Davit Khocholava Explained

Davit Khocholava
დავით ხოჭოლავა
Birth Date:8 February 1993
Birth Place:Tbilisi, Georgia
Height:1.92 m
Position:Centre-back
Youthyears1:2004–2009
Youthclubs1:Saburtalo Tbilisi
Years1:2009–2011
Clubs1:Saburtalo Tbilisi
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:2010
Clubs2:Olimpi Rustavi (loan)
Caps2:2
Goals2:0
Years3:2011
Clubs3:Sioni Bolnisi (loan)
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Years4:2011–2014
Clubs4:Dinamo Tbilisi
Caps4:11
Goals4:0
Years5:2014
Clubs5:Kolkheti Poti (loan)
Caps5:6
Goals5:1
Years6:2014–2015
Clubs6:Shukura Kobuleti
Caps6:25
Goals6:1
Years7:2015–2017
Clubs7:Chornomorets Odesa
Caps7:42
Goals7:3
Years8:2017–2021
Clubs8:Shakhtar Donetsk
Caps8:56
Goals8:3
Years9:2021–2024
Clubs9:Copenhagen
Caps9:40
Goals9:1
Totalcaps:182
Totalgoals:9
Nationalyears1:2009–2010
Nationalteam1:Georgia U17
Nationalcaps1:13
Nationalgoals1:3
Nationalyears2:2010–2011
Nationalteam2:Georgia U19
Nationalcaps2:5
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2011–2012
Nationalteam3:Georgia U21
Nationalcaps3:5
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2017–2024
Nationalteam4:Georgia
Nationalcaps4:39
Nationalgoals4:0

Davit Khocholava (Georgian: დავით ხოჭოლავა|tr, in Georgian pronounced as /davitʰ χotʃʼolava/; born 8 February 1993) is a Georgian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Club career

Early years

Born in Tbilisi, Khocholava started his career in Saburtalo, where his first manager was Giorgi Devdariani.[1] Later some of the members of his team, including Valeri Kazaishvili, Giorgi Chanturia and Lasha Parunashvili, became Georgia internationals. Khocholava was a striker during his youth career. However, Devdariani later offered him to play in defense and Khocholava accepted.

Khocholava signed for Dinamo Tbilisi in 2011. He found it difficult to become a member of the starting line-up, having a six-month loan spell at Kolkheti Poti in order to get some more playing time.[2] In 2014, he decided to leave Tbilisi-based club and moved to Shukura Kobuleti.[3] He was offered to the club after the recommendation of famous Georgian footballer Revaz Chelebadze, who played for Dinamo Tbilisi in Soviet era. He was the sporting director of the club.

Khocholava spent the 2014–15 season with the club before signing for Chornomorets Odesa in summer 2015.[4] He became the regular member of the starting line-up. He was named in the symbolic team of the Ukrainian Premier League in March 2017.[5]

Shakhtar Donetsk

In April 2017, Shakhtar Donetsk confirmed that Khocholava had signed a five-year deal with the club, joining them at the start of the following season.[6]

Copenhagen

On 6 July 2021, Danish Superliga side F.C. Copenhagen announced they had signed Khocholava on a four-year deal.[7] On 8 August he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 victory in the Copenhagen Derby against rivals Brøndby IF. On 22 May 2022, with the club he won the Danish Superliga in the season 2021–22 and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the season 2022–23.[8] On July 7, 2024, Khocholava announced his decision to retire from professional football.[9]

International career

Khocholava was named in the Georgia national team's senior squad for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Austria in September 2016.[10] He made his debut for Georgia on 23 January 2017 in a friendly against Uzbekistan.[11]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Olimpi Rustavi (loan)2010–11Umaglesi Liga2010000030
2011–12Umaglesi Liga5000000050
2012–133020000050
2013–143000300060
Total110203000160
Kolkheti Poti (loan)2013–14Pirveli Liga61000061
2014–15Umaglesi Liga2514100292
Chornomorets Odesa2015–16Ukrainian Premier League1812000201
2016–172420000242
Total423200000443
Shakhtar Donetsk2017–18Ukrainian Premier League141404000221
2018–19252305000332
2019–20100104010160
2020–2170104000120
Total5639017010833
Copenhagen2021–22Danish Superliga2210012000341
2022–23170317000271
2023–241000000010
Total4013119000622
Career total18292123901024311

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Georgia201790
201870
201950
202040
202170
202220
Total340

Honours

Olimpi Rustavi

2010

Dinamo Tbilisi

2012–13

2012–13

Shakhtar Donetsk

2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20

2017–18, 2018–19

2017

Copenhagen

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Interview with David Khocholava . Sportall.ge . 18 September 2016 . 11 April 2017.
  2. Web site: News of "Kolkheti" Poti . Worldsport.ge . 20 January 2014 . 11 April 2017.
  3. Web site: Dinamo confirmed changes . Worldsport.ge . 24 December 2013 . 11 April 2017.
  4. Web site: Chornomorets confirm two more signings . Football.ua . 11 July 2015 . 11 April 2017.
  5. Web site: Khocholava - in the Symbolic Team of the Month in Ukraine . Worldsport.ge . 29 March 2017 . 11 April 2017.
  6. Web site: Khocholava to continue his career at Shakhtar . Shakhtar.com . 11 April 2017 . 11 April 2017.
  7. Web site: DAVID KHOCHOLAVA SIGNS FOR F.C. COPENHAGEN . fck.dk . 6 July 2021 . 6 July 2021.
  8. Web site: Mukairu on the verge of Major Success with FC Copenhagen . www.footballlive.ng . 13 May 2022 . 22 May 2022.
  9. Web site: 2024-07-07 . FCK-spiller stopper karrieren . 2024-07-07 . TV 2 . da.
  10. Web site: Georgia vs Austria. Sky Sports. 2 September 2016 . 20 September 2016.
  11. Web site: The Tashkent Times. Uzbekistan draws with Georgia in friendly. 24 January 2017.
  12. Web site: FC Copenhagen win 14th Danish league title . dailytimes.com.pk . 22 May 2022.