently, after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Two days later, it was announced, that he had re-joined Torpedo Kutaisi. Zivzivadze was named by Erovnuli Liga as the best player of part 2 of the four-phase championship after netting eight goals in nine games. Due to Torpedo's financial troubles, his second tenure with this team lasted six months.
In July 2019, he signed for Nemzeti Bajnokság I side Mezőkövesd.
On 11 February 2022, Zivzivadze was loaned by Fehérvár to Újpest until the end of the season.
On 31 January 2023, the last day of the 2022–23 winter transfer window, Zivzivadze signed with 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC until 2025. His contract with Fehérvár had been due to run out in the summer.
International career
Zivzivadze made his debut for the Georgia national team in a friendly match against Uzbekistan on 23 January 2017. He scored his first goal for the senior national team on 25 March 2022, the only goal in a 1–0 friendly win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Career statistics
Club
International
Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zivzivadze goal.
Honours
Team
Samtredia
Georgian League: 2016
Torpedo Kutaisi
Georgian Super Cup: 2019
Individual
Player of the Year in Georgia: 2016
Erovnuli Liga goalscorer: 2016, 2018 (shared)
References
External links
Esbjerg official profile
Living people
1994 births
Footballers from Kutaisi
Men's footballers from Georgia (country)
Men's association football forwards
Georgia (country) men's international footballers
Georgia (country) men's under-21 international footballers
Erovnuli Liga players
Erovnuli Liga 2 players
Danish Superliga players
Danish 1st Division players
Nemzeti Bajnokság I players
2. Bundesliga players
FC Dinamo Tbilisi players
FC Torpedo Kutaisi players
FC Samtredia players
Esbjerg fB players
Mezőkövesdi SE footballers
Fehérvár FC players
Újpest FC players
Karlsruher SC players
Expatriate men's footballers from Georgia (country)
Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Denmark
Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Hungary
Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary
Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany