Preview

FC Rustavi was founded in 2015 in the city of the same name. The team quickly rose to the top division, but after two seasons in the Erovnuli Liga (2018 and 2019), they were relegated back to the lower leagues. In the 2025 season, Rustavi won the First League (36 matches, 21 wins, 71 points, goal difference 62-30) and secured promotion back to the Erovnuli Liga, where they will compete in 2026.

The team are managed by 51-year-old Georgian coach Giorgi Tsetsadze, who has been in charge since April 2025. Rustavi feature several foreign players, including two Ukrainians – 22-year-old centre-back Dmytro Dobranskyi and 18-year-old forward Mykyta Slavytskyi. Last season’s top scorers were Brazilian forward Jean (14 goals) and Japanese midfielder Yuta Nakano (10 goals and 7 assists).

During the winter break, Rustavi played four friendly matches: draws against Spaeri (2-2) and Shturmi (1-1), and victories over Dinamo Tbilisi (2-1) and Sogdiana (3-1).