Giorgi Tsitaishvili

Giorgi Tsitaishvili
Tsitaishvili with Lech Poznań in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-11-18) 18 November 2000 (age 23)
Place of birth Rishon LeZion, Israel
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Granada
(on loan from Dynamo Kyiv)
Youth career
2012–2018 Dynamo Kyiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– Dynamo Kyiv 19 (0)
2021Vorskla Poltava (loan) 4 (1)
2021–2022Chornomorets Odesa (loan) 13 (1)
2022Wisła Kraków (loan) 7 (1)
2022–2023Lech Poznań (loan) 12 (1)
2022–2023Lech Poznań II (loan) 5 (0)
2023–2024Dinamo Batumi (loan) 34 (5)
2024–Granada (loan) 11 (1)
International career
2017 Ukraine U17 2 (0)
2018 Ukraine U18 2 (0)
2018–2019 Ukraine U19 12 (5)
2019 Ukraine U20 5 (1)
2019–2020 Ukraine U21 8 (2)
2023 Georgia U21 4 (1)
2021– Georgia 22 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Ukraine
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner 2019 Poland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 November 2024

Giorgi Tsitaishvili (Order of Honor) (Ukrainian: Георгій Климентійович Цітаїшвілі, romanizedHeorhii Klymentiiovych Tsitaishvili; Georgian: გიორგი წიტაიშვილი; born 18 November 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Segunda División club Granada, on loan from Ukrainian Premier League club Dynamo Kyiv. Born in Israel, he plays for the Georgia national team.

Early life

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Tsitaishvili, who is Georgian of Ukrainian descent through his grandmother,[1] was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel. At the time, his father, Klimenti Tsitaishvili, was a footballer playing for Hapoel Rishon LeZion. He is a product of the Dynamo Kyiv youth sportive school.[2]

Club career

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Dynamo Kyiv

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Tsitaishvili playing for Dynamo Kyiv in 2019

Tsitaishvili made his debut for Dynamo in the 2018 Ukrainian Cup Final on 9 May 2018, playing in a match against Shaktar Donetsk.[3] The following season he made his European debut, when he came on as a substitute in Dynamo's 1–0 away loss to FK Jablonec in the UEFA Europa League.

Loan spells in Ukraine

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On 20 December 2020, the manager of Vorskla Poltava, Yuriy Maksymov, announced that Tsitaishvili would be joining his club on a temporary basis.[4]

In July 2021, he moved on loan to Chornomorets Odesa.[5] On 25 July 2021, he made his league debut for Chornomorets in a 3–0 away loss against Desna Chernihiv at the Chernihiv Stadium.[6]

Loan spells in Poland

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On 7 March 2022, following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA announced all the contracts of foreign players in Ukraine would be suspended until 30 June 2022 and they are allowed to sign with clubs outside Ukraine until 30 June 2022.[7] On 6 April 2022, Tsitaishvili moved to Polish Ekstraklasa side Wisła Kraków on a loan until the end of the season.[8] He appeared in seven league games, scoring one goal, before leaving the relegated team on 7 June 2022.

In late June, he left Dynamo's pre-season camp to return to Poland and join defending champions Lech Poznań on a one-year loan spell.[9] On 9 July 2022, he made his competitive debut for Lech as a starter in a 2–0 Polish Super Cup loss against Raków Częstochowa.[10]

Loan to Dinamo Batumi

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In early July 2023, Erovnuli Liga club Dinamo Batumi announced signing Tsitaishvili on a year-long loan deal.[11] He made a debut with Dinamo in a UEFA Europa Conference League game against Tirana on 13 July 2023.[12] Later the same year, the player won the league title with this club.

Loan to Granada

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On 26 July 2024, Tsitaishvili joined Spanish Segunda División side Granada on a one-year loan deal.[13] On 15 August, he took part in an opening match of the season against Albacete.

On 29 September 2024, Tsitaishvili scored his first Spanish goal in a 2-2 draw against Burgos.[14]

International career

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Tsitaishvili was part of the Ukraine national under-20 football team that won the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played in five of his team's seven matches in the tournament, and scored a goal in the final against South Korea.

At senior level, he switched his allegiance to Georgia. He made his debut for the Georgia national team on 2 September 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Kosovo, starting and playing the full match in a 1–0 home loss.[15]

On 26 September 2022, Tsitaishvili scored for the first time for the team in a UEFA Nations League match against Gibraltar to make it 2–0.[16]

Tsitaishvili participated in all four matches of the 2023 European U21 Championship, co-hosted by Georgia. He came off the bench and scored after six minutes against Belgium in a dramatic 2–2 draw.[17]

Tsitaishvili also took part in both of Georgia's UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying play-off, helping the team qualify for their first major competition. Two months later, he received a call-up for Georgia's squad for the final tournament.[18]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 10 November 2024[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental[b] Other[c] Total
League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dynamo Kyiv 2017–18 Ukrainian Premier League 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 0
2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 13 0
2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 19 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 24 0
Vorskla Poltava (loan) 2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League 4 1 0 0 0 0 4 1
Chornomorets Odesa (loan) 2021–22 Ukrainian Premier League 13 1 2 0 0 0 15 1
Wisła Kraków (loan) 2021–22 Ekstraklasa 7 1 0 0 0 0 7 1
Lech Poznań (loan) 2022–23 Ekstraklasa 12 1 1 0 10 0 1 0 24 1
Lech Poznań II (loan) 2022–23 II liga 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Dinamo Batumi (loan) 2023 Erovnuli Liga 17 4 2 1 2 0 0 0 21 5
2024 17 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 1
Total 34 5 2 1 2 0 0 0 38 6
Granada 2024–25 Segunda División 11 1 1 0 12 1
Career total 105 10 8 1 14 0 2 0 129 11

International

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As of match played 14 October 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Georgia 2021 2 0
2022 11 1
2023 1 0
2024 8 0
Total 22 1
Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tsitaishvili goal.
List of international goals scored by Giorgi Tsitaishvili
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 September 2022 Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar  Gibraltar 2–0 2–1 2022–23 UEFA Nations League

Honours

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Dynamo Kyiv

Dynamo Kyiv U19

Dinamo Batumi

Ukraine U20

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Я нікого не зраджував". Цітаішвілі пояснив зміну громадянства (in Ukrainian). ua-football.com. 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ ГЕОРГІЙ ЦИТАЇШВІЛІ (in Ukrainian). FC Dynamo Kyiv Official Site. 14 December 2018.
  3. ^ КУБОК УКРАЇНИ-2018. «ШАХТАР» ПЕРЕМІГ «ДИНАМО» ТА ЗДОБУВ ТРОФЕЙ УДВАНАДЦЯТЕ (in Ukrainian). FFU Official Site. 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Юрий Максимов: "Ворскла" арендует у "Динамо" Цитаишвили"" (in Ukrainian). 20 December 2020.
  5. ^ ""Динамо» віддало групу гравців в оренду «Чорноморцю"" (in Ukrainian). 21 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Desna - Chornomorets". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. ^ "FIFA adopts temporary employment and registration rules to address several issues in relation to war in Ukraine". FIFA. 7 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Georgiy Tsitaishvili piłkarzem Wisły Kraków" (in Polish). Wisła Kraków. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Gio Tsitaishvili dołącza do Kolejorza" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 1 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Tsitaishvili i Sousa z debiutami" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  11. ^ "ოფიციალურად: გიორგი წიტაიშვილი "დინამო ბათუმის" ფეხბურთელია". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 4 July 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Tirana vs Dinamo Batumi". uefa.com. 13 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Comunicado Oficial | Giorgi Tsitaishvili, nuevo jugador del Granada CF" [Official announcement | Giorgi Tsitaishvili, new player of Granada CF] (in Spanish). Granada CF. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Burgos vs Granada match report". espn.com. 29 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Georgia v Kosovo game report". FIFA. 2 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Gibraltar vs Georgia match report". UEFA. 26 September 2022.
  17. ^ "0:2-დან გადარჩენილი ქულა! საქართველო მეოთხედფინალთან ერთ ნაბიჯშია". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 23 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  18. ^ "საქართველოს ნაკრების შემადგენლობა Euro 2024-ზე ცნობილია". bm.ge. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  19. ^ Giorgi Tsitaishvili at Soccerway
  20. ^ "Spirited comeback earns Ukraine first U-20 title". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 June 2019. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019.
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