 Anorthosis and Rubin reached an agreement on 26 August. Kinkladze signed a contract until the end of the season, becoming the most decorated Georgian footballer to play in the Russian Premier League. He made his debut for Rubin the next day, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1 – 2 defeat against FC Rostov. On a personal level the debut was a successful one; his corner kick was headed into the net by Vitalijs Astafjevs for Rubin's goal. He had less remarkable performances in the next two games and was substituted both times. This did not affect Berdyev's faith in him, and at a post-match press conference he defended Kinkladze: "He needs time. He is an experienced player who, I think, will help the team." The next game for Rubin was a 5 – 1 away win against low-ranked Terek Grozny, and Kinkladze made a considerable contribution to it, scoring two goals and making two assists. Against Tom Tomsk, he was less successful. Kinkladze missed a late penalty, denying Rubin a vital victory. After the match Berdyev claimed he made a mistake in his choice of penalty taker.
