Levan Kenia Explained

Levan Kenia
ლევან ყენია
Upright:0.8
Height:1.76 m
Birth Date:1990 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Tbilisi, Georgia
Currentclub:KFC Uerdingen (head coach)
Position:Attacking midfielder
Youthyears1:2004–2005
Youthyears2:2005–2007
Youthclubs1:Dinamo Tbilisi
Years1:2007–2008
Caps1:19
Goals1:4
Years2:2008
Clubs2:Schalke 04 II
Caps2:2
Goals2:0
Years3:2009–2012
Clubs3:Schalke 04
Caps3:11
Goals3:0
Years4:2012–2013
Clubs4:Karpaty Lviv
Caps4:20
Goals4:3
Years5:2013–2014
Clubs5:Fortuna Düsseldorf
Caps5:11
Goals5:0
Years6:2014–2017
Clubs6:Slavia Prague
Caps6:31
Goals6:3
Years7:2017–2018
Caps7:3
Goals7:0
Years8:2018–2019
Clubs8:F91 Dudelange
Caps8:11
Goals8:1
Years9:2019–2020
Clubs9:Saburtalo
Caps9:9
Goals9:0
Years10:2021–2024
Caps10:57
Goals10:6
Totalcaps:174
Totalgoals:17
Nationalyears1:2006
Nationalteam1:Georgia U-17
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2007–2008
Nationalteam2:Georgia U-19
Nationalcaps2:5
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2008–2012
Nationalteam3:Georgia U-21
Nationalcaps3:5
Nationalgoals3:1
Nationalyears4:2007–2016
Nationalteam4:Georgia
Nationalcaps4:29
Nationalgoals4:4
Manageryears1:2024–
Managerclubs1:KFC Uerdingen

Levan Kenia (Georgian: ლევან ყენია; born 18 October 1990) is a Georgian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Oberliga club KFC Uerdingen.

Club career

Kenia joined Schalke 04 from Lokomotivi Tbilisi in January 2008, signing a contract with the club that ran until June 2012[1] Kenia made his debut for Schalke 04 against APOEL F.C. in a UEFA Cup match on 2 October 2008 coming on as a 65th-minute substitute for Gerald Asamoah.[2] Formerly, Kenia trained for two weeks at the age of 14 with FC Barcelona.[3]

On 11 April 2009, Kenia made his Bundesliga debut for Schalke in a match against Karlsruher SC.[4]

On 14 August 2012, Kenia joined Ukrainian Premier League side FC Karpaty Lviv on a two-year contract. After spending one year in Ukraine, Kenia returned to Germany and signed a contract with Fortuna Düsseldorf for two years.[5]

At Düsseldorf however he could never fulfill the expectations. Signed as the playmaker, he played only eleven games during the 2013–14 season. In the second half of the campaign he even earned just a single cap playing four minutes. On 1 July 2014, according to previous rumors, it was announced that his contract was dissolved.[6]

In the summer of 2018, he joined a Luxembourgian club Dudelange.[7]

International career

Kenia made his debut for the national team on 8 September 2007 against Ukraine, replacing Alexander Iashvili.[8] Georgia's former head coach Klaus Toppmöller said he had never before seen a player of his age with such accomplished technical abilities.[9] Kenia, along with fellow teenagers Levan Mchedlidze and Giorgi Makaridze, played in their UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign starring in a 2–0 victory over Scotland.[10] Toppmöller praised Kenia, "Kenia was one of the best on the pitch."[11]

He scored his first international goal on 27 May 2008 against Estonia.[12]

Coaching career

In 2021 he joined German Regionalliga club KFC Uerdingen as playing assistant.[13] Following the sacking of Marcus John in February 2024, Kenia was made new playing manager of the team.[14] In March 2024, he retired from playing to become to manager of the team.[15]

Personal life

Levan is also the nephew of former SC Freiburg midfielder Georgi Kiknadze.

Career statistics

Club

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueCupContinentalTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lokomotivi Tbilisi2005–0640000040
2006–071130000113
2007–0841000041
Total1940000194
Schalke 042008–0910001020
2009–101002100121
2010–1100000000
2011–1200000000
Total1102110141
Karpaty Lviv2012–132032100224
Fortuna Düsseldorf2013–141101000120
Career total6175210679

International

[16]

Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kenia goal.

List of international goals scored by Levan Kenia
No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
127 May 2008A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia91–11–1Friendly
220 August 2008Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales111–12–1Friendly
36 September 2008Stadion am Bruchweg, Mainz, Germany121–21–22010 FIFA World Cup qualification
427 May 2016ASKÖ Stadion, Wels, Austria271–31–3Friendly

Notes and References

  1. News: Levan Kenia Signs With Schalke 04. Geofootball. 6 January 2008. 24 June 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080417044444/http://en.geofootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=306:levan-kenia-signs-with-schalke-04&catid=16&Itemid=100006. 17 April 2008.
  2. News: Schalke 04 1 – 1 Apoel Nicosia. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005142742/http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/match?id=254932&cc=5739. dead. 5 October 2011. ESPN. 2 October 2008. 24 June 2009.
  3. Web site: Magath: Sein erster Härtetest . German . kicker.de . 3 March 2012 . 20 August 2009.
  4. Web site: Knappen landen wichtigen 2:0-Arbeitssieg gegen den Karlsruher SC . German . FC Schalke 04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090409014011/http://www.schalke04.de/08_09_letztes_spiel.html . 9 April 2009 .
  5. Web site: Levan Kenia kommt zur Fortuna . German . Fortuna Düsseldorf.
  6. Web site: Levan Kenia und Fortuna Düsseldorf gehen getrennte Wege . German . derwesten.de . 25 July 2014. 1 July 2014.
  7. Web site: Dudelange. Kenia profile by F81. 19 November 2018. French.
  8. News: Georgia 1-1 Ukraine. Sky Sports. 8 September 2007. 24 June 2009.
  9. News: ISP Exclusive: World's Top 30 Young Talents . Iran Sports Press . 24 December 2008 . 3 March 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121008125230/http://www.iransportspress.com/isp-editorials/7432-isp-exclusive-world-s-top-30-young-talents.html . 8 October 2012.
  10. News: Georgia 2-0 Scotland. BBC. Clive Lindsay. 17 October 2007. 24 June 2009.
  11. Web site: Schalke capture Georgian wunderkind . UEFA.com . 7 January 2008 . 3 March 2012.
  12. News: Estonia 1-1 Georgia. Geofootball.com. Lasha Chankvetadze. 30 May 2008. 24 June 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080705160607/http://en.geofootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=342:estonia-1-1-georgia&catid=14&Itemid=100005. 5 July 2008.
  13. Web site: KFC Uerdingen 05. Verstärkung für den Trainerstab des KFC. 21 December 2021. German.
  14. Web site: KFC Uerdingen 05. Trennung von Marcus John. 24 March 2024. German.
  15. News: Levan Kenia hängt Fußball-Schuhe an den Nagel . 16 April 2024 . FuPa . 2 March 2024 . de.
  16. News: L. Kenia . Soccerway . 27 May 2016.