Merab Gigauri (Georgian: მერაბ გიგაური; born 5 January 1993) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays for midfielder for Erovnuli Liga club Torpedo Kutaisi, which he captains.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 January 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Torpedo Kutaisi | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Torpedo Kutaisi | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2014 | Torpedo Kutaisi | 63 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | → Jagiellonia Białystok (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Metalurgi Rustavi | 11 | (2) |
| 2014 | Tskhinvali | 14 | (2) |
| 2015 | Kolkheti 1913 | 14 | (2) |
| 2015 | Tskhinvali | 2 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Kolkheti 1913 | 24 | (3) |
| 2016 | Rustavi | 14 | (4) |
| 2017–2019 | Torpedo Kutaisi | 82 | (2) |
| 2019–2021 | Gabala | 40 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Shamakhi | 24 | (2) |
| 2022– | Torpedo Kutaisi | 58 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2010 | Georgia U17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | Georgia U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2013 | Georgia U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013 | Georgia | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024 | |||
He has played for eight clubs in three countries as well as in all national youth teams.
Gigauri is the winner of Erovnuli Liga, the national Cup and Georgian Super Cup.[1]
Career
editClub
editGigauri started his professional career at Torpedo Kutaisi in 2010. He scored his top-flight goal in a 1–0 win against Zestafoni.[2]
After the first season Gigauri left the club on loan.[3] He made his Ekstraklasa debut for Jagiellonia Białystok on 26 November 2011 in a game against ŁKS Łódź as a 58th-minute substitute for Hermes.[4] Despite the lack of playing time, his desire was to stay on with this club,[5] although he returned to Torpedo after the loan agreement had expired.
In July 2016, he joined Pirveli Liga side Rustavi,[6] who won their league group this season in spite of a six-point deduction.
At the end of 2016 Gigauri moved to Torpedo again,[7] where he earned four trophies, including the league title in 2017.
When a severe financial crisis hit the club in mid-2019, twelve players were forced to find new teams. On 27 June 2019, Gigauri signed a one-year contract with Gabala.[8] During the first fourteen games he was four times included in the symbolic team of the league.[9]
In the summer of 2022, Gigauri started his fourth spell at Torpedo,[10] where he was confirmed as the team captain next May. Gigauri netted his first European goal with Torpedo in 2023. His injury-time leveller against FK Sarajevo helped the team to make it through to the second round of the UEFA Conference League.[11]
On 8 November 2024, Gigauri was greeted with heartwarming gestures from the fans on his 250th appearance for Torpedo in a 1–0 win over Dinamo Batumi.[12]
International
editGigauri made his debut for Georgia national football team on 5 June 2013 in a friendly against Denmark.[13]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 8 November 2024[14]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Torpedo Kutaisi | 2010–11 | Umaglesi Liga | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | Umaglesi Liga | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | Umaglesi Liga | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 63 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 73 | 3 | |||
| Jagiellonia (loan) | 2011–12 | Ekstraklasa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Metalurgi | 2013–14 | Umaglesi Liga | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||
| Tskhinvali | 2014–15 | Umaglesi Liga | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||
| Kolkheti Poti | 2014–15 | Umaglesi Liga | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Tskhinvali | 2015–16 | Umaglesi Liga | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Kolkheti Poti | 2015–16 | Umaglesi Liga | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 | ||
| Rustavi | 2016 | Pirveli Liga | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | 14 | 4 | |||
| Torpedo Kutaisi | 2017 | Erovnuli Liga | 31 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| 2018 | Erovnuli Liga | 32 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 3 | |
| 2019 | Erovnuli Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | ||
| Total | 82 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 100 | 4 | ||
| Gabala | 2019–20 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 47 | 1 | |||
| Shamakhi | 2021–22 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 29 | 2 | |
| Torpedo Kutaisi | 2022 | Erovnuli Liga | 14 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 2 | ||
| 2023 | Erovnuli Liga | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| 2024 | Erovnuli Liga | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| Total | 58 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 77 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 349 | 23 | 42 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 418 | 27 | ||
Honours
editTorpedo Kutaisi[15]
References
edit- ^ "Merab Gigauri". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Torpedo Kutaisi vs Zestafoni". soccerway.com.
- ^ "Merab Gigauri wypożyczony do Jagiellonii" (in Polish). 30 August 2011.
- ^ "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 26 November 2011.
- ^ "Merab Gigauri: "I do not Want to Return to Georgian Championship"". worldsport.ge. 9 May 2012.
- ^ "მერაბ გიგაური: ...ამიტომაც მოვედი კილასონიასთან". sportall.ge (in Georgian). 8 July 2016.
- ^ "მერაბ გიგაური „ტორპედოს" დაუბრუნდა". mysports.ge (in Georgian). 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Qəbələ Merab Qiqaurini rənglərinə bağladı". gabalafc.az/ (in Azerbaijani). Gabala FK. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "ქართველები აზერბაიჯანში საუკეთესოებში არიან". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 24 December 2019.
- ^ "გიგაური „ტორპედოში" დაბრუნდა - ნახევარმცველი 7-ნომრიანი მაისურით ითამაშებს". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Sarajevo vs Torpedo". uefa.com. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "მერაბ გიგაურმა "ტორპედოს" ფორმით 250-ე მატჩი ჩაატარა". infoimereti.ge (in Georgian). 9 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Denmark v Georgia game report". Eurosport. 5 June 2013.
- ^ "M.Gigauri". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Merab Gigauri". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
External links
edit- Merab Gigauri at Soccerway
- Merab Gigauri at National-Football-Teams.com
- Merab Gigauri at FootballFacts.ru (in Russian)
