FC Matchakhela ( ka, საფეხბურთო კლუბი მაჭახელა) is a Georgian

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in the town of

Khelvachauri Khelvachauri ( ka, ხელვაჩაური ) is a neighborhood of Batumi in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in the southwest of Georgia, southeast of the regional capital Batumi and situated on the right bank of the Chorokhi River. Bet ...

Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a ...

. Following the 2024 season, they were relegated to Liga 4, the fourth tier of Georgian football.

History

Matchakhela were founded оn the basis of Khelvachauri's Sport School on 15 June 2011. After the first season under manager Nugzar Kokoladze, the team mostly consisting of local amateur footballers took 4th place in

Meore Liga Liga 3 ( ka, ლიგა 3), organized by the Georgian Football Federation, is the third division of professional football in Georgia. Introduced for the 2017 season with the launch of the Erovnuli Liga, it is a rebrand of the former Meore Liga ...

. The next head coach, Amiran Gogitidze, guided the club to the top of the league, which they won with automatic promotion in 2013. On 28 February 2014, the sport school club changed its status into Football Club Matchakhela Ltd. During most of the 2013–14 season, Matchakhela were engaged in inter-Adjarian rivalry with Dinamo Batumi for a second promotion place to

Umaglesi Liga The Erovnuli Liga ( ka, ეროვნული ლიგა; ) is the top division of professional top tier football in Georgia. Since 1990, it has been organized by the Professional Football League of Georgia and Georgian Football Federati ...

, in which eventually the latter prevailed. Overall, the 3rd place taken in 2014 in Liga 2 has been the club's highest point reached in Georgian leagues. The team finished the 2014–15 season comfortably in mid-table, but a year later entered a period of instability. Struggling the whole season, they eventually lost a battle for survival. The 2016 season was transitional in all Georgian football leagues into Spring-Autumn system with a sharp reduction of clubs in each division. Matchakhela failed to remain in the third tier and thus suffered double relegation in successive seasons. Although they managed to climb back to Liga 3 the next year, in 2018 the team finished bottom of the league. Matchakhela spent two seasons in

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 par ...

before they won promotion to recently formed Liga 4 for 2021. After two more years, they successfully concluded their league campaign under Avtandil Kunchulia and moved back into the third tier. In 2023, the team ended up in the drop zone, but due to the demotion of another club to Liga 4, Matchakhela managed to retain their place in the third division. Following the 2024 season, the club once again changed division after suffering relegation from Liga 3.

Seasons

Squad

''As of 13 March 2024'' (C)

Honours

•

Pirveli Liga The Georgian Erovnuli Liga 2 ( ka, ეროვნული ლიგა 2; ), organized since 1990 by the GFF, serves as the second division of professional football in Georgia. The league was introduced for the 2017 season under the current ...

(level 2) : Third place (1): 2013–14, Group B •

(level 3) : Winners (1): 2012–13 • Liga 4 (level 4) :Third place (1): 2022 •

(level 5)* :Runners-up (2): 2017, 2020 (West) ''Note: Regionuli Liga was fourth tier up until 2018''

Stadium

Matchakhela play their home matches at Akhalsopeli Central stadium, which has the capacity of 1,000 seats.

Name

The name derives from

Machakheli Machakheli ( ka, მაჭახელი, ''Mač’axeli''; ) is a historical geographical area in Adjara and long valley along the river Machakhlistskali between Turkey and Georgia. There are 23 settled villages in this valley. For its ecology, f ...

, a geographical area near the border between

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

References

External links

On SoccerwayFC Matchakhela Khelvachauri Results on FlashscorePage on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matchakhela Khelvachauri Football clubs in Georgia (country) 2011 establishments in Georgia (country)