Liga 4 (Georgia) Explained

Confed:UEFA
Teams:15
Promotion:Liga 3
Relegation:Regionuli Liga
Levels:4
Domest Cup:Georgian Cup
Season:2024
Champions:Didube
Website:liga.gff.ge
Current:2024 Liga 4

Liga 4 (Georgian: ლიგა 4), organized by the Georgian Football Federation, is the fourth tier of the national football league.It was founded in 2019 as a part of comprehensive reorganization of the league system.

As of the 2024 season, Algeti and Odishi 1919 hold the longest tenure in this division. They have been in Liga 4 since its inaugurating season.

There are currently three former top-division teams participating in the tournament: Chikhura (2012–20), Mertskhali (1990–92, 2003–04) and Sulori (1991, 1991–92).

Structure and format

In 2018, GFF decided to form an additional division between Liga 3 and Regionuli Liga by introducing Liga 4 for the 2019 season. After the first year the top two clubs were promoted to Liga 3 and the bottom two were supposed to be relegated to Regional league. However, in February 2020 the league regulation sustained new changes, which saved the doomed teams from relegation and enlarged the tournament with four more Regionuli Liga clubs.[1]

In January 2021, the Federation announced that the number of clubs participating in the upcoming season would be increased to twenty,[2] although for the next year they were reduced back to sixteen.

After the 2022 season the top three teams earned automatic promotion to Liga 3 and the bottom four clubs were relegated to Regionuli Liga.[3] The league underwent one change in 2023: with fourteen clubs competing this season, the drop zone was reduced to two places.

The number of teams in each season:

2019 = 10

2020, 2022 = 16

2021 = 20

2023 = 14

2024 = 15

Each club play each of the other clubs twice (once at home and once away) and obtain three points for a win, one for a draw and no points for a loss. From these points a league table is constructed.

At the end of the season the top three teams gain promotion to Liga 3. Similarly, the three teams that finish at the bottom are relegated to Regionuli Liga. A team can be spared relegation if another team either resigns or is expelled from the league.

Final league position is determined, in order, by points obtained, head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, head-to-head goals scored, head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams), goal difference and goals scored.

Since Liga 4 is the bottom national tier, this is where the Federation may expel a team from higher divisions. Shukura is the latest club demoted in January 2024.[4]

It is the only national division where no play-offs are held.

Current members

Fifteen teams were competing in the league in 2024.

Chikhura, Mertskhali and Sulori had taken part in the top division. There were also six junior teams of higher league members represented in the division this season.

The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order.

! Club !! Position last season!!Location!! Region!!Venue
Algeti9th MarneuliKvemo KartliCentral stadium
16th in Liga 3SachkhereImeretiDzveli stadioni
Didube 1st in Regionuli Liga ATbilisi
Gagra-21st in Regionuli Liga BTbilisiTbilisi
5thImereti
7thSamegrelo-Z.SvanetiMurtaz Khurtsilava stadium
15th in Liga 3Shromiti rezervebi
1st in Regionuli Liga CMegobroba stadium
4thCentral stadium, Ganmukhuri
6th26 May stadium
12thSasha Kvaratskhelia stadium
8thGrigol Nikoleishvili stadium
Varketili-2 11thMarakana
10thMtskheta Park, Mtskheta
Regionuli Liga PO winnerMevlud Miminoshvili stadium

Seasons

Previous years

In the first season, ten teams played 27 games each. Eventually, two clubs from Tbilisi finished in top places awarding them promotion to the upper league.[5]

The 2020 season was scheduled to start in April, but Covid-2019 postponed it for four months. In July GFF decided to form White and Red Groups with winners getting automatic promotion and bottom two clubs going down.[6] 16 teams were split into two groups. The football season started in August and lasted five months with each team playing 14 games only. Two winners and two runners-up were promoted to Liga 3.

The next year, Promotion and Relegation Groups were created after the first phase. In the end, the first four teams of the former advanced to Liga 3, while the bottom four of the latter dropped down a further level to Regionuli Liga.

In contrast, starting from 2022 the seasons are held as a single two-round tournament.

Promoted teams

2019Spaeri • Tbilisi City
2020VarketiliDidubeMerani-2 TbilisiMagaroeli
2021Dinamo-2 TbilisiZestafoniBorjomi • Irao
2022Locomotive-2ShturmiMatchakhela
2023GonioBetlemiGardabani
2024
Note: Teams indicated in bold are champions.

Relegated teams

2019N/A
2020N/A
2021Torpedo-2 • Tbilisi • ImeretiEgrisi
2022Didube • SamegreloMagaroeli • Iberia
2023Kolkheti-2 1913Dinamo Zugdidi
2024Varketili-2 • Merani-2 TbilisiChikhura

Participation per club

Taking into account the 2024 season, thirty-seven teams have been members of this league for at least one year.

Team
Algeti7
Odishi 19196
Skuri6
Sulori6
WIT Georgia-26
Merani-2 Martvili5
Betlemi4
Margveti 20064
Samegrelo4
Samgurali-24
Didube3
Egrisi3
Iberia3
Team
Imereti3
Magaroeli3
Borjomi2
Gagra-22
Kolkheti-2 19132
Matchakhela2
Merani-2 Tbilisi2
Mertskhali2
Shturmi2
Varketili2
Varketili-22
Zana2
Zestafoni2
Team
Aragvelebi1
Chikhura1
Dinamo Tbilisi-21
Dinamo Zugdidi1
Gardabani1
Gareji1
Gonio1
Guria1
Iveria1
Locomotive-21
Orbi1
Spaeri1
Tbilisi1
Team
Tbilisi City1
Torpedo-21
Their current status as of 2024:
Erovnuli Liga 24
8
Liga 415
Regionuli Liga5
Defunct5

Notes and References

  1. News: დიდი ცვლილებები ლიგა 4-ში. lelo.ge (in Georgian). 13 Feb 2020.
  2. News: სიახლე საქართველოს ჩემპიონატში . popsport.com (in Georgian). 25 Jan 2021.
  3. Web site: სფფ-ში აღმასრულებელი კომიტეტის სხდომა გაიმართა . gff.ge (in Georgian), 22 February 2022.
  4. Web site: ეროვნული ლიცენზირების შედეგები . gff.ge (in Georgian) . 11 January 2024.
  5. Web site: Liga 4 in 2019 . gff.ge.
  6. News: ლიგა 4 და თასი: წილი ნაყარია!... lelo.ge (in Georgian) . 23 Jul 2020.