Umaglesi Liga
Season2016
Dates7 August 2016 – 11 December 2016
ChampionsSamtredia
1st Georgian title
RelegatedSioni Bolnisi
Guria Lanchkhuti
Tskhinvali
Zugdidi
Champions LeagueSamtredia
Europa LeagueChikhura Sachkhere
Torpedo Kutaisi
Dinamo Batumi
Matches played86
Goals scored212 (2.47 per match)
2017 →
Statistics include the championship final

The 2016 Umaglesi Liga was a special transitional season of top-tier football in Georgia. Dinamo Tbilisi were the defending champions. This transitional season is a result of the Georgian Football Federation's decision to change the Umaglesi Liga season from an Autumn–Spring schedule to a Spring–Autumn one. The season began on 7 August 2016 and concluded with the second leg of the championship final on 11 December 2016.

Teams and stadiums

Sapovnela Terjola and Merani Martvili were relegated at the end of the previous season; they were not replaced. The league contracted from 16 teams to 14 this season; this will further be reduced to 10 for next season.

2016 Umaglesi Liga is located in Georgia
Chikhura
Dila Gori
Dinamo Batumi
Dinamo Tbilisi
Guria
Kolkheti Poti
Saburtalo
Samtredia
Shukura
Sioni Bolnisi
Tskhinvali
Torpedo
Locomotive
Zugdidi
Locations of teams in 2016 Umaglesi Liga; the coloured marks represent the regular season group placing.
Team Location Venue Capacity
Chikhura Sachkhere Sachkhere Tsentraluri Stadioni 2,000
Dila Gori Gori Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium 5,000
Dinamo Batumi Kobuleti Chele Arena 6,000
Dinamo Tbilisi Tbilisi Boris Paichadze Stadium 54,549
Guria Lanchkhuti Lanchkhuti Evgrapi Shevardnadze Stadium 8,000
Kolkheti Poti Poti Erosi Manjgaladze Stadium 5,000
Locomotive Tbilisi Tbilisi Mikheil Meskhi Stadium 27,223
Saburtalo Tbilisi Tbilisi Stadioni Bendela 2,000
Samtredia Samtredia Erosi Manjgaladze Stadium 5,000
Shukura Kobuleti Kobuleti Chele Arena 6,000
Sioni Bolnisi Bolnisi Tamaz Stepania Stadium 3,242
Torpedo Kutaisi Kutaisi Tsentraluri Stadioni 19,400
Tskhinvali Tskhinvali Mikheil Meskhis Sakhelobis
Stadionis Satadarigo Moedani		 2,500
Zugdidi Zugdidi Tsentraluri Stadioni 2,000

Source: Scoresway

Regular season

For this transitional season only, the 14 teams were divided into two groups of seven teams, Group Red and Group White. Each team played home-and-away against the other six teams within their own group only, resulting in 12 games each played (a decrease on the 30 games played in the previous season).

At the end of the regular season, the two group winners, Samtredia and Chikhura Sachkhere, met in the Championship final, this two-legged tie decided the overall champion and the berth for 2017–18 UEFA Champions League; the loser had the consolation of a berth in 2017–18 UEFA Europa League.

The four teams finishing in second and third in each group took part in the Bronze play-offs, the winning team clinched overall third place in the league (and bronze medals), and also a berth in 2017–18 UEFA Europa League.

The fifth and sixth-placed teams took part in relegation play-offs, the two losers joined the two bottom-placed teams in the 2017 Erovnuli Liga 2.

Group Red

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Samtredia (C, O) 12 8 3 1 27 9 +18 27 Qualification to Championship final
2 Dinamo Batumi (O) 12 5 5 2 20 5 +15 20 Qualification to Bronze play-offs
3 Saburtalo Tbilisi 12 5 4 3 17 12 +5 19
4 Kolkheti Poti 12 6 0 6 10 18 −8 18
5 Dila Gori (O) 12 5 2 5 13 12 +1 17 Qualification to Relegation play-offs
6 Sioni Bolnisi (R) 12 3 2 7 13 19 −6 11
7 Zugdidi (R) 12 2 0 10 5 30 −25 6 Relegation to Erovnuli Liga 2
Source: UEFA, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.[1]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Home \ Away DIL DBA KOL SAB SAM SIO ZUG
Dila Gori — 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–2 2–1 4–1
Dinamo Batumi 3–1 — 0–1 0–1 1–1 0–0 5–0
Kolkheti Poti 0–1 0–5 — 1–0 1–3 1–0 2–0
Saburtalo Tbilisi 2–1 0–0 6–1 — 2–2 1–1 3–1
Samtredia 0–2 1–1 2–0 3–0 — 4–1 1–0
Sioni 2–0 0–3 0–2 1–2 0–3 — 4–1
Zugdidi 1–0 0–2 0–1 1–0 0–5 0–3 —
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group White

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Chikhura Sachkhere 12 9 2 1 27 11 +16 29 Qualification to Championship final
2 Dinamo Tbilisi 12 6 5 1 17 5 +12 23 Qualification to Bronze play-offs
3 Torpedo Kutaisi 12 4 3 5 16 12 +4 15[a] Qualification to EL first qualifying round and Bronze play-offs[b]
4 Locomotive Tbilisi 12 4 3 5 11 18 −7 15[a]
5 Shukura Kobuleti (O) 12 2 6 4 10 13 −3 12 Qualification to Relegation play-offs
6 Guria Lanchkhuti (R) 12 3 2 7 8 21 −13 11
7 Tskhinvali (R) 12 2 3 7 12 21 −9 9 Relegation to Erovnuli Liga 2
Source: UEFA, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.[2]
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Torpedo Kutaisi ahead of Locomotive Tbilisi on head-to-head record; Locomotive Tbilisi–Torpedo Kutaisi 0–0, Torpedo Kutaisi–Locomotive Tbilisi 3–0.
  2. ^ Torpedo Kutaisi qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016 Georgian Cup.
Home \ Away CHI DIN GUR LOC SHU TKU TSK
Chikhura Sachkhere — 0–0 1–2 3–2 1–1 2–1 4–1
Dinamo Tbilisi 1–2 — 3–0 4–0 1–1 0–0 0–0
Guria Lanchkhuti 0–2 0–2 — 1–0 0–0 2–1 0–0
Locomotive Tbilisi 1–4 0–0 2–1 — 1–1 0–0 2–0
Shukura Kobuleti 1–3 0–1 3–1 0–1 — 2–1 1–3
Torpedo Kutaisi 0–3 0–1 5–0 3–0 0–0 — 3–1
Tskhinvali 1–2 2–4 2–1 1–2 0–0 1–2 —
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

The play-offs schedule was unveiled on 15 November 2016.[3]

Bronze play-offs

Semi-finals Final
      
Torpedo Kutaisi 2 0 2
Dinamo Batumi (a) 1 1 2
Dinamo Batumi 1
Dinamo Tbilisi 0
Saburtalo Tbilisi 0 0 0
Dinamo Tbilisi 0 1 1

Semi-finals

Torpedo Kutaisi2–1Dinamo Batumi
Babunashvili 29' (pen.)
Kimadze 65'		 Report Shonia 72'
Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili
Dinamo Batumi1–0Torpedo Kutaisi
Kavtaradze 8' Report
Chele Arena, Kobuleti
Attendance: 700
Referee: Davit Kharitonashvili

2–2 on aggregate. Dinamo Batumi won on away goals.

Saburtalo Tbilisi0–0Dinamo Tbilisi
Report
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 300
Referee: Irakli Kvirikashvili
Dinamo Tbilisi1–0Saburtalo Tbilisi
Zaria 25' Report
Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi
Attendance: 500
Referee: Jener Khorava

Dinamo Tbilisi won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final

Dinamo Batumi1–0Dinamo Tbilisi
Shonia 16' Report
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 300
Referee: Giorgi Vadatchkoria

Dinamo Batumi qualified for the 2017–18 Europa League first qualifying round.

Relegation play-offs

Guria Lanchkhuti0–2Dila Gori
Report Dan Kowa 56'
Etou 82'
Evgrapi Shevardnadze Stadium, Lanchkhuti
Attendance: 400
Referee: Bakur Ninua
Dila Gori0–0Guria Lanchkhuti
Report
Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Gori
Attendance: 300
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili

Dila Gori won 2–0 on aggregate and retained their place for 2017 Erovnuli Liga; Guria Lanchkhuti were relegated to 2017 Erovnuli Liga 2.

Sioni Bolnisi4–3Shukura Kobuleti
Svanidze 16'
Sikharulidze 45+2', 85'
Vasadze 72'		 Report Komakhidze 9'
Konyeha 18'
Shalamberidze 84'
Tamaz Stepania Stadium, Bolnisi
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Giorgi Vadatchkoria
Shukura Kobuleti2–0Sioni Bolnisi
Guruli 40'
Jefinho 90+4'		 Report
Chele Arena, Kobuleti
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Arsen Nonikashvili

Shukura Kobuleti won 5–4 on aggregate and retained their place for 2017 Erovnuli Liga; Sioni Bolnisi were relegated to 2017 Erovnuli Liga 2

Championship final

A draw was made on 28 November 2016 to determine the order of the legs.[4]

Samtredia2–0Chikhura Sachkhere
Zivzivadze 18', 40' Report
Erosi Manjgaladze Stadium, Samtredia
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Lasha Silagava
Chikhura Sachkhere2–2Samtredia
Dekanoidze 82'
Lobzhanidze 90' (pen.)		 Report Arabuli 42' (pen.)
Datunaishvili 59'
Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Lasha Silagava

Samtredia won 4–2 on aggregate and qualified for 2017–18 Champions League second qualifying round; Chikhura Sachkhere qualified for 2017–18 Europa League first qualifying round.

Top goalscorers

Rank Goalscorer Team Goals
1 Georgia (country) Budu Zivzivadze Samtredia 11
2 Georgia (country) Saba Lobzhanidze Chikhura Sachkhere 8
3 Georgia (country) Jaba Dvali FC Tskhinvali 7
4 Georgia (country) Bachana Arabuli Samtredia 6
Georgia (country) Davit Volkovi Sioni Bolnisi 6
6 Georgia (country) Gega Diasamidze Locomotive Tbilisi 5
Georgia (country) Giorgi Kharaishvili Saburtalo Tbilisi 5
Georgia (country) Elguja Lobjanidze Dinamo Batumi 5
Georgia (country) Oleg Mamasakhlisi Torpedo Kutaisi 5
Georgia (country) Temuri Shonia Dinamo Batumi 5

Source: soccerway.com

References

  1. ^ "Umaglesi Liga 2016 - Season rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Umaglesi Liga 2016 - Season rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  3. ^ "საპლეიოფო თარიღები დამტკიცებულია (Events Playoff Approved)" (in Georgian). Georgian Football Federation. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  4. ^ "უმაღლესი ლიგა - რეგულარული სეზონი დასრულდა (League - Regular season ends)" (in Georgian). Georgian Football Federation. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

External links

Top-level football seasons in Georgia
2016 in Georgian football
2016–17 in European men's football (UEFA)
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