Zurab Tsiskaridze[2] (Georgian: ზურაბ ცისკარიძე; born 8 September 1986)[3] is a Georgian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.[4]
 Tsiskaridze with Amkar Perm in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zurab Tsiskaridze Jr. | ||
| Date of birth | 8 September 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgian SSR | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Agrykola Warszawa[1] | |||
| 2000–2003 | Legia Warsaw | ||
| 2004 | Inter de Limeira | ||
| 2005–2006 | Barueri | ||
| 2007–2008 | Sète 34 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008 | Sète 34 | 7 | (0) |
| 2009 | Miami FC | 17 | (1) |
| 2010 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 27 | (0) |
| 2011 | Montreal Impact | 10 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Amkar Perm | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Jönköpings Södra | 31 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Bangkok Glass | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | San Antonio Scorpions | 17 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | FK Teplice | 11 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Eskilstuna | 48 | (1) |
| 2019 | Al-Hazem | 13 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Al-Jabalain | 21 | (1) |
| 2020 | RoPS | 15 | (1) |
| 2021 | Vasalund | 12 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Åtvidaberg | 3 | (0) |
| 2023 | Husqvarna FF | ||
| International career | |||
| 2016 | Georgia | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editTsiskaridze was born in the Georgian SSR prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.[5] During early childhood, he moved to Poland where he lived for 10 years in the city of Warsaw with his family. Later on he moved around the globe pursuing his professional career.[citation needed]
Career
editYouth
editHe began his career 2004 in Brazil with the U-20 team with Limeira based club Associação Atlética Internacional and played then the first six months in 2005 with the U-20 side of Grêmio Recreativo Barueri.[6] He earned himself a tryout with D.C. United before his senior year of high school, but was not offered a contract by the team, who advised him to play college soccer. Instead, Tsiskaridze left school to pursue a professional soccer career, travelling to Brazil and France, among other countries.[5]
Professional
editTsiskaridze spent time with the Kansas City Wizards reserves in 2007,[7] but when offered the minimum salary contract, he decided to pursue his dream of playing in Europe. He spent eighteen months with the reserve and first team of FC Sète, and in 2008 played seven games in the French third division Championnat National.[3]
Tsiskaridze was signed by USL First Division side Miami FC in April 2009, after impressing Zinho and the coaching staff during an open tryout. Tsiskaridze had traveled all the way from France for the event.[2][8] He played 18 games and scored one goal for Miami in his first season in the league.[9] On 2 December 2009, he signed a one-year contract with Vancouver Whitecaps.[10]
On 19 October 2010, the Vancouver Whitecaps released Tsiskaridze, along with five fellow players, citing their need to purge certain players in preparation for their upcoming promotion to Major League Soccer.[11]
On 17 February 2011, he signed a new contract with Montreal Impact for the last season of the club in NASL, before the entry of the Impact in the MLS in 2012.[12] After spending a season in the Russian Premier League he signed a short-term contract with Swedish Superettan club Jönköpings Södra IF in the summer of 2012.[13] At the end of the season he extended his contract for one more year.[14]
Personal life
editHe speaks 7 languages, and ironically, Georgian isn't one of them, as he barely speaks it. He speaks Russian, which he learnt from his stepdad; Polish; English; Portuguese; Spanish; Czech; and French.[15]
His mother was a ballerina, while his father was an opera singer. He is relatives with the ballet dancer Nikolay Tsiskaridze.[15]
During the perestroika, he moved to Poland with his mum and stepdad, while his biological father moved to the United States. Later, he moved to live with his biological father, and graduated school in American.[15]
Career stats
edit| Team | Season | League | Domestic League |
Domestic Playoffs |
Domestic Cup1 |
Concacaf Competition2 |
Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Miami FC | 2009 | USL-1 | 18 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2010 | USSF D2 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 31 | 0 | 1 |
| Montreal Impact | 2011 | NASL | 10 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Total NASL | 54 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 57 | 1 | 2 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Niezwykłe losy gruzińskiego piłkarza, wychowanka Agrykoli Warszawa". eurosport.onet.pl (in Polish). 4 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Miami FC announces latest roster moves". MiamiFC.com. 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009.
Zourab 'Zee' Tsiskaridze
- ^ a b "Zourab Tsiskaridze". WhitecapsFC.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009.
- ^ "Rutinerad försvarare klar för AFC Eskilstuna". afc-eskilstuna.myclub.se (in Swedish).
- ^ a b "Miami FC's Zourab Tsiskaridze Jr.'s journey full of twists and turns". MiamiHerald.com. [dead link]
- ^ "Whitecaps Add Defender Zourab Tsiskaridze". teamradio.ca. [dead link]
- ^ "Win, draw in split-squad scrimmages". kc.wizards.mlsnet.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Miami FC sets its roster". AmericanChronicle.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
- ^ "Meet 'Caps defender Zourab Tsiskaridze". WhitecapsFC.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2010.
- ^ "Whitecaps add Zourab Tsiskaridze". WhitecapsFC.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009.
- ^ "Vancouver Whitecaps release six players as franchise clears room for MLS-worthy talent". VancouverSun.com. [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tsiskaridze and Kreamalmeyer Join Impact". OurSportsCentral.com. 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Tsiskaridze klar för J-Södra och Corea är spelklar". j-sodra.se (in Swedish). [dead link]
- ^ "Christer och Zourab klara för J-Södra". j-sodra.se (in Swedish). [dead link]
- ^ a b c "Поговорили с нетипичным футболистом: знает 7 языков, критикует русских игроков за раздутое эго, ненавидит политиков, ел стрекозу".
External links
edit- "Zurab Tsiskaridze – Vancouver Whitecaps bio (whitecapsfc.com)". Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Miami FC bio (miamifc.com)
- Zourab Tsiskaridze at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)
- Zurab Tsiskaridze at Fotbolltransfers.com (in Swedish)
- Zurab Tsiskaridze at Eurosport.com
- Zurab Tsiskaridze on Instagram