Regionuli Liga
Regionuli Liga (Georgian: რეგიონული ლიგა), run by Georgian Football Federation since 1990, is the fifth and lowest division of the Georgian league system after Erovnuli Liga, Erovnuli Liga 2, Liga 3 and Liga 4. Its participants are both professional clubs and reserve teams of higher league members.
| Founded | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Country | Georgia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 37 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | Liga 4 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Georgian Cup |
| Website | https://www.gff.ge/en https://www.gff.ge/en/championships/regional-league/group-east |
Prior to the introduction of Liga 4 in 2019, Regionuli Liga was the fifth tier.
Structure
As the name implies, the league is based on regional principle. Depending on the number of participating clubs, it is divided into several groups. In 2017, there were forty teams allocated in three groups.[1] The next year two zones were created for teams based in Western Georgia and two more for the eastern regions. This regulation lasted three seasons until 2021, when the league was split into two groups, although the next year it switched back to three groups.
The number of promoted clubs per season also varies. Usually only the group winners gain automatic promotion, although several second-placed and third-placed teams, too, directly or through play-offs have advanced to the fourth tier in recent years.[2] In another case, play-off ties against Liga 3 teams determined the fate of Liga 4 two slots.[3]
The seasons are played on Spring-Autumn system.
Current season
For the 2023 season 21 clubs from the southern and eastern parts of Georgia and three Tbilisi-based teams from Abkhazia formed A and B groups, while zone C consists of thirteen clubs from the western regions. Each club plays each of the other clubs twice, once at home and once away. At the end of the season four teams will gain promotion to Liga 4. Three group winners will be joined by one of the runners-up based on play-off results among the three second-placed teams.
Clubs represented in Regionuli liga for the 2023 season are listed below in alphabetical order.[4] Six of them have in the past participated in the top division:
- Dinamo Sokhumi in 2005–06;
- Iveria Khashuri in 1990–97;
- Magaroeli Chiatura in 1993/94 and 1997/98;
- Mertskhali Ozurgeti in 1990–92 and 2003–04;
- Sapovnela Terjola in 1993/94, 1994/95 and 2015/16;
- Tskhumi Sokhumi in 1990–93.
| Groups | Teams |
|---|---|
A | Aragvelebi Tbilisi • Didube 2014 Tbilisi • Dinamo Sokhumi • Gareji Sagarejo-2 • Gldani Tbilisi • Gorda Rustavi • Liakhvi Achabeti • Norchi Dinamo 2016 Tbilisi • Plato Tbilisi • Rustavi-2 • Shturmi Sartichala-2 • Tskhumi Sokhumi |
B | Abuli Akhalkalaki • Gagra-2 • Iberia 2010 Tbilisi • Irao Tbilisi-2 • Iveria Khashuri • Kareli • Kaspi 1936 • Kolkhi Gulripshi • Samtskhe Akhaltsikhe • Sulakvelidze Academy Tbilisi • Vazisubani Tbilisi • Yuji 35 Tbilisi |
C | Bakhmaro Chokhatauri-2 • BSU Batumi • Chibati Lanchkhuti • Egrisi Senaki • Imereti Khoni • Magaroeli Chiatura • Martve Kutaisi • Mertskhali Ozurgeti • Meshakhte Tkibuli-2 • Samegrelo Chkhorotsku • Sapovnela Terjola • Shukura Kobuleti-2 • Zana Abasha |
Notes:
- Dinamo Sokhumi, Kolkhi Gulripshi, Liakhvi Achabeti and Tskhumi Sokhumi are based in Tbilisi due to problems related to the territorial integrity of Georgia.
Past seasons
Group Winners
| Year | Teams |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Bakhmaro Chokhatauri • Saburtalo Tbilisi-2 • Varketili Tbilisi |
| 2018 | Salkhino Martvili • Dinamo Batumi-2 • Tbilisi City • Gareji Sagarejo |
| 2019 | Torpedo Kutaisi-2 • Skuri Tsalenjikha • WIT Georgia Tbilisi-2 • Didube Tbilisi |
| 2020 | Torpedo Kutaisi-2 • Merani Martvili-2 • Irao Tbilisi • Dinamo Tbilisi-2 |
| 2021 | Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 • Locomotive Tbilisi-2 |
| 2022 | Kolkheti-2 1913 • Gardabani • Varketili Tbilisi-2 |
Promoted teams
| Year | Teams |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Aragvi Dusheti • Bakhmaro Chokhatauri • Matchakhela Khelvachauri • Saburtalo Tbilisi-2 • Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 • Varketili Tbilisi |
| 2018 | Egrisi Senaki • Gareji Sagarejo • Odishi 1919 • Spaeri Tbilisi • Tbilisi City |
| 2019 | Didube Tbilisi • Iberia Tbilisi • Merani Tbilisi-2 • Skuri Tsalenjikha • Sulori Vani • WIT Georgia Tbilisi-2 • Zestafoni |
| 2020 | Dinamo Tbilisi-2 • Irao Tbilisi • Margveti 2006 • Matchakhela Khelvachauri • Merani Martvili-2 • Shturmi Sartichala • Tbilisi • Torpedo Kutaisi-2 |
| 2021 | Locomotive Tbilisi-2 • Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 |
| 2022 | Gardabani • Gonio • Kolkheti-2 1913 • Varketili Tbilisi-2 |
Notes: Aragvi Dusheti and Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 beat their upper league rivals in the 2017 play-offs.[5] So did Gareji Sagarejo a year later. All the other clubs were promoted directly. In 2018 and 2019, the second phase of competition was held in Promotion Groups. As a result, in comparison with the initial phase, the final table of these seasons sustained some changes.[6]
References
- ^ "რეგიონული ლიგა: "საბურთალო 2"-მა საწადელი თითქმის აისრულა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian), 27 October 2017.
- ^ "ლიგა 3–ში მარგვეთის გავლით". fcsamgurali.ge (in Georgian), 28 November 2017.
- ^ "Play-offs in 2018". gff.ge (in Georgian).
- ^ "Regional League, Group East". gff.ge.
- ^ "ლიგა 3-ს ახალი წევრები ჰყავს". mysports.ge (in Georgian), 29 November 2017.
- ^ "2019 წლის რეგიონლიგა". fczestafoni.ge (in Georgian).