Erovnuli Liga (original) (raw)
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Association football league in Georgia
Football league
Erovnuli Liga
 |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990; 35 years ago (1990) |
| Country | Georgia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Erovnuli Liga 2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Georgian CupGeorgian Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Iberia 1999 (2nd title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Dinamo Tbilisi (19 titles) |
| Website | erovnuliliga.ge |
| Current: 2025 Erovnuli Liga |
The Erovnuli Liga (Georgian: ეროვნული ლიგა; lit. 'National League') 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 Federation. From 1927 to 1989, the competition was held as a regional tournament within the Soviet Union. From 2017, the Erovnuli Liga switched to a spring-autumn system, with only 10 clubs in the top flight.
History and format evolution
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The Erovnuli Liga (Georgian: ეროვნული ლიგა) is the highest division of Georgian football, established in 1990 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Prior to that, Georgian clubs competed within the Soviet league system and the Georgian SSR Championship (1927–1989).
Originally called the Umaglesi Liga (Georgian: უმაღლესი ლიგა, "Supreme League"), the league adopted the name Erovnuli Liga ("National League") after a rebranding in 2017.[1]
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the number of participating teams fluctuated widely: - 1990s: Between 16 and 20 clubs - Early 2000s: Reduced to 10–12 clubs for quality stabilization - 2017 onward: Fixed at 10 clubs
Originally operating on a traditional autumn–spring schedule, the league shifted to a spring–autumn calendar in 2017, aligning with many Nordic and Eastern European competitions. The switch was intended to avoid harsh winter interruptions and better synchronize with UEFA club competition calendars.[2]
League Structure by Year
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Erovnuli Liga Structure Over Time
| Period | No. of Teams | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1999 | 16–20 | Early expansion |
| 2000–2011 | 10–12 | Contraction for financial stability |
| 2012–2016 | 12 | Stable double round-robin format |
| 2017–present | 10 | Spring–autumn calendar, quadruple round-robin |
Teams play each other four times per season (home and away twice), totaling 36 matches per club. The bottom-placed team is relegated to Erovnuli Liga 2, while the 9th-placed team enters a promotion/relegation playoff.
Since 2019, the league operates under the official title of Crystalbet Erovnuli Liga, following a sponsorship deal with the betting company Crystalbet.[3]
The Crystalbet partnership enhanced the league’s marketing efforts, with unified branding across team jerseys, match broadcasts, and official materials. Previously, the league operated without a title sponsor.
- Major matches are broadcast live on 1TV Sport and Adjarasport channels. - Non-televised games are streamed via the GFF's official YouTube channel and other online platforms. - Highlight shows and weekly reviews (such as "Erovnuli Ligis Mimokhilva") summarize the matchday action.
As of the 2020s, virtually every league match is available live either on television or digital streams, significantly improving fan access and visibility.
Club Licensing and Modernization
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The Georgian Football Federation enforces strict UEFA club licensing regulations for Erovnuli Liga participation, covering: - Stadium standards - Financial transparency - Youth development - Administrative professionalism
By 2024, all Erovnuli Liga clubs successfully met UEFA licensing standards.[4]
Modern stadiums like Batumi’s Adjarabet Arena and Kutaisi’s Ramaz Shengelia Stadium meet UEFA Category 4 standards.
Recent Developments and European Access
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Since the 2020s, the Erovnuli Liga has produced more diverse champions: - FC Saburtalo Tbilisi (2018 champions) - FC Dinamo Batumi (2021 champions)
The league champion qualifies for the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, while second and third-placed teams (and the cup winner) qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Further modernization efforts include: - Gradual preparation for VAR implementation - Enhanced media rights packaging - Youth academy investments through GFF’s strategic plan
The Erovnuli Liga remains vital to the continued development of Georgian football both domestically and internationally.
Below is a complete record of how many teams have played in each season throughout the league's history:
| | 1990 = 17 1991–1992 = 20 1992–1993 = 17 1993–1994 = 19 | | 1994–2000 = 16 2000–2004 = 12 2004–2005 = 10 2005–2006 = 16 | | 2006–2008 = 14 2008–2009 = 11 2009–2011 = 10 2011–2014 = 12 | | 2014–2016 = 16 2016 (August-December) = 14 2017- = 10 | | --------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------- |
UEFA country ranking
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as Georgian SSR
- 1927: Batumi XI
- 1928: Tbilisi XI
- 1929–35: Not played
- 1936: ZII Tbilisi
- 1937: FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi
- 1938: FC Dinamo Batumi
- 1939: Nauka Tbilisi
- 1940: FC Dinamo Batumi
- 1941–42: Not played
- 1943: ODKA Tbilisi
- 1944: Not played
- 1945: FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi
- 1946: FC Dinamo Kutaisi
- 1947: FC Dinamo Sokhumi
- 1948: FC Dinamo Sokhumi
- 1949: FC Torpedo Kutaisi
- 1950: TODO Tbilisi
- 1951: TODO Tbilisi
- 1952: TTU Tbilisi
- 1953: TTU Tbilisi
- 1954: TTU Tbilisi
- 1955: Dinamo Kutaisi
- 1956: FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi
- 1957: TTU Tbilisi
- 1958: TTU Tbilisi
- 1959: Metallurg Rustavi
- 1960: Imereti Khoni
- 1961: Guria Lanchkhuti
- 1962: Imereti Kutaisi
- 1963: Imereti Kutaisi
- 1964: IngurGES Zugdidi
- 1965: Tolia Tbilisi
- 1966: Guria Lanchkhuti
- 1967: Mertskhali Makharadze
- 1968: SKA Tbilisi
- 1969: Sulori Vani
- 1970: SKIF Tbilisi
- 1971: Guria Lanchkhuti
- 1972: Lokomotivi Samtredia
- 1973: Dinamo Zugdidi
- 1974: Metallurg Rustavi
- 1975: Magaroeli Chiatura
- 1976: SKIF Tbilisi
- 1977: Mziuri Gali
- 1978: Kolheti Poti
- 1979: Metallurg Rustavi
- 1980: Meshakhte Tkibuli
- 1981: Meshakhte Tkibuli
- 1982: Mertskhali Makharadze
- 1983: Samgurali Tskaltubo
- 1984: Metallurg Rustavi
- 1985: Shadrevani-83 Tskaltubo
- 1986: Shevardeni-1906 Tbilisi
- 1987: Mertskhali Makharadze
- 1988: Kolkheti Khobi
- 1989: Shadrevani-83 Tskaltubo
Key
As Umaglesi Liga(Supreme League)
As Erovnuli Liga(National League)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Torpedo Kutaisi (4) | Dinamo Tbilisi | Samtredia |
| 2018 | Saburtalo (1) | Dinamo Tbilisi | Torpedo Kutaisi |
| 2019 | Dinamo Tbilisi (17) | Dinamo Batumi | Saburtalo |
| 2020 | Dinamo Tbilisi (18) | Dinamo Batumi | Dila Gori |
| 2021 | Dinamo Batumi (1) | Dinamo Tbilisi | Dila Gori |
| 2022 | Dinamo Tbilisi (19) | Dinamo Batumi | Dila Gori |
| 2023 | Dinamo Batumi (2) | Dinamo Tbilisi | Torpedo Kutaisi |
| 2024 | Iberia 1999 (2) | Torpedo Kutaisi | Dila Gori |
Performance by club
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Location of Georgian football champions
| Club | Winners | Runners-Up | Third Place | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 19 | 8 | 6 | 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 |
| Torpedo Kutaisi | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2017 |
| Dinamo Batumi | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2021, 2023 |
| WIT Georgia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2003–04, 2008–09 |
| FC Zestaponi | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2010–11, 2011–12 |
| Metalurgi Rustavi | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2006–07, 2009–10 |
| Iberia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2018, 2024 |
| Samtredia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2016 |
| Dila Gori | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2014–15 |
| Sioni Bolnisi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2005–06 |
- ^ "Erovnuli Liga rebranded". GFF. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "GFF confirms new league calendar". GFF. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Crystalbet becomes title sponsor of Erovnuli Liga". GFF. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "All Erovnuli Liga clubs obtain UEFA licenses". GFF. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "UEFA Country Ranking 2017". UEFA. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2017.