2011–12 Umaglesi Liga

The 2011–12 Umaglesi Liga was the 23rd season of top-tier football in Georgia. It began on 6 August 2011[1] and ended on 21 May 2012.[2] The league added two teams for this season, increasing its size from ten to twelve teams.

Umaglesi Liga
Season2011–12
Dates6 August 2011 – 21 May 2012
ChampionsZestafoni
2nd Georgian title
RelegatedSpartaki-Tskhinvali
Gagra
Champions LeagueZestafoni
Europa LeagueMetalurgi Rustavi
Torpedo Kutaisi
Dila Gori
Matches played138
Goals scored338 (2.45 per match)
Top goalscorerJaba Dvali (20)
Biggest home winWIT 4–0 Baia
Zestafoni 5–1 Dinamo Tbilisi
Biggest away winSpartaki-Tskhinvali 1–5 Zestafoni
Zestafoni 0–4 Dila
Highest scoringTorpedo 5–2 Gagra
Zestafoni 5–2 Spartaki-Tskhinvali
WIT 4–3 Dila

The league was won by Zestafoni, who successfully defended their title. Metalurgi Rustavi, Torpedo Kutaisi and Dila Gori qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, while Spartaki Tskhinvali and Gagra were relegated.

Changes from 2010–11 season

The league expanded from ten to twelve teams for this season. In order to accommodate the additional teams, the competition mode was changed from a single-phase, quadruple round-robin schedule to a double-phase championship.

All twelve teams first played a regular double round-robin schedule for a total of 22 matches, once at home and once away against each opponent. The best eight teams were then admitted to a championship round, while the remaining four teams were to compete with the best two teams of each of the two 2011–12 Pirveli Liga divisions for a total of four free spots in the 2012–13 season.

Teams

Due to the expansion from ten to twelve teams, no teams were directly relegated at the end of the 2010–11 season. However, the ninth- and tenth-placed teams, Spartaki Tskhinvali and FC Samtredia, had to participate in single-match relegation/promotion play-off matches against third- and fourth-placed 2010–11 Pirveli Liga sides Dila Gori and Chikhura Sachkhere. In these matches, Spartaki Tskhinvali retained their Umaglesi Liga berth by beating Chikhura 2–1, while Samtredia were relegated after a 2–0 loss against Dila Gori. Samtredia hence completed a two-year tenure in the league; Dila Gori returned after a three-season absence.

The directly promoted teams from the 2010–11 Pirveli Liga were champions Gagra and runners-up Merani Martvili. Gagra returned to the top Georgian football league after only one season at the second tier, while Merani Martvili made their debut at the highest level of the league pyramid.

In other changes, Olimpi Rustavi were renamed Metalurgi Rustavi prior to this season.

Stadiums and locations

Spartaki Tskhinvali and Gagra play their home matches in Tbilisi due to various inner-Georgian conflicts.

FC WIT Georgia moved from Tbilisi to the newly constructed Mtskheta Park in Mtskheta.

Locations of teams in the 2011–12 Umaglesi Liga
Team Location Venue Capacity
Baia Zugdidi Zugdidi Gulia Tutberidze Stadium 5,000
Dila Gori Gori Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium 5,000
Dinamo Tbilisi Tbilisi Boris Paichadze Stadium 54,549
Gagra Tbilisi Merani Stadium 2,000
Kolkheti Poti Poti Fazisi Stadium 4,000
Merani Martvili Martvili Municipal Stadium 2,000
Metalurgi Rustavi Rustavi Poladi Stadium 6,000
Sioni Bolnisi Bolnisi Tamaz Stephania Stadium 3,000
Spartaki Tskhinvali Tbilisi Mikheil Meskhi Stadium 27,223
Torpedo Kutaisi Kutaisi Givi Kiladze Stadium 14,700
WIT Georgia Mtskheta Mtskheta Park 2,000
Zestafoni Zestaponi David Abashidze Stadium 4,558

First phase

The league began with a regular double-round robin schedule on 6 August 2011 and concluded this phase on 8 March 2012. The best eight teams qualified for the championship round, which will determine the Georgian champions and the participants for the 2012–13 European competitions. The remaining four teams qualified for the promotion/relegation round, where they will have to compete with the best two teams of each of the two 2011–12 Pirveli Liga divisions for four free places in the 2012–13 competition.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Zestafoni 22 17 3 2 45 17 +28 54 Qualification to championship group
2 Dinamo Tbilisi 22 14 3 5 44 24 +20 45
3 Torpedo Kutaisi 22 13 4 5 33 19 +14 43
4 Metalurgi Rustavi 22 9 6 7 25 26 −1 33
5 Merani Martvili 22 9 3 10 23 26 −3 30
6 Baia Zugdidi 22 8 4 10 21 26 −5 28
7 Dila Gori 22 7 5 10 29 28 +1 26
8 Kolkheti Poti 22 6 8 8 19 24 −5 26
9 WIT Georgia 22 6 7 9 23 27 −4 25 Qualification to promotion/relegation group
10 Spartaki Tskhinvali 22 6 6 10 22 32 −10 24
11 Gagra 22 6 3 13 21 32 −11 21
12 Sioni Bolnisi 22 2 6 14 13 37 −24 12
Source: GFF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
The winner of the 2011–12 Georgian Cup will qualify for the first qualifying round of UEFA Europa League.

Results
Home \ Away BAI DIL DIN GAG KOL MER MET SIO SPA TKU WIT ZES
Baia Zugdidi 0–0 2–1 3–0 2–0 1–0 1–2 3–0 1–3 1–1 0–1 1–2
Dila Gori 0–2 1–2 1–0 0–0 3–0 3–1 1–0 1–2 0–1 1–1 0–2
Dinamo Tbilisi 5–1 2–0 3–0 1–1 2–1 2–3 1–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–2
Gagra 0–1 2–1 1–2 1–2 3–0 2–0 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–0 0–1
Kolkheti Poti 0–0 0–1 0–3 2–3 0–1 3–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 2–0 0–2
Merani Martvili 1–0 2–2 2–1 1–0 0–2 1–2 3–0 2–0 1–0 3–0 0–2
Metalurgi Rustavi 2–0 3–1 0–2 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–2 0–0 2–0 0–0 0–0
Sioni Bolnisi 2–0 0–3 0–3 1–3 0–0 0–0 2–2 1–2 1–3 1–1 1–2
Spartaki Tskhinvali 1–2 2–2 1–2 2–1 1–1 1–2 0–1 0–0 2–0 2–1 1–5
Torpedo Kutaisi 0–0 2–1 2–1 5–2 4–1 2–1 3–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 1–2
WIT Georgia 4–0 4–3 2–2 1–0 2–1 0–0 0–2 4–1 0–0 0–1 0–1
Zestafoni 1–0 0–4 5–1 4–1 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–0 5–2 0–1 2–0
Source: GFF
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second phase

This phase began on 12 March 2012 and will end on 21 May 2012.

Championship round

Zestafoni, Dinamo Tbilisi, Torpedo Kutaisi, Metalurgi Rustavi, Merani Martvili, Baia Zugdidi, Dila Gori and Kolkheti Poti ended the first phase in the top eight positions of the table and thus entered the championship round.

The results of the matches among these teams will be used as a base ranking. Each team will then play another double round-robin schedule against every other team.

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Zestafoni (C) 28 16 7 5 52 28 +24 55 Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2 Metalurgi Rustavi 28 17 4 7 39 28 +11 55 Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
3 Torpedo Kutaisi 28 14 6 8 33 25 +8 48
4 Dinamo Tbilisi 28 10 10 8 47 35 +12 40
5 Dila Gori 28 10 7 11 38 32 +6 37 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
6 Kolkheti Poti 28 7 8 13 25 39 −14 29
7 Baia Zugdidi 28 5 7 16 25 48 −23 22
8 Merani Martvili 28 6 3 19 31 55 −24 21
Source: http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=geo/index.html
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion.
Notes:
  1. The winners of the 2011–12 Georgian Cup, Dila Gori, qualified for the second qualifying round of UEFA Europa League.

Results
Home \ Away BAI DIL DIN KOL MER MET TKU ZES
Baia Zugdidi 1–1 2–2 2–3 2–1 0–1 0–2 1–1
Dila Gori 3–1 0–0 5–1 4–2 0–1 1–0 1–2
Dinamo Tbilisi 6–1 0–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–1 1–1
Kolkheti Poti 2–1 0–0 2–1 4–1 0–2 1–0 0–4
Merani Martvili 2–1 1–2 1–3 0–1 2–3 3–0 4–4
Metalurgi Rustavi 4–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 2–0 2–1 0–2
Torpedo Kutaisi 2–1 3–2 1–1 3–1 2–0 0–0 2–1
Zestafoni 4–1 2–3 0–1 2–1 3–0 2–1 0–0
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion/relegation round

WIT Georgia, Spartaki Tskhinvali, Gagra and Sioni Bolnisi finished ninth through twelfth and thus entered the promotion/relegation round, where they will meet the best two teams from each of the two 2011–12 Pirveli Liga divisions. These four teams are Dinamo Batumi, Mertskhali Ozurgeti, Chikhura Sachkhere and Guria Lanchkhuti.

Each team will play another double round-robin schedule against every other team. The best four teams of this round will qualify for the 2012–13 Umaglesi Liga, with the remaining teams beginning the 2012–13 season in the Pirveli Liga.

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Chikhura Sachkhere (P) 14 8 2 4 25 15 +10 26 Qualification to Umaglesi Liga
2 Sioni Bolnisi 14 6 6 2 23 13 +10 24
3 Dinamo Batumi (P) 14 7 3 4 18 13 +5 24
4 WIT Georgia 14 7 2 5 19 11 +8 23
5 Guria Lanchkhuti 14 6 5 3 22 21 +1 23 Relegation to Pirveli Liga
6 Spartaki Tskhinvali (R) 14 6 3 5 19 16 +3 21
7 Gagra (R) 14 3 4 7 14 21 −7 13
8 Mertskhali Ozurgeti 14 0 1 13 3 33 −30 1
Source: http://www.futbol24.com/national/Georgia/Umaglesi-Liga/2011-2012/PromRelegation-Group/
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored.
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.

Results
Home \ Away CHI DBA GAG GUR MOZ SIO SPA WIT
Chikhura Sachkhere 0–0 2–1 5–0 4–0 0–0 0–3 2–0
Dinamo Batumi 2–1 1–0 1–3 4–0 1–1 1–0 2–0
Gagra 2–1 3–0 1–1 0–0 1–2 0–2 0–0
Guria Lanchkhuti 0–2 1–1 2–2 4–0 1–1 2–1 1–0
Mertskhali Ozurgeti 1–2 0–1 0–2 0–2 1–3 0–1 1–2
Sioni Bolnisi 3–1 1–0 2–1 2–3 5–0 1–1 0–0
Spartaki Tskhinvali 2–3 1–3 2–1 2–2 1–0 2–2 1–0
WIT Georgia 1–2 3–1 6–1 3–0 2–0 1–0 1–0
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top goalscorers
Rank Goalscorer Team Goals
1 Jaba Dvali Zestafoni 20
2 Xisco Dinamo Tbilisi 13
3 Dimitri Tatanashvili Metalurgi Rustavi 12
4 Revaz Gotsiridze Torpedo Kutaisi 10
Mate Vatsadze Dila Gori 10
6 Giga Zhvania Merani Martvili 9
7 Tornike Gorgiashvili Zestafoni 8
8 Nikoloz Sabanadze Torpedo Kutaisi 7
Nikoloz Gelashvili Zestafoni 7
Besik Chimakadze WIT Georgia 7
Aleksandre Koshkadze Dinamo Tbilisi 7

See also

References
  1. "Umaglesi Liga, Results and Fixtures".
  2. "Umaglesi Liga, Results and Fixtures".
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