Dream Dinamo post for Petriashvili

Georgian Premier League leaders FC Dinamo Tbilisi have appointed David Petriashvili, son of former player Guram Petriashvili, as their chief executive officer.

New post
Petriashvili, who also works as a UEFA Champions League match delegate and venue director at FC Lokomotiv Moskva, will fill a newly-created post. "To get closer to a European system of running the club, the board of directors has decided to create the post of CEO and appointed an experienced and respected person, Mr Petriashvili, to it," said Dinamo spokesman Levan Salukvadze.

Family club
The delighted Petriashvili admitted how much the club means to him. "My relatives have devoted all their lives to this club," he said. "For example, my grandfather worked at Dinamo stadium for 50 years, while my father was part of the team which won Dinamo’s first Soviet title in 1964. My mother was also part of the club."

Champions League ambitions
He added: "I will be hoping to recreate Dinamo traditions of the past, and I will be more than happy to give up my venue director duties for the Champions League should Dinamo make this competition next year."

GFF role
Petriashvili was recently beaten by Merab Zhordania in the presidency vote at the Football Federation of Georgia (GFF). Petriashvili worked for GFF for eleven years, much of that time as head of its international relations department. He has also served on the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football committee.

Top of the table
With the Premier League currently on its winter break, Dinamo lead the table, two points ahead of nearest challengers and title-holders FC Torpedo Kutaisi ahead of the spring phase of the championship.