FC Dinamo Tbilisi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dinamo Tbilisi

Full name	Football Club Dinamo Tbilisi
Nickname(s)	Blue-White
Founded	1 September 1925; 99 years ago (1925-09-01)
Ground	Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena
Ground Capacity	54,202
President	Roman Pipia
Manager	Ferdinand Feldhofer
League	Erovnuli Liga
2023	Erovnuli Liga, 2nd of 10
Home colours Away colours

FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a famous Georgian professional football club. It is based in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. The team plays in the Erovnuli Liga, which is the top football league in Georgia.

Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the best clubs in Soviet football for many years. They were a strong team in the Soviet Top League soon after they started in 1936. The club was part of the All-Union Dynamo sports society. This society had many sports divisions and was supported by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The club's biggest success in Europe was winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1981. They beat FC Carl Zeiss Jena from East Germany 2–1 in the final match. Dinamo Tbilisi is still the only club from Georgia to win a European trophy!

Many famous players have played for Dinamo Tbilisi. Some well-known Soviet players include Boris Paichadze and Mikheil Meskhi. After the Soviet Union broke up, the club also helped develop great Georgian players. These include Kakha Kaladze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the few teams in the Soviet Top League that was never moved down to a lower league. Their most famous coach was Nodar Akhalkatsi. He led the team to win the Soviet league in 1978 and two Soviet Cups. He also guided them to their big European win in 1981. Today, FC Dinamo Tbilisi holds the record for most wins in the Georgian league (16 times) and the Georgian Cup (13 times).

History of Dinamo Tbilisi

How it all started: 1920s

The story of FC Dinamo Tbilisi began in the autumn of 1925. The Dinamo sports society decided to create a football club. At that time, football was becoming very popular around the world.

In 1927, FC Dinamo Tbilisi started a junior club called "Norchi Dinamoeli" (meaning "young Dinamo"). This junior team helped train many skilled young players for the main club. Some of these players became famous, like the first goalkeeper and the first captain, Shota Savgulidze.

In the early years, there was no official championship in Georgia. So, teams played friendly matches against each other. Dinamo's first match was on January 26, 1926, against Dinamo Baku from Azerbaijan. Dinamo Baku won 1–0. A few days later, Dinamo Tbilisi easily beat another Azerbaijani team, "Progress," by 3–0.

Even though they played well in the mid-1930s, the Football Federation of the Soviet Union first placed Dinamo Tbilisi in a lower league. But Dinamo kept showing strong performances against top teams. They even beat Dynamo Moscow 9–5 in Tbilisi. This strong play helped Dinamo qualify for the top league.

War and Football: 1930s and 1940s

The second Soviet championship began in the autumn of 1936. Dinamo Tbilisi played 1424 matches in the Soviet Union Championship in total. Their first match was against Dynamo Kyiv, ending in a 2–2 draw.

Dinamo's first victory in the USSR championship was against Spartak Moscow on September 25. Mikheil Berdzenishvili scored the winning goal. Dinamo finished that season in 3rd place. They also reached the first Soviet Cup final in 1936 but lost to Lokomotiv Moscow. Their first international match was against the Spanish team Baskonia in 1937, which Dinamo lost.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Dinamo was one of the best Soviet football teams. Even though they didn't win a title, they were often called the "crownless champions."

New Leaders: 1950s

In the 1950s, the team was led by Avtandil Gogoberidze. He played for Dinamo for 17 years. He still holds the record for playing the most games and scoring the most goals for Dinamo.

Andro Jordania was another very important coach in Dinamo's history. His time as coach is seen as a "rebirth" for Dinamo's traditions. This laid the groundwork for the club's future successes. The club's training ground is named after him.

First Big Wins: 1960s

Dinamo's first major success came in 1964 when they won the Soviet Top League. The team was amazing, not losing any of their last 15 matches! They had a tie with Torpedo Moscow, so they played an extra match in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Dinamo won that game 4–1. Georgian fans were so happy they called their team "Golden Guys".

A popular French magazine, France Football, praised Dinamo. They wrote that Dinamo had great players with amazing skills. They even thought Dinamo could challenge the best teams in Europe. However, Soviet teams couldn't play in the European Cup at that time.

European Glory: 1970s and 1980s

Dinamo first played in a European competition in 1972. It was against the Dutch team Twente in the UEFA Cup. Dinamo won the first game 3–2.

In 1973, Dinamo won their first international tournament. They beat strong teams like Atlético Madrid and Benfica to win the Columbus's Caravela Trophy.

In 1976, Nodar Akhalkatsi became Dinamo's head coach. Under his leadership, Dinamo achieved its greatest successes. The club became known as the "Great Team" between 1976 and 1982. They played a fast, technical, and exciting style of football.

During this time, Dinamo won the Soviet Cup for the first time in 1976. They beat Ararat Yerevan 3–0 in the final. In 1978, the club won the Soviet Top League for a second time. The next year, Dinamo won the Soviet Cup again.

In 1979, the club played its first match in the UEFA European Cup. In the first round, Dinamo surprised everyone by knocking out Liverpool. At the time, Liverpool was one of the strongest teams in Europe. After losing the first match in England 1–2, Dinamo won 3–0 in Tbilisi. They moved on to the next round. In the 1970s, Dinamo also beat famous Italian teams like Inter Milan and Napoli in European competitions.

1976 Soviet Cup Final

1979 Soviet Cup Final

1981 European Cup Winners' Cup Final

The most important moment in Dinamo's history was winning the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup. They beat strong clubs like West Ham United and Feyenoord Rotterdam. In the final on May 13, 1981, they defeated East German side Carl Zeiss Jena 2–1. Vitaly Daraselia and Vladimir Gutsaev scored the winning goals.

Dinamo Tbilisi, winner of 1981 European Cup Winners' Cup, on a Georgian stamp, 2002

Helmut Schön, who coached the team that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup, said Dinamo truly deserved the victory. He recognized them as a top-quality team.

In 1982, as the defending champions, Dinamo reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. They were knocked out by Standard Liège from Belgium. After 1983, the club faced some challenges. They didn't perform as well in the league or cup.

Dinamo Tbilisi played its very last game in the Soviet Top League on October 27, 1989, against Dynamo Kyiv. It was a fitting end, as their first and last official Soviet matches were both against Dynamo Kyiv, and both ended in a 2–2 draw.

New Beginnings: 1990s

In 1990, the Georgian Football Federation decided not to take part in the Soviet Union championship anymore. This meant Georgian football clubs would no longer play in Soviet tournaments. This marked the start of a new chapter for FC Dinamo Tbilisi.

For a short time, the club changed its name to Iberia Tbilisi to show its independence from the Soviet past. However, many fans didn't like this change, so by 1992, the club went back to its original name.

Dinamo played its first match in the Georgian National championship on March 30, 1990, against Kolkheti Poti. Dinamo lost this historic match 0–1. But the club quickly recovered and won the first Georgian National championship. They went on to win the next nine championships in a row!

In 1992, Dinamo won its first "double," meaning they won both the league and the Georgian Cup. In 1993, Dinamo played its first official international match representing independent Georgia. They won against Linfield 2–1. However, the club was later disqualified from the competition due to a rule violation.

Even with great success in Georgia, the club struggled to make a big impact in European tournaments during this time. In 1996, Dinamo made it through three rounds of the UEFA Cup. They beat teams like CS Grevenmacher, Molde FK, and Torpedo Moscow. But they couldn't get past Boavista from Portugal in the next round.

Dinamo came very close to reaching the group stages of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. But they were knocked out by Athletic Bilbao because of the "away goals rule." Many key players started moving to bigger European clubs. This made it harder for Dinamo to keep winning the Georgian Championship or Georgian Cup.

Modern Era: 2000s and 2010s

In the early 2000s, a famous Georgian businessman, Badri Patarkatsishvili, bought FC Dinamo Tbilisi. In 2003, the club won both the Georgian Championship and the Georgian Cup.

In 2004, under Croatian coach Ivo Šušak, Dinamo won the CIS Cup in Moscow. They beat Latvian side Skonto 3–1 in the final. That same year, Dinamo did well in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds. They defeated teams like BATE Borisov, Slavia Prague, and Wisła Kraków. This allowed them to reach the group stage. However, they lost all four games in the group stage and finished last.

Dinamo won the Georgian championship again in 2005 and then in 2008. In 2009, the club won the Georgian Cup.

In January 2011, Georgian businessman Roman Pipia bought FC Dinamo Tbilisi. That year, the club played well in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. But they couldn't beat AEK Athens in the play-off round.

After a tough season in 2011–12, Dinamo didn't qualify for any UEFA competitions for the first time. The new owner immediately started improving the club. He rebuilt the Digomi training ground and the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. The stadium's field was replaced with a new surface suitable for the local weather. A renovated Youth Football Academy also opened.

In 2013, the club lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League play-off round. They lost 5–0 in the first game and 3–0 in the second, for a total of 8–0. Despite this, Dinamo went on to win the Georgian league and cup "double" in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

Home Ground: Dinamo Arena

The construction of the Dinamo stadium began in 1929. The stadium was officially opened on October 12, 1935. It could hold up to 23,000 fans.

From 1960 to 1962, the stadium was rebuilt. Its capacity grew to 36,000 spectators. The renovated stadium opened on July 27, 1962. Dinamo Tbilisi played FC Dynamo Leningrad and won 1–0.

Because Dinamo Tbilisi was playing so well, there was a need for an even bigger stadium. The leader of the Georgian Communist Party, Eduard Shevardnadze, convinced Moscow that Georgia needed a larger stadium. Once built, it was the third-biggest stadium in the Soviet Union. It could hold 78,000 supporters and met all the requirements for football matches.

The first official match after this big renovation was on September 29, 1976. It was a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup game between Dinamo Tbilisi and Cardiff City. Dinamo won that opening game 3–0.

The stadium was renovated again in 2006. The number of seats was changed to 54,549. In 2012, the field was replaced, and the lighting and irrigation systems were improved. The VIP areas were also updated to meet UEFA standards.

Even though the stadium's official capacity was 78,000, many Georgian football fans remember matches with even more people. For example, in 1979, when Dinamo played Liverpool, about 110,000 fans were there! Their amazing support helped Dinamo beat Liverpool 3–0. The Dinamo stadium held the record in the Soviet Union for having an average attendance of 45,000 fans.

The record attendance was repeated in 1995 for a match between the Georgia and Germany. Famous clubs like Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv often played their international matches at this stadium.

Many football stars from Georgia, Europe, and even South America have played at Dinamo stadium. In 1985, the stadium hosted games for the Juniors World Cup. Future Brazilian stars like Cláudio Taffarel and Muller played there.

In 1995, the stadium was renamed Boris Paichadze National Stadium. This was in honor of the great Georgian footballer Boris Paichadze. It is now the home stadium for the Georgia national football team. In 1981, 80,000 fans came to the stadium with lit torches to celebrate the team's European Cup Winners' Cup triumph.

The stadium also hosted the 2015 UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla. Barcelona won that exciting game 5–4 in extra time.

Team Kits and Sponsors

Players

Current squad

No. Position Player 2 DF Benson Anang 3 DF Aleksandre Kalandadze (captain) 4 DF Luka Salukvadze 5 DF Solomon Kvirkvelia 6 MF Giorgi Tsetskhladze 7 FW Vakhtang Salia 9 FW Jaduli Iobashvili 10 FW Davit Skhirtladze 11 MF Saba Samushia 12 FW Mate Vatsadze 15 DF Mukhran Bagrationi 16 MF Levan Osikmashvili 17 MF Nosa Edokpolor 18 FW Oscar Santis 19 FW David Gotsiridze 20 FW Giorgi Gvasalia

No. Position Player 22 MF Nika Ninua 24 FW Dominik Reiter 25 MF Nikoloz Tsetskhladze 27 MF Nikoloz Ugrekhelidze 28 MF Tsotne Berelidze 30 MF Tjipe Karuuombe 31 FW Tornike Kirkitadze 32 MF Luka Bubuteishvili 33 FW Vasilios Gordeziani 35 DF Sunday Haruna 36 GK Papuna Beruashvili 37 GK Mikheil Makatsaria 38 DF Saba Kharebashvili 40 DF Saba Khvadagiani (on loan from Maccabi Netanya) GK Tobias Schützenauer

Out on loan

No. Position Player GK Mate Sauri (at Rio Ave U23) MF Nodar Lominadze (at Dila Gori)

No. Position Player MF Alisher Shukurov (at Vakhsh Bokhtar) MF Nika Sikharulashvili (at Makedonikos)

Club Achievements

Dinamo Tbilisi is the most successful football club in Georgia. They have won the championship 19 times and the cup 13 times. Dinamo was also one of the top clubs in Soviet football. They were never moved down from the top league. Along with Ukrainian Dynamo Kyiv, they were the only club in the Soviet era to win a European competition.

National Titles (Georgia)

• Erovnuli Liga
  • Winners (19): 1990, 1991, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019, 2020, 2022 (record)
• Georgian Cup
  • Winners (13): 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 (record)
• Georgian Super Cup
  • Winners (9): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2023 (record)

National Titles (Soviet Union)

• Soviet Top League
  • Winners (2): 1964, 1978
• Soviet Cup
  • Winners (2): 1976, 1979

European Titles

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  • Winners (1): 1980–81

Other International Competitions

• Commonwealth of Independent States Cup
  • Winners: (1) 2004

Individual Player Awards

Soviet Footballer of the Year

• David Kipiani – 1977
• Ramaz Shengelia – 1978
• Aleksandre Chivadze – 1980
• Ramaz Shengelia – 1981

Georgian Footballer of the Year

• Temur Ketsbaia – 1990
• Giorgi Kinkladze – 1993

European Championship Winners Three players won the 1960 European Championship while playing for Dinamo Tbilisi:

• Givi Chokheli
• Zaur Kaloev
• Mikheil Meskhi

Olympic Gold Medalists One player won the Seoul 1988 Olympic gold medal while playing for Dinamo Tbilisi:

• Gela Ketashvili

Managers of Dinamo Tbilisi

Here is a list of all the coaches who have managed FC Dinamo Tbilisi:

Name	Dates
Grigol Pachulia	1935–1936
Jules Limbeck	1936–1937
Aleksey Sokolov	1937–1939
Mikhail Butusov	1939–1940
Mikhail Minaev	1940
Pyotr Filippov	1940
Asir Galperin	1942–1945
Aleksey Sokolov	1943–1944
Andro Jordania	1945–1947
Mikheil Berdzenishvili	1948
Mikhail Minaev	1949
Aleksey Sokolov	1949–1950
Mikhail Yakushin	1950–1953
Boris Paichadze	1953–1954
Grigol Gagua	1954
Andro Jordania	1955
Gaioz Jejelava	1956–1957
Vasily Sokolov	1958
Andro Jordania	1959–1961
Avtandil Gogoberidze	1961
Nestor Chkhatarashvili	1962
Mikhail Yakushin	1962–1964
Gavriil Kachalin	1964–1965
Aleksandre Kotrikadze	1966
Viacheslav Soloviov	1967–1968
Givi Chokheli	1969–1970
Gavriil Kachalin	1971–1972
Alexander Kotrikadze	1973
Givi Chokheli	1974
Mikhail Yakushin	1974–1975
Nodar Akhalkatsi	1976–1983
David Kipiani	1984–1985
Alexander Kotrikadze	1985
Nodar Akhalkatsi	1985–1986
Kakhi Asatiani	1987
German Zonin	1987–1988
/ David Kipiani	1988–1991
Revaz Dzodzuashvili	1992
Givi Nodia	1992–1994
Temur Chkhaidze	1994
Sergo Kutivadze	1994–1995
Vaja Jvania	1995
David Kipiani	1995–1997
Nodar Akobia	1998
Murtaz Khurtsilava	1998–1999
Johan Boskamp	1999
Otar Korghalidze	1999–2000
Jemal Chimakadze	2000
Revaz Arveladze	2000–2001
Gocha Tkebuchava	2001
Givi Nodia	2001
Ivo Šušak	2002–2004
Gia Geguchadze	2004–2005
Khvicha Kasrashvili	2005
Kakhaber Tskhadadze	2005–2006
Andrei Chernyshov	2006
Kakhaber Kacharava	2006
Dušan Uhrin	2006–2008
Rainer Zobel	2008–2009
Kakhaber Kacharava	2009–2010
Tamaz Samkharadze	2010
Kakhaber Kacharava	2011
Álex García	2011–2012
Giorgi Devdariani	2012
Nestor Mumladze	2012
Dušan Uhrin, Jr.	2012–2013
Malkhaz Zhvania	2013–2014
Michal Bílek	2014
Kakhaber Gogichaishvili	2014–2015
Gia Geguchadze	2015–2016
Juraj Jarábek	2016
Vyacheslav Hroznyi	2016–2017
Kakhaber Kacharava	2017–2018
Zaur Svanadze	2018
Félix Vicente	2019
Kakhaber Chkhetiani	2020
Xisco	2020
Georgi Nemsadze	2020–2021
Kakhaber Tskhadadze	2021–2022
Giorgi Tchiabrishvili	2022–2023
Andrés Carrasco	2023–2024
Ferdinand Feldhofer	2024–

European Games Record

Dinamo Tbilisi has played many matches in European competitions. Here's a summary of their performance:

UEFA Club Rankings

This table shows how Dinamo Tbilisi ranks among European football clubs based on their performance in UEFA competitions.

Rank	Team	Coefficient
230	Shakhtyor Soligorsk	4.750
231	Sarajevo	4.750
232	Dinamo Tbilisi	4.750
233	Cork City	4.750
234	Fola Esch	4.750

See also

In Spanish: SK Dinamo Tiflis para niños