FC Samtredia

FC Samtredia (), commonly known simply as Samtredia, is a Georgian association football club based in Samtredia, Georgia. The club plays in the Erovnuli Liga, the first tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Erosi Manjgaladze Stadium.
History.
In the Soviet leagues.
Established in 1936, Samtredia spent years in the Georgian championship before the club obtained the right to participate in Soviet Second League, the third tier of the Soviet football system. Several times Lokomotivi Samtredia finished their season 2nd, twice won the league, although eventually failed to win the knock-out stages of the competition against winners of other two zones. 
Below are all-time results of FC Samtredia during these 17 consecutive seasons in the Second league.
Following the 1989 season the Samtredian team as well as all other Georgian clubs withdrew from their relevant Soviet leagues after Georgian Football Federation broke ties with the Soviet Football Federation and formed an independent championship.
After Independence.
Sanavardo Samtredia became member of a new national Umaglesi liga. 
While twice, in 1993/94 and 1995/96, Samtredia finished in 4th place, in 1994/1995 they ended the season with the silver, which implied qualification for preliminary round of UEFA Cup. The debut in European football competitions turned out unsuccessful, though.
In 2014/15 Samtredia reached the final of David Kipiani Cup. In previous rounds they had knocked out four opponents, including contenders for the title Dinamo Batumi, Torpedo Kutaisi and Chikhura, but resistance offered to Dinamo Tbilisi proved insuffiecent.
The most fruitful period for Samtredia was in mid-2010s when they finished among top three teams of Umaglesi liga for three seasons in a row. Moreover, in a transitional competition in 2016, under head coach Giorgi Tsetsadze they became champions for the first time in their history after victory over Chikhura Sachkhere in the championship playoffs.
Samtredia completed the season with the double after they beat Georgian Cup holders Torpedo Kutaisi in the Super Cup game.
In 2019 the club played in Liga 2, although returned to the top division after one season. Manager Kakhaber Kacharava, who led the Samtredia back to the top flight, had to quit the club in September 2020 after just one point earned in last five league games and a shock Cup defeat from Liga 3 minnows Tbilisi City.
New head coach Giorgi Mikadze steered Samtredia away from the relegation zone, although in February 2021 he was replaced by Giorgi Tsetsadze, who once brought the club to their only champion's title. 
Distinguished players.
Born in Samtredia, Kаkha Kaladze began his football career at the age of 11 in FC Samtredia's junior team as a striker.
Current squad.
"As of 23 March 2021"
Honours.
Erovnuli Liga
Georgian Super Cup
Name.
Throughout their history Samtredia have also been named Lokomotivi, Sanavardo, Juba and Iberia with the current name regained in 2006.
"Samtredia" literally means a place where pigeons reside and comes from Georgian word "mtredi" - pigeon.