Liga 3 (Georgian: ლიგა 3), organized by the Georgian Football Federation, is the third division of professional football in Georgia. Introduced for the 2017 season with the launch of the Erovnuli Liga, it is a rebrand of the former Meore Liga (the Second League).
| Founded | 2017
|
|---|---|
| Country |  Georgia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Erovnuli Liga 2 |
| Relegation to | Liga 4 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Georgian Cup |
| Current champions | Aragvi (1st title) (2023) |
| Website | liga.gff.ge |
| Current: 2024 Liga 3 | |
The current holders are Aragvi.
Structure and league system
editThere were 20 teams competing in the league in 2017. In 2019, when Liga 4 was formed, their number was reduced to ten,[1] although after two seasons GFF decided to extend the league to 14 at the expense of two bottom teams from the previous season and two second-placed clubs from Liga 4 While and Red Groups.[2] In 2022, the number of clubs was increased to 16.[3]
Seasons run based on Spring-Autumn system with each team playing an equal amount of home and away games against their league rivals.
The league operates based on a system of promotion and relegation. Starting from the 2022 season, champions and runners-up win automatic promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while the teams that finish in the third and fourth positions book a place in promotion play-off home and away games against respectively the 8th and 7th placed clubs of Liga 2. Three bottom teams are relegated to Liga 4.[4]
In case two or more clubs obtain the same number of points, their head-to-head records are next to be taken into consideration.
Number of teams each season
edit● 2017–18 = 20
● 2019–20 = 10
● 2021 = 14
● 2022–24 = 16
Current members
edit
Sixteen teams will compete in Liga 3 for the 2024 season. Five of them, namely Borjomi, Guria, Merani Martvili, Merani Tbilisi and Zestaponi, have previously played in the top division. There are also two reserve teams of higher league members this season.
The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order.
| Clubs | Position last season | Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betlemi | 2nd in Liga 4 | Keda | Adjara |
| Bakhmaro | 12th | Chokhatauri | Guria |
| Borjomi | 11th | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti |
| Gardabani | 3rd in Liga 4 | Gardabani | Kvemo Kartli |
| Gonio | 1st in Liga 4 | Gonio | Adjara |
| Gori | 8th | Gori | Shida Kartli |
| Guria | 9th | Lanchkhuti | Guria |
| Iberia-2 1999[a] | 7th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Locomotive-2 | 10th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Matchakhela | 14th | Khelvachauri | Adjara |
| Merani M | 9th in Liga 2 | Martvili | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti |
| Merani T | 10th in Liga 2 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Meshakhte | 5th | Tkibuli | Imereti |
| Orbi[b] | 6th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Varketili | 4th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi |
| Zestaponi | 13th | Zestaponi | Imereti |
a Until February 2024 known as Saburtalo-2
b Until January 2024 known as Irao
Results
editGroup Winners of Meore Liga
edit| Season | West | East | Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Chikhura II | Sasco | — |
| 2012–13 | Matchakhela | Kartli 2011 | — |
| 2013–14 | Lazika | Borjomi | — |
| 2014–15 | Imereti | Tskhumi | Liakhvi Tskhinvali |
| 2015–16 | Sulori | Gardabani | Mark Stars |
| 2016 | Betlemi ● Margveti ● Samegrelo | Algeti ● N.Dinamo ● Shevardeni ● Telavi | Gori |
Note: Due to the season being transitional in 2016, none of the teams was promoted
Top three teams of Liga 3
edit| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Shevardeni 1906 | Norchi Dinamo | Telavi |
| 2018 | Zugdidi | Bakhmaro | Guria |
| 2019 | Merani Martvili | Samgurali | Aragvi |
| 2020 | Gareji | Kolkheti 1913 | Gori |
| 2021 | Spaeri | Kolkheti 1913 | Tbilisi City |
| 2022 | Dinamo Tbilisi-2 | Kolkheti 1913 | Aragvi |
| 2023 | Aragvi | Shturmi | Rustavi |
| 2024 | Gonio | ● TBD | ● TBD |
Notes: Apart from the champions who were automatically promoted to the second division, the teams indicated in bold gained promotion after winning the play-offs against their Liga 2 rivals. Due to the changed format, in 2022 and 2023, the runner-ups of the seasons were also promoted directly.
Relegated teams
editThe number of relegated teams per each recent season varies due to the fact that the competition format is subject to frequent changes.
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Odishi 1919 ● Chkherimela ● Liakhvi Tskhinvali ● Sapovnela |
| 2018 | Samegrelo ● Magaroeli ● Varketili ● Algeti ● Mark Stars ● Imereti ● Gardabani ● Sulori ● Samgurali-2 ● Machakhela |
| 2019 | Borjomi ● Betlemi |
| 2020 | NONE |
| 2021 | Magaroeli ● Didube |
| 2022 | Tbilisi City* |
| 2023 | Merani-2 ● Chikhura |
| 2024 | TBD ● TBD ● Guria |
Note: Tbilisi City failed to obtain a league license for the 2023 season.
Participation per club
editIncluding the 2024 season there have been 45 teams in total competing in this league since 2017. Gori are topping the list with an overall nine-year continuous tenure in the third tier, including all the eight seasons after its re-branding as Liga 3.
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|
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As of 2024 their current status is:
| Erovnuli Liga | 3 | |
| Erovnuli Liga 2 | 7 | |
| Liga 3 | 16 | |
| Liga 4 | 9 | |
| Regionuli Liga | 3 | |
| Defunct | 7 |
References
edit- ^ "2019 regular season". soccerway.com.
- ^ "სფფ-ს აღმასკომი - ცვლილებები Crystalbet ეროვნულ ლიგაში". crystalsport.ge (in Georgian), 25 January 2021.
- ^ "2022 წლიდან ლიგა 2-ში და ლიგა 3-ში გუნდების რაოდენობა იზრდება". primesport.ge (in Georgian), 12 February 2021.
- ^ "სფფ-ში აღმასრულებელი კომიტეტის სხდომა გაიმართა". gff.ge (in Georgian), 22 February 2022.