Georgi Kinkladze facts for kids
Kinkladze with Manchester City in 1996
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 July 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1989 | Dinamo Tbilisi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1991 | Mretebi Tbilisi | 80 | (18) |
| 1991–1995 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 65 | (41) |
| 1993 | → 1. FC Saarbrücken (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 1994 | → Boca Juniors (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 1995–1998 | Manchester City | 106 | (20) |
| 1998–2000 | Ajax | 12 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | → Derby County (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2000–2003 | Derby County | 80 | (6) |
| 2004–2005 | Anorthosis | 22 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Rubin Kazan | 14 | (2) |
| Total | 405 | (90) | |
| International career | |||
| 1992–2005 | Georgia | 54 | (8) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Georgi Kinkladze (born on July 6, 1973) is a former professional footballer from Georgia. People also called him Gio. He was known for playing as a playmaking midfielder, which means he was great at creating chances for his team to score goals.
Georgi started his career in his home city of Tbilisi. He played for Dinamo Tbilisi and won many league titles and cups. He was even named Georgia's best player twice! He became famous internationally after playing amazing games for the Georgian national team against Wales in 1994 and 1995.
In 1995, Kinkladze moved to England to play for Manchester City. Fans loved him for his incredible dribbling skills and spectacular goals. He was so popular that he won the club's Player of the Year award two years in a row. Even when Manchester City was moved down to a lower league, he stayed with the team. After another move down in 1998, he joined Ajax in the Netherlands.
Georgi didn't settle well in the Netherlands, so he returned to England to play for Derby County. He played nearly 100 games for them over four years. After leaving Derby in 2003, he played for a few more clubs, including Anorthosis in Cyprus, where he won a league championship. He finished his playing career with Rubin Kazan in Russia in 2006.
Contents
Georgi's Early Life and Football Start
Georgi Kinkladze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 6, 1973. Back then, Georgia was part of the Soviet Union. He lived with his parents and older sister. His father, Robinzon, really wanted Georgi to be a footballer. He even made Georgi walk on his knees to make his legs stronger!
When Georgi was six, he joined Dinamo Tbilisi's junior team. His mother, Khatuna, also took him to traditional Georgian ballet lessons. Georgi played through Dinamo Tbilisi's youth teams, even reaching the reserve team. There, he played with Shota Arveladze, who would later be his teammate in big games.
Georgi's Playing Journey
Starting His Professional Career
In 1989, Georgian football leagues became independent from the Soviet Union. Georgi joined Mretebi Tbilisi, which was one of the first professional clubs in the Soviet Union. This move allowed him to play in the first team at just 16 years old. He quickly became a regular player. In 1991, Mretebi won their league and moved up to the top division.
After playing one season in the top league with Mretebi, Georgi signed with Dinamo Tbilisi, his childhood club. He made his first international appearance for Georgia in September 1992, at age 19. In that game against Azerbaijan, he helped his teammate Shota Arveladze score a goal.
In his first year with Dinamo, the team won both the league and the cup. Because of a civil war in Georgia, Dinamo sent Georgi on loan to 1. FC Saarbrücken in Germany in 1993. He didn't play much there and was sent off in one game. He returned to Georgia and was named the national Player of the Year for 1993. He even had trials with famous clubs like Real Madrid and Boca Juniors, where he met his hero Diego Maradona, but he didn't get a permanent contract.
Becoming a Star at Manchester City
In September 1994, Georgi played for Georgia against Moldova. Italian clubs became interested in him, calling him the "Rivera of the Black Sea." But it was Manchester City chairman Francis Lee who saw his talent and made a deal to sign him.
Two months later, Georgi scored his first international goal as Georgia beat Wales 5–0. The Wales goalkeeper, Neville Southall, said Georgi was "the best player on the pitch by a mile." When they played again, Georgi scored the only goal with a fantastic chip over Southall.
On July 15, 1995, Georgi signed for Manchester City for about £2 million. After some trouble getting a work permit, he made his debut for City on August 19, 1995, in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City had a tough time in the 1995–96 season, but Georgi quickly became a fan favorite. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa. He was a bit homesick at first, but his mother moved to Manchester to help him.
On March 16, 1996, Georgi scored a truly amazing goal against Southampton. He dribbled past five players and then chipped the ball over the goalkeeper! This goal won "Goal of the Month" on the BBC show Match of the Day.
At the end of the season, Manchester City was moved down to a lower league. Many clubs wanted Georgi, but he chose to stay. He was named the club's Player of the Year for 1995–96.
The 1996–97 season was also difficult for Manchester City. Georgi became the main player to take penalties and scored many goals from free-kicks. Opposing teams often tried to stop him with tough tackles. In one game, he had to be carried off the field after a challenge.
Manchester City didn't do well that season, and fans really wanted Georgi to stay. He signed a new three-year contract. He won Player of the Year for the second season in a row! In October 1997, Georgi was in a car accident and missed two games.
In the 1997–98 season, Manchester City continued to struggle. The new manager, Joe Royle, thought Georgi was too much of a luxury player for a team fighting to avoid being moved down again. Georgi got an ankle injury and was later dropped from the team by Royle.
Manchester City was moved down a league for the second time in three seasons. Georgi played 119 games for Manchester City and scored 22 goals. During this time, he also played regularly for his national team, including a 0–0 draw against Italy, who had won the World Cup three times.
Moving to Ajax and Derby County
After leaving Manchester City, Georgi joined the Dutch club Ajax for £5 million in 1998. He reunited with his friend Shota Arveladze there. However, Georgi's time at Ajax was not successful. He didn't play much and struggled with injuries. He later said, "I wasn't playing football and that made my life hell." He made only 12 appearances in his first season.
In September 1999, Georgi looked for other clubs. Two months later, he returned to England on loan to Derby County.
Georgi made his debut for Derby County on November 28, 1999. He scored his first goal for them on March 4, 2000. At the end of the season, his loan move became permanent for £3 million, which was a club record at the time.
He missed the start of the 2000–01 season due to surgery. He returned to help Derby draw a game 3–3 after being 3–0 down. However, he often struggled with injuries and didn't show his best form consistently. He did score a great solo goal against Leeds United in September 2000.
Derby County avoided being moved down that season. Around this time, Georgi married Louise Tai, and they had their first child, Saba, in October 2001.
In the 2001–02 season, Georgi continued to have mixed results. The new manager, Colin Todd, didn't favor his style of play, and Georgi played very little. He even tried to talk to the manager about it. However, Todd was soon replaced by John Gregory. Georgi played more regularly under Gregory, but Derby County was moved down a league again. This was the third time in his career.
Derby County was in a lot of debt, so they tried to reduce their player wages. Georgi's contract was ending in 2003, and the club told him he had no future there. He didn't want to leave and even turned down an offer from a Turkish club.
He trained with the reserve team for a while but was brought back to the first team in August 2002. He helped Derby win a game against Stoke City. He continued to play on and off due to injuries. In October 2002, he was surprisingly left out of the Georgian national team.
By January 2003, Georgi hadn't been paid for over three months because of Derby's financial problems. He wanted to leave, but no move happened. He played more in the second half of the season and was named the supporters' Player of the Year. Derby offered him a new contract with much lower pay, which he turned down. He left the club, hoping to join a more successful team. He even talked with Liverpool.
After leaving Derby, Georgi trained with Portsmouth and had trials with other clubs like Leeds United and Panathinaikos, but he didn't get a contract. He also had a trial with Bolton Wanderers in 2004, but the manager decided not to sign him.
Playing in Cyprus and Russia
After a year and a half without a club, Georgi's former teammate Temuri Ketsbaia, who was now a player-manager at Anorthosis in Cyprus, offered him a contract in October 2004. Georgi made his debut on November 21 and scored a great goal. He was even called back to the Georgian national team.
Anorthosis won the Cypriot championship that season. Georgi played five games in the qualifying rounds of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League. His performance against Rangers caught the eye of Rubin Kazan's manager. On August 22, 2005, Georgi played his last game for Anorthosis and then left to join Rubin Kazan.
Georgi signed a contract with Rubin Kazan until the end of the 2005 season. He made his debut the next day. He scored two goals and made two assists in a 5–1 win against Terek Grozny. He also helped his team score in four games in a row. He was called back to the Georgian national team but missed the games due to injury. He finished the 2005 season with seven assists and two goals in nine games.
Rubin Kazan offered Georgi a new one-year contract. He hoped to play into his thirties, but the 2006 season was his last. He got injured in Rubin's first game and struggled to stay fit. He made only five more appearances. In September, he was called to the national team but didn't play. He had to get more medical treatment.
Rubin Kazan decided not to renew his contract after a tough year. In January 2007, he talked with Anorthosis again, but no transfer happened. In August 2007, his former teammate Malkhaz Asatiani confirmed that Georgi had retired from playing and settled in Moscow. Later, Georgi worked as a sports agent and was a sports director for Anorthosis from 2011 to 2012.
Georgi also participated in a "Legends" event for Rangers in March 2023.
International Career Highlights
Georgi Kinkladze was a key player for the Georgian national team.
- First International Goal: On November 16, 1994, he scored his first international goal in a 5–0 victory against Wales in Tbilisi.
- Another Goal Against Wales: On June 7, 1995, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Wales in Cardiff. This goal was a 18-meter chip over the goalkeeper.
- UEFA Euro 1996 Qualifier: On October 11, 1995, he scored from a penalty kick in a 2–0 win over Bulgaria.
- 1998 World Cup Qualifier: On June 7, 1997, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 win against Moldova.
- 2002 World Cup Qualifier: On October 7, 2000, he scored in a 4–0 win against Lithuania.
Georgi's Playing Style
Georgi Kinkladze played as a playmaking midfielder. This means his main job was to create chances for his team to score goals. He was very creative on the field.
Key Skills
- Dribbling: Georgi was famous for his amazing dribbling skills. He could weave through many players, which led to some spectacular goals, like his "Goal of the Month" against Southampton.
- Set Pieces: He was also very good at taking corners and free kicks. He often took penalties too, scoring seven for Manchester City and two for Georgia.
Areas for Improvement
- Defending: Georgi wasn't known for his tackling. His managers sometimes got frustrated because he didn't tackle much or seemed to lack effort in defending. This was one reason he was sometimes left out of the team.
Georgi was a left-footed player. He sometimes played as a second striker, which gave him more freedom. However, he didn't like playing as a left winger.
Throughout his career, Georgi was named Georgian Player of the Year twice. He also won the Club Player of the Year award three times at English clubs. Many people remember him as one of the brightest Georgian football talents of the 1990s. In 2005, he was voted third in a BBC poll for Manchester City's all-time "cult hero."
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mretebi Tbilisi | 1990 | Pirveli Liga | 34 | 8 | – | – | 34 | 8 | ||||||
| 1991 | Pirveli Liga | 16 | 1 | – | – | 16 | 1 | |||||||
| 1991–92 | Umaglesi Liga | 30 | 9 | – | – | 30 | 9 | |||||||
| Total | 80 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 18 | ||
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 1992–93 | Umaglesi Liga | 30 | 14 | – | 4 | 1 | 34 | 15 | |||||
| 1993–94 | Umaglesi Liga | 14 | 13 | – | 2 | 0 | 16 | 13 | ||||||
| Total | 44 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 28 | ||
| 1. FC Saarbrücken | 1993–94 | 2. Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 0 | |||
| Boca Juniors | 1994 | Argentine Primera División | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |||||||
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 1994–95 | Umaglesi Liga | 21 | 14 | – | 9 | 5 | 30 | 19 | |||||
| Manchester City | 1995–96 | Premier League | 37 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 44 | 5 | ||
| 1996–97 | Football League First Division | 39 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 43 | 12 | |||
| 1997–98 | Football League First Division | 30 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 5 | |||
| Total | 106 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 22 | ||
| Ajax | 1998–99 | Eredivisie | 12 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |||
| 1999–2000 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Derby County | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 1 | |||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 25 | 2 | |||
| 2002–03 | Football League First Division | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 30 | 4 | |||
| Total | 93 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 8 | ||
| Anorthosis Famagusta | 2004–05 | Cypriot First Division | 22 | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | |||||
| 2005–06 | Cypriot First Division | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | ||
| Rubin Kazan | 2005 | Russian Premier League | 9 | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |||||
| 2006 | Russian Premier League | 4 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 405 | 90 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 451 | 99 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 1992 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 1995 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1996 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1997 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1998 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2001 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 57 | 9 | – | |
- Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kinkladze goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 November 1994 | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia |  Wales |
2–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 2 | 7 June 1995 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales | Wales |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 3 | 11 October 1995 | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia |  Bulgaria |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 4 | 29 March 1997 | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia |  Armenia |
2–0 | 7–0 | Friendly | |
| 5 | 7 June 1997 | Tsentral Stadium, Batumi, Georgia |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 2 May 1998 | Stade Olympique de Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia |  Tunisia |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 7 | 29 March 2000 | Sala Stadium, Ashkelon, Israel |  Israel |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 8 | 7 October 2000 | S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, Lithuania |  Lithuania |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Georgi Kinkladze won several awards during his football career:
With Dinamo Tbilisi
- Umaglesi Liga (Georgian League Champion): 1993, 1994, 1995
- Georgian Cup: 1993, 1995
Individual Awards
- Georgian Footballer of the Year: 1993, 1996
- Manchester City Player of the Season: 1996, 1997
- Derby County F.C. Player of the Year: 2003
- PFA First Division Team of the Year: 1997, 1998
- BBC Goal of the Month: March 1996, January 1998
Images for kids
-
Kinkladze playing for Georgia in 1994
See also
In Spanish: Georgi Kinkladze para niños
