Davit Kvirkvelia Explained

Dato Kvirkvelia
Fullname:	Davit Kvirkvelia
Birth Date:	1980 6, df=y
Birth Place:	Lanchkhuti, Georgia
Position:	Left back
Years1:	1999–2002
Caps1:	61
Goals1:	7
Years2:	2002–2004
Clubs2:	Dinamo Tbilisi
Caps2:	63
Goals2:	7
Years3:	2005
Caps3:	14
Goals3:	0
Years4:	2006–2007
Caps4:	53
Goals4:	6
Years5:	2008–2010
Clubs5:	Rubin Kazan
Caps5:	31
Goals5:	3
Years6:	2010–2011
Clubs6:	→ Anzhi Makhachkala (loan)
Caps6:	13
Goals6:	0
Years7:	2011–2012
Clubs7:	Panionios
Caps7:	19
Goals7:	0
Years8:	2012
Clubs8:	Anorthosis Famagusta
Caps8:	11
Goals8:	2
Years9:	2012–2013
Clubs9:	Dila Gori
Caps9:	29
Goals9:	2
Years10:	2013–2014
Clubs10:	Dinamo Tbilisi
Caps10:	27
Goals10:	2
Years11:	2014–2015
Clubs11:	Samtredia
Caps11:	25
Goals11:	3
Years12:	2015–2016
Clubs12:	Dila Gori
Caps12:	19
Goals12:	0
Years13:	2016–2017
Clubs13:	Dinamo Batumi
Caps13:	35
Goals13:	0
Years14:	2018
Clubs14:	Rustavi
Caps14:	6
Goals14:	2
Nationalyears1:	2001
Nationalcaps1:	1
Nationalgoals1:	0
Nationalyears2:	2003–2014
Nationalteam2:	Georgia
Nationalcaps2:	59
Nationalgoals2:	0
Manageryears1:	2022
Managerclubs1:	Kolkheti 1913 (assistant)
Manageryears2:	2022–2024
Managerclubs2:	Kolkheti 1913

Davit Kvirkvelia (Georgian: დავით კვირკველია; born 27 June 1980), nicknamed Dato, is a Georgian football manager and a former player. Most recently he was the head coach of Kolkheti 1913.

Club career

Kvirkvelia started his professional career at Kolkheti Poti in 1999. Three years later he moved to Dinamo Tbilisi, where head coach Ivo Šušak had already begun his successful period, and won his first title in 2003. The next year he took part in UEFA Cup group stage matches with Dinamo and scored a vital goal in a 3rd round qualifying game against Wisła Kraków.^[1]

Kvirkvelia left for FC Alania Vladikavkaz in February 2005 http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=279699.html and moved to FC Metalurh Zaporizhya in March 2006.http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=400356.html

His next club was Rubin Kazan where Kvirkvelia won the Russian Premier League in 2008, followed by another league and Supercup titles. After several more years spent abroad, he returned to Georgia. Initially, Kvirkvelia played for Dila Gori, who secured their first top-flight medals in 2013. A year later he rejoined Dinamo Tbilisi^[2] and added more league and Cup trophies to his tally this season.

Following a one-year spell at Samtredia, Kvirkvelia signed a contract with the recently crowned champions Dila Gori. He played in a UEFA Champions League qualifying round against FK Partizan^[3] and helped Dila to seal the third place in the domestic league.

In 2016, Kvirkvelia joined Dinamo Batumi.^[4] In this transitional season to the Spring-Autumn system, his team prevailed over Dinamo Tbilisi in a tight contest for bronze medals.^[5] But the next season Batumi suffered a dramatic loss in a relegation play-off tie against Sioni Bolnisi, which led to Kvirkvelia's departure for Rustavi.^[6] In this club he ended his career as a player at age 38.

International career

Kvirkvelia made his debut with the Georgia national team in a 0–0 draw to Switzerland on 2 April 2003 in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying.^[7]

He played 10 games in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.

Managerial career

Kvirkvelia was appointed as assistant head coach at his boyhood team Kolkheti 1913 in February 2022.^[8] Four months later he took over as a manager with the aim of securing promotion to the second division. Kvirkvelia not only successfully coped with the task but also guided the team back to the Erovnuli Liga.^[9] After ten games in charge of the club in the top division, though, he unexpectedly stepped down from his position on 22 April 2024.