Givi Chokheli

Givi Dmitriyevich Chokheli (Georgian: გივი ჩოხელი; Russian: Гиви Дмитриевич Чохели) (27 June 1937 in Telavi - 25 February 1994 in Tbilisi) was a Georgian football defender.[1]

Givi Chokheli

Personal information
Full name	Givi Dmitriyevich Chokheli
Date of birth	(1937-06-27)27 June 1937
Place of birth	Telavi, Georgian SSR, USSR
Date of death	25 February 1994(1994-02-25) (aged 56)
Place of death	Tbilisi, Georgia
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1956	Nadikvari Telavi
1956–1965	Dinamo Tbilisi	159	(4)
National team
1960–1962	USSR	19	(0)
Teams managed
1966–1968	Dinamo Tbilisi (assistant)
1969–1970	Dinamo Tbilisi
1971–1972	Dinamo Tbilisi (assistant)
1974	Dinamo Tbilisi
Honours Representing  Soviet Union UEFA European Championship Winner 1960 France
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Chokheli played most of his career for Dinamo Tbilisi. After ending his playing career he worked in various coaching positions for Dinamo Tbilisi and in 1969-1970 and 1974 was a head coach. He was classified as a Master of Sport of the USSR in 1959.

He played for Soviet Union national team (19 matches), and was a participant at the 1962 FIFA World Cup and at the 1960 UEFA European Football Championship, where the Soviet Union won the gold medal. The Soviet back line was anchored by the famous trio of Chokheli, Anatoli Maslyonkin, and Anatoly Krutikov in the early 1960s.[1]

The statue of Chokheli in front of Municipal Stadium, Telavi.

Telavi's Municipal Stadium features a statue of Chokheli in front of it.