Fußballnationalmannschaft der UdSSR
He was part of the USSR side that finished fourth at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, third at the 1972 Summer Olympics and second in the 1972 UEFA European Championship. After the UEFA Euro 1972 along with his teammates by Soviet Union national football team — Revaz Dzodzuashvili and Evgeni Rudakov — he was included in the team of the tournament, where also were presented such great players like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner, Uli Hoeness and Günter Netzer. He was also one of the only two Georgians, alongside Alexandre Chivadze, to have captained the Soviet Union national football team. At the club level he played for FC Dynamo Tbilisi.