FC Matchakhela (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი მაჭახელა) is a Georgian football club based in the town of Khelvachauri, Adjara. Following the 2024 season, they were relegated to Liga 4, the fourth tier of Georgian football.
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| Full name | FC Matchakhela Khelvachauri |
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| Founded | 15 June 2011 |
| Ground | Central stadium, Khelvachauri |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Owner | Khelvachauri Municipality City Hall |
| Chairman | Simon Zakaradze |
| Manager | Avtandil Kunchulia |
| League | Liga 4 |
| 2024 | 15th of 16 in Liga 3 |
| Website | fcmatchakhela.ge |
History
editMatchakhela were founded оn the basis of Khelvachauri's Sport School on 15 June 2011. After the first season under manager Nugzar Kokoladze, the team mostly consisting of local amateur footballers took 4th place in Meore Liga. The next head coach, Amiran Gogitidze, guided the club to the top of the league, which they won with automatic promotion in 2013.[1]
On 28 February 2014, the sport school club changed its status into Football Club Matchakhela Ltd.[2]
During most of the 2013–14 season, Matchakhela were engaged in inter-Adjarian rivalry with Dinamo Batumi for a second promotion place to Umaglesi Liga, in which eventually the latter prevailed. Overall, the 3rd place taken in 2014 in Liga 2 has been the club's highest point reached in Georgian leagues.[3]
The team finished the 2014–15 season comfortably in mid-table, but a year later entered a period of instability. Struggling the whole season, they eventually lost a battle for survival.
The 2016 season was transitional in all Georgian football leagues into Spring-Autumn system with a sharp reduction of clubs in each division. Matchakhela failed to remain in the third tier and thus suffered double relegation in successive seasons. Although they managed to climb back to Liga 3 the next year,[4] in 2018 the team finished bottom of the league.[5]
Matchakhela spent two seasons in Regionuli Liga before they won promotion to recently formed Liga 4 for 2021. After two more years, they successfully concluded their league campaign under Avtandil Kunchulia and moved back into the third tier.[6] In 2023, the team ended up in the drop zone, but due to the demotion of another club to Liga 4, Matchakhela managed to retain their place in the third division.[7]
Following the 2024 season, the club once again changed division after suffering relegation from Liga 3.
Seasons
edit| Season | League | Pos | MP | W | D | L | GF–GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Meore Liga West | 1st of 13↑ | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 74-11 | 62 |
| 2013–14 | Pirveli Liga Group B | 3rd of 14 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 44-21 | 54 |
| 2014–15 | Pirveli Liga Group A | 6th of 10 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 48-66 | 45 |
| 2015–16 | Pirveli Liga | 16th of 18↓ | 34 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 30-43 | 37 |
| 2016 | Liga 3 Group B | 5th of 8↓ | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 25-23 | 22 |
| 2017 | Regionuli Liga West A | 2nd of 15↑ | 28 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 63-23 | 62 |
| 2018 | Liga 3 | 20th of 20↓ | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 35-63 | 28 |
| 2019 | Regionuli Liga West | 8th of 10 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 30-40 | 20 |
| 2020 | Regionuli Liga West B | 2nd of 6↑ | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 28-16 | 24 |
| 2021 | Liga 4 White Group | 7th of 10 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 35-41 | 19 |
| Relegation Round | 5th of 10 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 45-24 | 30 | |
| 2022 | Liga 4 | 3rd of 16↑ | 30 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 60-26 | 64 |
| 2023 | Liga 3 | 14th of 16 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 20 | 38-81 | 26 |
| 2024 | Liga 3 | 15th of 16↓ | 30 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 30-86 | 24 |
Squad
editAs of 13 March 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
edit• Pirveli Liga (level 2)
- Third place (1): 2013–14, Group B
• Meore Liga (level 3)
- Winners (1): 2012–13
• Liga 4 (level 4)
- Third place (1): 2022
• Regionuli Liga (level 5)*
- Runners-up (2): 2017, 2020 (West)
Note: Regionuli Liga was fourth tier up until 2018
Stadium
editMatchakhela play their home matches at Akhalsopeli Central stadium, which has the capacity of 1,000 seats.
Name
editThe name derives from Machakheli, a geographical area near the border between Georgia and Turkey.
References
edit- ^ "2012/13 season in Meore Liga". soccerway.com.
- ^ "კლუბის შესახებ". FC Matchakhela.
- ^ "2013–14 Pirveli Liga". soccerway.com.
- ^ "რეგიონული ლიგა: დასავლეთიდან ლიგა 3-ში "ბახმარო" და "მაჭახელა" გადავიდნენ". worldsport.com (in Georgian). 21 November 2017.
- ^ "2018 in Liga 3". gff.ge.
- ^ "ხელვაჩაურის "მაჭახელა" საქართველოს ლიგა 3-ში გადასასვლელად ემზადება". ajaratv.ge (in Georgian). 18 November 2022.
- ^ "ეროვნული ლიცენზირების შედეგები". geoliga.ge (in Georgian). 12 January 2024.