Kakha Kaladze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kakha Kaladze
კახა კალაძე
Kaladze in 2021
10th Mayor of Tbilisi
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2017
President	Giorgi Margvelashvili Salome Zourabichvili Mikheil Kavelashvili
Prime Minister	Giorgi Kvirikashvili Mamuka Bakhtadze Giorgi Gakharia Maya Tskitishvili (acting) Irakli Garibashvili Irakli Kobakhidze
Preceded by	Davit Narmania
Minister of Energy of Georgia
In office 26 November 2016 – 10 July 2017
Prime Minister	Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Preceded by	Ilia Eloshvili
Succeeded by	Ilia Eloshvili
In office 25 October 2012 – 9 September 2016
Prime Minister	Bidzina Ivanishvili Irakli Garibashvili Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Preceded by	Vakhtang Balavadze
Succeeded by	Ilia Eloshvili
Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia
In office 25 October 2012 – 12 July 2017
Prime Minister	Bidzina Ivanishvili Irakli Garibashvili Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Preceded by	Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili
Succeeded by	Mikheil Janelidze
Secretary General of Georgian Dream
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2013
Personal details
Born	Kakhaber Kaladze (1978-02-27) 27 February 1978 (age 47) Samtredia, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Political party	Georgian Dream (2012–present)
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Spouse	Anouki Areshidze ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	Levan Kakhaber Jr. Vache Nikola
Parents	Karlo Kaladze Medeya Kaladze
Alma mater	Tbilisi State University
Occupation	Footballer (retired) Politician
Signature
Association football career Position(s) Centre-back, left-back Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1993–1998 Dinamo Tbilisi 82 (1) 1998–2001 Dynamo Kyiv 71 (6) 1998–2000 → Dynamo-2 Kyiv 9 (1) 2001–2010 Milan 194 (12) 2010–2012 Genoa 53 (1) Total 409 (21) International career 1993–1994 Georgia U17 2 (0) 1995 Georgia U19 4 (0) 1995–1996 Georgia U21 3 (0) 1996–2011 Georgia 83 (1) *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kakhaber "Kakha" Kaladze (Georgian: კახაბერ "კახა" კალაძე; born 27 February 1978) is a Georgian politician and former footballer. He has been the Mayor of Tbilisi since November 2017. As a footballer, he was a versatile player. He could play as a centre-back, left-back, or even as a wide midfielder. He played for the Georgia national team from 1996 to 2011. He was named Georgian Footballer of the Year multiple times. Many considered him one of Georgia's most important players.

Kaladze started his football journey in 1993 at Umaglesi Liga club Dinamo Tbilisi. He played 82 games there over five years. In 1998, he moved to the Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv. He played 71 games until 2001. Then, the Italian Serie A club Milan signed him. He won many titles, including one Serie A, three Ukrainian Premier League, and five Umaglesi Liga titles. With Milan, he won the Champions League twice. He also won the UEFA Super Cup once and the FIFA Club World Cup once. Kaladze was captain of his country 50 times in 84 games. He announced his retirement from the Georgian national team on 11 December 2011.

Born in Samtredia, Kaladze comes from a football family. His father played for Lokomotiv Samtredia. His father was also the team's president for some time. Outside of football, Kaladze owns a company called Kala Capital. He also runs a charity called Kala Foundation. He is an ambassador for SOS Children's Villages. He is married to Anouki Areshidze and they have four children.

Kaladze entered Georgian politics as a member of the Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia party. This party was started by Bidzina Ivanishvili in February 2012. He was elected to the Parliament of Georgia on 1 October 2012. He became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy on 25 October 2012. He held these roles until July 2017. He then ran for Mayor of Tbilisi and won in October 2017. In 2021, he was reelected as the Mayor of Tbilisi.

Football Career

Early Days in Football

Kaladze began his career as a striker for his local club, Lokomotiv Samtredia. His father was the president of this club. Later, former Georgia international David Kipiani asked Kakha to join Dinamo Tbilisi. At Dinamo, he played in 82 league games and scored one goal. He first played in the top league at age 16 during the 1993–94 season. Kaladze believes a good game against Italy helped him get noticed by Dynamo Kyiv.

In January 1998, he moved to the Ukrainian Premier League and Dynamo Kyiv. He signed a four-year contract. He scored six goals in 71 league games over two and a half seasons. Dynamo Kyiv won eight league titles in a row during this time. Kaladze also played in the semi-finals of the 1998–99 Champions League. His team lost to Bayern Munich. On the way to the semi-finals, they beat strong teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Playing for A.C. Milan

In January 2001, Kaladze became the most expensive Georgian footballer ever. Milan paid €16 million to bring him to Italy. He quickly became a regular player. He often played as a defensive midfielder on the left side. On 11 May 2001, Kaladze played in a famous 6–0 win for Milan against Inter. He helped set up a goal for his former teammate, Andriy Shevchenko.

In the 2002–03 season, he returned to playing as a defender. He made 46 appearances in all competitions. That year, Milan won the Champions League. They beat Juventus in the final after a penalty shootout. Milan also won the Coppa Italia that year. After his success, the Georgian postal service made a special stamp with his picture. He was the first Georgian player to win a Champions League title.

Kaladze played fewer games in the 2003–04 season due to injuries. In the next season, he played in 19 Serie A matches. Milan finished second in both the league and the Champions League. He was a substitute in the Champions League final. Milan lost to Liverpool on penalties after a 3–3 draw. On 30 June 2005, Kaladze extended his contract with Milan until 2010. He extended it again until 2011. In 2005–06, he moved back to playing in the center of defense.

Kaladze with Milan in 2007

In the 2006–07 Serie A season, Kaladze scored one goal. Milan finished in fourth place. Kaladze won his second Champions League title on 23 May 2007. Milan beat Liverpool 2–1 in the final. He came on as a substitute in that game. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup in December that year. Milan beat Boca Juniors 4–2 in the final. He became a regular player in the 2007–08 season. He made 32 appearances. He played less in the 2008–09 season because of a knee injury.

Time at Genoa

On 31 August 2010, Kaladze joined Genoa for free. In the 2010–11 season, he played 26 matches and scored one goal. He was named the second-best defender in Serie A for that season. Only his former teammate, Thiago Silva, was rated higher. On 12 May 2012, Kaladze announced he was retiring from football.

International Football

Kaladze played his first game for Georgia against Cyprus. This was a friendly match on 27 March 1996. He came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. Later that year, he was sent off for the first time in a game against Lebanon. His team won the Malta International Football Tournament in 1998. He played in qualifying games for the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships. Georgia had never qualified for these tournaments until Euro 2024. This was long after Kaladze retired.

His first competitive game was against Poland on 14 June 1997. Georgia lost that game 4–1. Kaladze was sent off again in another World Cup qualifier. Georgia finished fourth in their group and did not qualify. For Euro 2000 qualifiers, Georgia finished last in their group. Kaladze sometimes captained the team when Georgi Nemsadze was not playing.

Georgia finished third in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup. Kaladze played in all those matches. He played only three games during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Georgia finished last in that group. However, they had a memorable 1–0 win over neighboring Russia. Kaladze played in almost all the 2006 World Cup qualifying matches. Georgia finished sixth in their group. He played fewer games during the qualification for Euro 2008. Georgia did not qualify again.

He scored his first international goal against Latvia on 6 February 2008. Georgia lost that friendly game 3–1. On 5 September 2009, Kaladze scored two own goals in a 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Italy. The match ended 2–0 to Italy. Kaladze was the captain of the national team. He retired from international football on 11 December 2011.

Personal Life and Charity

After moving to Dynamo Kyiv, Kaladze learned Ukrainian and Russian. He also speaks Italian and English.

On 23 May 2001, Kaladze's younger brother, Levan, was kidnapped in Georgia. A ransom of $600,000 was demanded. The then-President of Georgia promised to help find him. Levan was only seen once in a video, blindfolded and asking for help. After this, Kaladze thought about becoming a Ukrainian citizen. But he decided against it out of respect for the Georgian people. On 21 February 2006, Levan was officially identified among some bodies found earlier. Two men were sentenced to prison for the crime. On 14 July 2009, Kaladze's wife, Anouki, gave birth to their first son. They named him Levan, in memory of Kaladze's brother.

Kaladze is also involved in charity work. He is a FIFA ambassador for SOS Children's Villages. Through his Kala Foundation, started in 2008, Kaladze raised €50,000. This money helped refugees during the Russian invasion of Georgia. Kaladze also plans to write an autobiography. The money from the book will go to the Kala Foundation.

Political Career

Business Activities

Besides his football career, Kaladze is an investor. He has businesses in Georgia, Italy, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Kaladze owns Kala Capital, an investment company started in 2008 in Georgia. It focuses on energy businesses. The former Georgian Prime Minister, Zurab Noghaideli, is its chief executive.

Kaladze (right) with the United States Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland (left) in 2012

Kaladze also owns the Buddha Bar in Kyiv, which opened in 2008. He also owns a restaurant in Milan called Giannino. This restaurant has received a Michelin star.

Kala Capital used to own 45 percent of a company called SakHidroEnergoMsheni. This company builds hydropower plants in Georgia. When he was considered for Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in October 2012, people worried about a conflict of interest. This means his business interests might affect his government decisions. Reports suggested he might refuse the energy role or sell his shares.

Government Roles

Kaladze joined the Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia party in February 2012. This party was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili. He was elected to the Parliament of Georgia on 1 October 2012. He represented the Samtredia area. On 25 October 2012, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. This was part of Ivanishvili's government. Some people in the energy field were unsure about his appointment. There was a lot of discussion about a conflict of interest. This was because Kala Capital owned shares in a hydropower construction company. Kala Capital sold these shares in November 2012.

Mayor of Tbilisi

In July 2017, Kaladze left his role as Energy minister. He decided to run for Mayor of Tbilisi in the local elections. On 22 October, he was elected mayor as a candidate for Georgian Dream. He won with 51% of the votes. He officially took office on 13 November 2017.

Kaladze won reelection in 2021 with 55% of the vote. His second term as mayor will end after the 2025 election.

International Sanctions

On 5 December 2024, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine placed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and 18 of his associates, including Kaladze. This happened during protests in Georgia. Kaladze responded by saying that Zelenskyy "does not belong to himself."

On 15 December 2024, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys announced sanctions against 17 Georgian Dream officials. Kaladze was on this list. On the same day, Estonia also banned 14 officials and judges from traveling, with Kaladze included.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Sport announced on 27 February 2025 that Kakha Kaladze's sports title was removed. This decision was related to a presidential order that sanctioned 34 people.

Public Statements

Kaladze is known for speaking his mind directly. He once told reporters, "I never show restraint. Whenever I have to say something, I always express myself."

On 14 November 2019, he was seen making a gesture from his car during a rally. He later said it was not aimed at the protesters.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	6 February 2008	Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi	Latvia	1–3	1–3	Friendly

Football Achievements

Dinamo Tbilisi

• Georgian League: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
• Georgian Cup: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
• Georgian Super Cup: 1996, 1997

Dynamo Kyiv

• Ukrainian Premier League: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
• Ukrainian Cup: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000

Milan

• Serie A: 2003–04
• Coppa Italia: 2002–03
• Italian Supercup: 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Individual

• Georgian Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011
• A.C. Milan Hall of Fame
• Source: Eurosport at Yahoo

Election Results

See also

In Spanish: Kakha Kaladze para niños