Zestafoni's sudden ascent

By Vakhtang Bzikadze

Things can move quickly in Georgian football. Twelve months ago, FC Zestafoni barely existed. Now, they are within two games of qualifying for next season's UEFA Cup, after a run of 14 games without defeat.

Long association
The town of Zestafoni has had a long association with football. From 1936 to 1990, FC Metalurgi Zestafoni were the big local side, but they were superseded after the collapse of the Soviet Union by FC Margveti Zestafoni, who finished as runners-up in the 1995/96 Georgian championship and subsequently lost 4-3 on aggregate against Maltese side Sliema Wanderers FC in the first round of the 1996/97 UEFA Cup. Within four years, they were no more.

Sinking further
The demise of Margveti coincided with the refounding of Metalurgi in 1999. They won promotion to the top division with a fourth-placed finish in their first season. However, after two terms they were relegated again, and seemed set to sink further until Ilia Kokaia intervened.

Looking up
A registered FIFA player's agent, Kokaia took control of Metalurgi in the summer of 2004 on behalf of Austrian company Dekometal, who run Zestafoni's local metalworks and are the main sponsors of both the club and the Georgian national team. The team's name changed to FC Zestafoni, and things started looking up.

Important swap
When newly promoted FC Samgurali Tskaltubo decided to withdraw from the Georgian Premier Division because of financial problems, Kokaia persuaded them to swap places. Thus, at a stroke, Zestafoni found itself being home to a top-flight football team.

Rushed preparation
Vladimir Zemlianoj was appointed as the club's coach, but the man who won the 2000/01 Moldovan title with FC Sheriff had barely a month before the start of the season to organise a side, with Kokaia having assembled a squad based upon players from relegated FK Mtskheta Urioni.

Dire defeat
It was not to prove a brilliant decision. Only two of the old Mtshketa players still have a regular place in the Zestafoni first-team, while coach Zemlianoj did not survive beyond the seventh game of the season, having been sacked after a dire 5-0 defeat against FC Dinamo Batumi.

Changing luck
Zaza Gurielidze briefly took over as caretaker coach before Temur Makharadze, who had led FC Sioni Bolnisi to league runners-up slot and a place in the Georgian Cup final in 2003/04, was named as his permanent successor. Straight away, it seemed that the club's luck was changing.

Heavy snow
Having begun to string some results together following seven defeats in their opening eight games of the season, Zestafoni lost 2-1 in the away leg of their Georgian Cup tie against FC Dinamo Tbilisi on 20 October. However, due to heavy snow, the second leg was postponed.

New signings
That was a stroke of luck for Makharadze, who brought in experienced former Georgian international Valeri Abramidze as well as Zurab Ionanidze and Kakhaber Chkhetiani from Ukrainian side FC Tavriya Simferopol in time for the second leg, which Zestafoni won 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals on away goals. A single goal in two games against FC Dinamo Batumi put Zestafoni into the semi-finals, and with striker Zaza Zirakishvili on top form, the team are hitting form in the league too.

League form
Zestafoni set themselves up nicely for the second leg of their Georgian Cup semi-final with a goalless draw at FC Tbilisi. A crowd of 10,000 are expected for the return fixture on 4 May. With plans afoot to improve training facilities and refurbish the club's stadium, Zestafoni's meteoric rise may not yet be over.