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Valeri Qazaishvili

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Valeri "Vako" Qazaishvili[1] (born 29 January 1993) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chinese Super League club Shandong Taishan and the Georgia national team.

Valeri Qazaishvili
Qazaishvili playing for San Jose in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1993-01-29) 29 January 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Ozurgeti, Georgia
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Shandong Taishan
Number 10
Youth career
0000–2010 Saburtalo Tbilisi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Saburtalo Tbilisi 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Metalurgi Rustavi (loan) 9 (1)
2011 → Sioni (loan) 0 (0)
2011–2017 Vitesse 106 (26)
2016–2017 → Legia Warsaw (loan) 12 (1)
2017–2020 San Jose Earthquakes 96 (27)
2021–2023 Ulsan Hyundai 106 (28)
2024– Shandong Taishan 20 (5)
International career‡
2009–2010 Georgia U17 6 (3)
2010–2011 Georgia U19 6 (2)
2011–2013 Georgia U21 11 (4)
2014–2022 Georgia 62 (13)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 July 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 June 2022

Qazaishvili began his career in his native country before moving to Eredivisie side Vitesse in 2011. He spent the 2016–17 season on loan at Legia Warsaw, where he won the Ekstraklasa and played in the UEFA Champions League. He then joined the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer, where he spent four seasons.

He made his debut for Georgia's national team in 2014.

Club career

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Qazaishvili in 2016

Vitesse

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Starting his footballing career in his native country, Georgia. Qazaishvili made several appearances for Metalurgi Rustavi and Sioni whilst on loan from Saburtalo Tbilisi before joining Dutch side Vitesse in 2011.[2][3] After impressing with the Vitesse youth sides, Qazaishvili was given his debut on 27 November 2011, in a 0–0 draw with Twente, starting the fixture before being replaced by Georgian teammate Giorgi Chanturia in the 65th minute.[4] A week later, he scored his first Vitesse goal in a 4–0 victory over RKC Waalwijk, netting in the 21st minute to make it 2–0.[5] In the later years of Qazaishvili's spell with Vitesse, he became a key figure, especially in their 2014–15 and 2015–16 campaigns, netting nineteen times between the two.[6]

Legia Warsaw (loan)

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On 31 August 2016, Qazaishvili joined Polish side Legia Warsaw on a season-long loan.[7] On 14 September 2016, he made his Legia Warsaw debut in a 6–0 home defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the opening matchday of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League.[8] On 1 October 2016, he made his league debut for Legia Warsaw in a 3–0 victory over Lechia Gdańsk, replacing Guilherme in the 76th minute.[9] On 14 May 2017, Qazaishvili scored his first and only goal for Legia Warsaw in their 6–0 home victory over Nieciecza, coming off the bench to seal the win, netting in the 88th minute.[10]

Following the conclusion of the 2016–17 campaign, Qazaishvili returned to Vitesse after appearing sixteen times and scoring once (in all competitions) for Legia Warsaw. After leaving Legia, he stated that he was disappointed with the loan and with Legia coach Jacek Magiera, who Qazaishvili said told him from the very beginning of the loan that he did not have a place with the team. However, he was pleased to have the opportunity to play in the Champions League and alongside players like Nemanja Nikolić, who he would later compete against in MLS.[11]

San Jose Earthquakes

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Qazaishvili warming up for San Jose against the Colorado Rapids at Avaya Stadium on 29 July 2017

On 22 June 2017, Qazaishvili joined American side San Jose Earthquakes as a Designated Player, the team's youngest ever, after a six-year spell with Vitesse.[12] He was introduced at the club on 10 July 2017, by General Manager Jesse Fioranelli during halftime of San Jose's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal victory over the LA Galaxy; Georgian basketball player Zaza Pachulia, who was playing for the Golden State Warriors at the time, was present at the ceremony as well.[13] His club debut came in a friendly match four days later on 14 July as a 63rd minute substitution in San Jose's 4–1 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt.[14] Qazaishvili scored in his MLS debut on 19 July, coming on as a halftime substitution for Danny Hoesen against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena and scoring San Jose's lone goal of the 5–1 defeat in the 88th minute off of a cross by Jahmir Hyka.[15] He first started for the Earthquakes on 9 August during the team's U.S. Open Cup semifinal loss against Sporting Kansas City, earning an assist on Hoesen's goal and converting his penalty when the game was settled with a penalty shootout.[16] During his first MLS start, at home against the Philadelphia Union on 19 August, Qazaishvili scored his second league goal, assisted by Tommy Thompson.[17]

San Jose declined Qazaishvili's contract option following their 2020 season.[18]

Ulsan Hyundai

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On 16 February 2021, Qazaishvili signed with K League 1 side Ulsan Hyundai.[19]

Shandong Taishan

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On 26 January 2024, Qazaishvili joined Chinese Super League club Shandong Taishan.[20]

International career

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Qazaishvili with the Georgian national team in 2016.

Qazaishvili has represented Georgia at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels before making his senior debut in 2014 in 2–0 victory over Liechtenstein, in which he replaced Avtandil Ebralidze at half-time.

Qazaishvili became a regular with the senior squad, and was a part of Georgia's unsuccessful 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification run in 2017. He scored in Georgia's 2–2 draw with Moldova on 11 June, keeping qualification hopes alive, and again in Georgia's 1–1 tie with Ireland on 2 September.[21][22] He played in the remaining qualifying matches as well, against Austria, Wales, and Serbia, but Georgia ultimately failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[23]

Personal life

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Qazaishvili was born in Ozurgeti, but grew up in the Vake-Saburtalo District of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. His mother is a Georgian teacher, and his father is a factory engineer; he has a younger brother, Beka, who is eighteen months younger than him. In 2011, Qazaishvili married his wife Gvantsa, whom he met growing up in Saburtalo, and their daughter Emilia was born in 2015.[24] He received his U.S. green card in January 2019, which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[25]

Qazaishvili is close friends with Georgia national teammate Guram Kashia, whom he met playing for Vitesse and who joined him in San Jose in 2018.[26] He said of his move to the Netherlands as a teenager that his friendships with Kashia and fellow Georgian teammate at Vitesse Giorgi Chanturia, whom he knew and had played football with from his childhood, helped what was otherwise a difficult move to a new country at a young age.[27]

Qazaishvili is a fan of and influenced by Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Italian footballer Alessandro del Piero.

Career statistics

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Club

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As of matches played 12 December 2023[6]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Metalurgi Rustavi 2009–10 Umaglesi Liga 2 0 0 0 — — 2 0
2010–11 7 1 1 0 — 1[b] 0 9 1
Total 9 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 11 1
Vitesse 2011–12 Eredivisie 4 1 0 0 — 0 0 4 1
2012–13 5 0 1 0 0 0 — 6 0
2013–14 26 4 3 0 2[c] 0 1[d] 0 32 4
2014–15 33 9 3 1 — 4[d] 2 40 12
2015–16 33 10 1 0 2[c] 0 — 36 10
2016–17 3 1 0 0 — — 3 1
Total 104 25 8 1 4 0 5 2 121 28
Legia Warsaw (loan) 2016–17 Ekstraklasa 12 1 0 0 4[e] 0 — 16 1
San Jose Earthquakes 2017 Major League Soccer 13 5 1 0 — 1[f] 0 15 5
2018 33 10 0 0 — — 33 10
2019 32 8 2 3 — — 34 11
2020 15 3 — — 5[g] 1 20 4
Total 93 26 3 3 0 0 6 1 102 30
Ulsan Hyundai 2021 K League 1 34 9 2 1 8[h] 4 — 44 14
2022 37 8 2 0 7[h] 2 — 46 10
2023 35 11 2 0 5[h] 0 — 42 11
Total 106 28 6 1 20 6 0 0 132 35
Career total 324 81 18 5 27 6 13 3 382 95
  1. ^ Includes Georgian Cup, KNVB Cup, Polish Cup, U.S. Open Cup, Korean FA Cup
  2. ^ SUC
  3. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Eredivisie European play-offs
  5. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Appearance in MLS Cup Playoffs
  7. ^ Appearances in MLS is Back Tournament
  8. ^ a b c Appearances in AFC Champions League

International

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As of 29 March 2022[28]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Georgia 2014 4 0
2015 9 3
2016 8 1
2017 10 2
2018 8 4
2019 8 0
2020 6 1
2021 3 0
2022 2 0
Total 58 11
Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Qazaishvili goal.
List of international goals scored by Valeri Qazaishvili[28]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 March 2015 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Malta 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2 4 September 2015 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Scotland 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
3 8 October 2015 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Gibraltar 4–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
4 12 November 2016 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Moldova 1–0 1–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 11 June 2017 Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova   Moldova 2–2 2–2 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 2 September 2017 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Republic of Ireland 1–1 1–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 24 March 2018 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Lithuania 3–0 4–0 Friendly
8 27 March 2018 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Estonia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
9 13 October 2018 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Andorra 1–0 3–0 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D
10 2–0
11 15 November 2020 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Armenia 1–1 1–2 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C
12 2 June 2022 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Gibraltar 4–0 4–0 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C
13 5 June 2022 Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria   Bulgaria 5–1 5–2 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C

Honours

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Legia Warsaw

Ulsan Hyundai

Individual

References

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  1. ^ Georgian: ვალერი "ვაკო" ყაზაიშვილი, romanized: valeri "vak'o" q'azaishvili, pronounced [valeɾi vakʼo qʼazaiʃʷili]
  2. ^ "Valeri Qazaishvili". From Arnhem With Love. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  3. ^ Vitesse legt Kazaishvili voor 3 jaar vast; Vitesse official web-site, 9 August 2011
  4. ^ "Twente vs. Vitesse". Soccerway. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Vitesse vs. RKC Waalwijk". Soccerway. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. ^ a b "V. Qazaishvili". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Vitesse Qazaishvili rents to Legia Warsaw". NU Sport. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Legia Warszawa vs. Borussia Dortmund". Soccerway. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Legia Warszawa vs. Lechia Gdańsk". Soccerway. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Legia Warszawa vs. Nieciecza". Soccerway. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  11. ^ "ვაკო ყაზაიშვილი: მე უკვე მივიღე მწარე გამოცდილება" (in Georgian). sportall.ge. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  12. ^ "NEWS: Earthquakes Sign Valeri 'Vako' Qazaishvili as Designated Player". San Jose Earthquakes Official Site. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  13. ^ "Earthquakes hope new Designated Player "Vako" Qazaishvili is a cornerstone". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  14. ^ "RECAP: Earthquakes Defeat Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  15. ^ "Timeline: New York Red Bulls vs San Jose Earthquakes 07/19/2017". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  16. ^ "RECAP: Earthquakes Fall to Sporting KC in Penalty Kick Shootout in U.S. Open Cup Semifinal". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  17. ^ "RECAP: Last-gasp Wondo goal brings Quakes level with Union". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  18. ^ "NEWS: Earthquakes announce roster moves ahead of 2021 MLS season | San Jose Earthquakes".
  19. ^ "[오피셜]울산현대, 조지아 국가대표 공격형 미드필더 '바코' 영입!" [Official - Ulsan Hyundai, Georgia national team offensive midfielder “Barko” recruited!]. Ulsan Hyundai Official Facebook Page (in Korean). 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  20. ^ "球员加盟公告" (in Chinese). dongqiudi. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Moldova 2-2 Georgia". UEFA. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland". UEFA. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Georgia". UEFA. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  24. ^ Muscroft, Charlotte. "FEATURE: Quakes designated player Vako opens up about his childhood, life as a family man and moving to San Jose". sjearthquakes.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  25. ^ "NEWS: Earthquakes Midfielder Vako Obtains Green Card". Earthquakes Communications.
  26. ^ Soria, Joel (2 August 2019). "How Vako went from outcast to centerpiece for surging San Jose Earthquakes". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  27. ^ Muscroft, Charlotte (27 July 2018). "FEATURE: Quakes designated player Vako opens up about his childhood, life as a family man and moving to San Jose". sjearthquakes.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  28. ^ a b "Kazaishvili, Valeri". National Football Teams. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  29. ^ "[Goal Live] 주민규·홍정호 등 K리그1 베스트11 선정…울산 4명으로 최다".
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