FC Imereti Khoni

History

Founded in 1936, the club originally competed in the Georgian Soviet championship under the name Imereti Tsulukidze. Since 1990, its highest level of play has been the second division. In the 2014/15 season, with Koba Zhorzhikashvili as manager, Imereti edged out Sulori Vani in a close race to earn a spot in Pirveli Liga.

The club promised to aim for promotion to the top tier and to renovate its stadium, which was often packed beyond capacity during home games. The next season fell short of expectations, though there were still reasons for optimism. Then, late in 2016, the Georgian Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee concluded an investigation into a match-fixing case involving Imereti.

The club’s points were wiped from the league table, and it was sent down to a lower division. Zhorzhikashvili received a lifetime ban from football. Back in the third tier, Imereti bounced back quickly and entered the promotion playoff round. The team also set a club record by reaching the fifth round of the David Kipiani Cup, knocking out higher-league sides Sioni Bolnisi and Merani Tbilisi before losing in the semifinal to Chikhura Sachkhere, who went on to win the trophy.

In 2018, Imereti landed in the relegation playoff spot and beat Regionuli Liga group winner Dinamo Batumi-2 over two legs to stay in Liga 4. The struggles continued there, but two separate decisions by the GFF about the league structure over the next two years kept the club from dropping further. In 2021, the team once again finished below the safety line and slipped to the very bottom of Georgia’s league system.

Did You Know?

• Manager Koba Zhorzhikashvili was given a lifetime ban from all football activities after a match-fixing investigation in 2016.
• In the 2014/15 season, Imereti won the Meore Liga (Group West) title, edging out Sulori Vani for promotion.