FC Metalurgi Rustavi

FC Metalurgi Rustavi
Founded	1948; 76 years ago
Dissolved	2015
Ground	Poladi Stadium; Rustavi, Georgia
Capacity	6,200
Home colours	Away colours

Metalurgi Rustavi was a Georgian football team based in Rustavi, which has twice won the national league.

In Soviet times, the club played under the name "Metalurgi" (Rustavi), then during the independence of Georgia, the club was called "Gorda" (Rustavi) and FC Rustavi.

After FC Tbilisi merged with club FC Rustavi in 2006, FC Olimpi Rustavi was established.

History

Football in Rustavi could be traced back to Metalurgi Rustavi in the Soviet era.

In 1990, the club became a member of the newly created Umaglesi Liga under the name Gorda with Givi Nodia at the helm. In the first three seasons Gorda came third twice. Following Nodia's departure from the team, the management reversed its decision regarding the name. For the next six seasons Metalurgi did not achieve any significant success, although they signed several players who later joined the national team, namely Soso Grishikashvili, Zurab Menteshashvili, Aleksandre Rekhviashvili, and Levan Kobiashvili.

The club was renamed back to Gorda in 1998. Around this period the team usually stayed in the bottom half of the table. In 2002, Gorda lost playoffs to Mtskheta and suffered a first relegation to Pirveli Liga. A year later, being Rustavi this time, they prevailed over the same opponents in play-offs, but due to financial difficulties failed to obtain a top-flight license.^[1]

Before the 2006 season, it was announced that Rustavi would merge with Umaglesi Liga side Tbilisi and take part in the main division as Olimpi Rustavi. Starting from this year, Olimpi was regarded as one of the main title contenders.

In 2007, the team won their first Georgian Umaglesi Liga title,^[2] followed by the second title three years later.^[3] In the same season they recorded an unbeaten run consisting of 27 league matches.^[4] With 26 goals netted in 31 matches Anderson Aquino became their top scorer of this season. Having beaten WIT Georgia 2–0, Olimpi won the Super Cup as well.

For the 2011–12 season the club changed its name to Metalurgi Rustavi after a thirteen-year wait. Metalurgi finished on equal points as Zestaponi and was faced with a bizarre scandal involving the Football Federation. As these clubs differently inferred new league regulations determining a winner of the tournament, they both declared themselves a champion. Initially, the GFF sided with Metalurgi, although after an executive committee extraordinary meeting held the next day, it announced a final decision in favor of Zestaponi.^[5]

Despite some decline, experienced by Metalurgi in following years, their players occasionally still featured in different post-season nominations. In one of such events in December 2014, Otar Kiteishvili was voted among three best young players.^[6]

The 2014–15 season turned out critical.^[7] Despite sitting among the top five teams before the winter break, soon the overall situation rapidly deteriorated. The club had amassed debts exceeding 8₾ million and could not afford to pay salaries to its staff and players.^[8] After a fifteen-game winless run, Metalurgi ended up in the relegation zone. Following a 5–0 loss to Lokomotivi in playoffs, they were relegated.^[9]

Their last season was in the Meore Liga, the third division, in 2015–16, but midway through the season they withdrew from the league.^[10] Subsequently, Metalurgi were declared bankrupt. A new Rustavi club emerged representing the city in Liga 2, although they did not have any legal connections.^[11]

Honours

Erovnuli Liga
- Winners (2): 2007, 2010
- Runners-up (1): 2011–12
- Third place (4): 1990, 1991–92, 2008–09, 2010–11
Georgian Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2010
Georgian SSR Football Competition:
- Winners (4): 1959, 1974, 1979, 1984

Seasons

Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Promoted	Relegated

Season	League	Pos.	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	P	Cup	Europe
Gorda Rustavi
1990	Umaglesi Liga	3	34	22	3	9	63	33	69		Did not qualify
1991		9	19	7	5	7	34	22	26
1991–92		3	38	22	9	7	71	38	75
Metalurgi Rustavi
1992–93	Umaglesi Liga	7	32	14	7	11	73	69	49		Did not qualify
1993–94		9
1994–95		7
1995–96		5
1996–97		10
1997–98		11
Gorda Rustavi
1998–99	Umaglesi Liga	12									Did not qualify
1999-00		12
2000–01		11
2001–02		10
2002–03		'10
FC Rustavi
2003–04	Pirveli Liga	4									Did not qualify
2004–05		11	30	10	7	13	39	43	37
2005–06		8	34	13	10	11	50	37	49
FC Olimpi Rustavi
2006–07	Umaglesi Liga	1	26	19	6	1	57	9	63	Round of 16	Did not qualify
2007–08		4	26	16	4	6	26	16	52	Quarter finals	UEFA Champions League 1st qualifying round
2008–09		3	30	16	9	5	40	20	57	Runner-up	Did not qualify
2009–10		1	36	25	7	4	69	26	79	Round of 16	UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round
2010–11		3	36	20	6	10	52	31	66	Quarter finals	UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying round
FC Metalurgi Rustavi
2011–12	Umaglesi Liga	2	28	17	4	7	39	28	55	Semi-finals	UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round
2012–13		7	32	12	8	12	29	35	44	Semi-finals	UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round
2013–14		5	32	13	6	13	35	39	45	Quarter finals	Did not qualify
2014–15		14	30	6	8	16	25	46	26	Quarter finals	Did not qualify
2015–16	Meore Liga								Withdrew

European record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away
2007–08	UEFA Champions League	1Q	FC Astana	0–0	0–3
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	1Q	B36 Tórshavn	2–0	2–0
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Legia Warszawa	0–1	0–3
2010–11	UEFA Champions League	2Q	Aktobe	1–1	0–2
2011–12	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Banants	1–1	1–0
		2Q	Irtysh Pavlodar	1–1	2–0
		3Q	Stade Rennais	2–5	0–2
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Teuta	6–1	3–0
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Viktoria Plzeň	1–3	0–2