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 participants are both professional clubs and reserve teams of higher league members.
| Founded | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Georgia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 40 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | Liga 4 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Georgian Cup |
| Website | gff.ge |
Prior to the introduction of Liga 4 in 2019, Regionuli Liga was the fourth tier.
Structure
editAs the name implies, the league is based on regional principle. Depending on the number of participating clubs, it is divided into several groups. In 2017, there were forty teams allocated in three groups.[1] The next year two zones were created for teams based in western Georgia and two more for the eastern regions. This regulation lasted three seasons until 2021, when the league was split into two groups, although the next year it switched back to three groups.
The number of promoted clubs per season also varies. Usually only the group winners gain automatic promotion, although several second-placed and third-placed teams, too, directly or through play-offs have advanced to the fourth tier in recent years.[2] In another case, play-off ties against Liga 3 teams determined the fate of Liga 4 two slots.[3]
The seasons are played on Spring-Autumn system.
Current season
editAragvelebi
Aragvi-2
Gldani
Grandi
Iberia 2010
Jvarosnebi
Locomotive-3
Orbi-2
Norchi Dinamo 2016
Spaeri-2
Vazisubani
UG 35
For the 2024 season 27 clubs from the southern and eastern parts of Georgia and three Tbilisi-based teams from Abkhazia formed A and B groups, while zone C consists of thirteen clubs from the western regions.[4] Each club plays each of the other clubs twice, once at home and once away. At the end of the season four teams will gain promotion to Liga 4. Three group winners will be joined by one of the runners-up based on play-off results among the three second-placed teams.
Clubs represented in Regionuli liga for the 2024 season are listed below in alphabetical order.[5] Six of them have in the past participated in the top division:
- Dinamo Sokhumi in 2005–06;
- Egrisi Senaki in 1995–96;
- Iveria Khashuri in 1990–97;
- Magaroeli Chiatura in 1993–94 and 1997–98;
- Sapovnela Terjola in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 2015–16;
- Tskhumi Sokhumi in 1990–93.
| Groups | Teams |
|---|---|
A |
Abuli Akhalkalaki • Aragvi-2 Dusheti • Dinamo Gagra • Dinamo Sokhumi • Gldani Tbilisi • Iveria Khashuri • Jvarosnebi Tbilisi • Kareli • Kaspi 1936 • Norchi Dinamo 2016 Tbilisi • Samtskhe Akhaltsikhe • Spaeri-2 Tbilisi • UG 35 Tbilisi • Vazisubani Tbilisi |
B |
Aragvelebi Tbilisi • Dmanisi • Gardabani-2 • Gareji-2 Sagarejo • Grandi Tbilisi • Iberia 2010 Tbilisi • Liakhvi Achabeti • Locomotive-3 Tbilisi • Orbi-2 Tbilisi • Rustavi-2 • Shturmi-2 Sartichala • Sporti Gardabani • Tskhumi Sokhumi |
C |
Chele Academia Kobuleti • BSU Batumi • Chibati Lanchkhuti • Egrisi Senaki • Imereti Khoni • Jvari • Magaroeli Chiatura • Kolkheti 1913-2 Poti • Martve Kutaisi • Meshakhte-2 Tkibuli • Sapovnela Terjola • Sairme Bagdati • Torpedo-2 Kutaisi |
Notes:
- Dinamo Gagra, Dinamo Sokhumi, Liakhvi Achabeti and Tskhumi Sokhumi are based in Tbilisi due to problems related to the territorial integrity of Georgia.
Past seasons
editGroup Winners
editWestern group winners are indicated first
| Year | Teams |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Bakhmaro • Saburtalo-2 • Varketili |
| 2018 | Salkhino Martvili • Dinamo-2 Batumi • Tbilisi City • Gareji |
| 2019 | Torpedo-2 • Skuri • WIT Georgia-2 • Didube 2014 |
| 2020 | Torpedo-2 • Merani-2 Martvili • Irao • Dinamo-2 Tbilisi |
| 2021 | Samgurali-2 • Locomotive-2 |
| 2022 | Kolkheti 1913-2 • Gardabani • Varketili-2 |
| 2023 | Mertskhali • Gagra-2 • Didube 2014 |
| 2024 | Kolkheti 1913-2 • Iveria • Aragvelebi |
Promoted teams
editBy alphabetical order
| Year | Teams |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Aragvi • Bakhmaro • Matchakhela • Saburtalo-2 • Samgurali-2 • Varketili |
| 2018 | Egrisi • Gareji • Odishi 1919 • Spaeri • Tbilisi City |
| 2019 | Didube 2014 • Iberia • Merani-2 Tbilisi • Skuri • Sulori • WIT Georgia-2 • Zestafoni |
| 2020 | Dinamo-2 Tbilisi • Irao • Margveti 2006 • Matchakhela • Merani-2 Martvili • Shturmi • Tbilisi • Torpedo-2 |
| 2021 | Locomotive-2 • Samgurali-2 |
| 2022 | Gardabani • Gonio • Kolkheti 1913-2 • Varketili-2 |
| 2023 | Didube 2014 • Gagra-2 • Mertskhali • Zana |
| 2024 | Aragvelebi • Iberia 2010 • Iveria • Kolkheti 1913-2 |
Notes: Aragvi and Samgurali-2 beat their upper league rivals in the 2017 play-offs.[6] So did Gareji a year later. All the other clubs were promoted directly. In 2018 and 2019, the second phase of competition was held in Promotion Groups. As a result, in comparison with the initial phase, the final table of these seasons sustained some changes.[7]
References
edit- ^ "რეგიონული ლიგა: "საბურთალო 2"-მა საწადელი თითქმის აისრულა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian), 27 October 2017.
- ^ "ლიგა 3–ში მარგვეთის გავლით". fcsamgurali.ge (in Georgian), 28 November 2017.
- ^ "Play-offs in 2018". gff.ge (in Georgian).
- ^ "Regionuli Liga West". irff.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Regional League, Group East". gff.ge.
- ^ "ლიგა 3-ს ახალი წევრები ჰყავს". mysports.ge (in Georgian), 29 November 2017.
- ^ "2019 წლის რეგიონლიგა". fczestafoni.ge (in Georgian).