Liga 4 (Georgia) Explained

Confed:UEFA
Teams:15
Promotion:Liga 3
Relegation:Regionuli Liga
Levels:4
Domest Cup:Georgian Cup
Season:2023
Website:liga.gff.ge
Current:2023 Liga 4

Liga 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 will be competing in the league in 2024.

Chikhura, Mertskhali and Sulori have taken part in the top division. There are 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
Algeti9th MarneuliKvemo Kartli
16th in Liga 3SachkhereImereti
Didube 1st in Regionuli Liga ATbilisi
Gagra-21st in Regionuli Liga BTbilisiTbilisi
5thImereti
7thSamegrelo-Z.Svaneti
15th in Liga 3Tbilisi
1st in Regionuli Liga CGuria
4thSamegrelo-Z.Svaneti
6thImereti
12thSamegrelo-Z.Svaneti
8thImereti
Varketili-2 11thTbilisi
10thTbilisi
Regionuli Liga PO winner
Based in Tbilisi

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, the 2022 and 2023 seasons were held as a single two-round tournament.

Promoted teams

2019Spaeri Tbilisi • Tbilisi City
2020Varketili TbilisiDidube TbilisiMerani-2 TbilisiMagaroeli Chiatura
2021Dinamo-2 TbilisiZestafoniBorjomi • Irao Tbilisi
2022Locomotive-2 TbilisiShturmiMatchakhela
2023GonioBetlemiGardabani
Note: Teams indicated in bold are champions.

Relegated teams

2019N/A
2020N/A
2021Torpedo-2 Kutaisi • Tbilisi • Imereti KhoniEgrisi Senaki
2022Didube Tbilisi • SamegreloMagaroeli • Iberia Tbilisi
2023Kolkheti-2 1913Dinamo Zugdidi

Participation per club

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

Team
Algeti6
Odishi 19196
Skuri5
Sulori5
WIT Georgia-25
Betlemi4
Margveti 20064
Merani-2 Martvili4
Samegrelo4
Didube3
Egrisi3
Iberia3
Imereti3
Team
Magaroeli3
Samgurali-23
Borjomi2
Matchakhela2
Merani-2 Tbilisi2
Shturmi2
Varketili2
Varketili-22
Zestafoni2
Chikhura1
Dinamo Tbilisi-21
Dinamo Zugdidi1
Gagra-21
Team
Gareji1
Gonio1
Irao1
Kolkheti-2 19131
Locomotive-21
Mertskhali1
Spaeri1
Tbilisi1
Tbilisi City1
Torpedo-21
Zana1
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.