FC Matchakhela Khelvachauri

FC Matchakhela is a Georgian football club based in the town of Khelvachauri. They currently compete in Liga 3, the third tier of the national league system.

History
Matchakhela were founded оn the basis of Khelvachauri Sport School in 2011. Amiran Gogitidze, the first head coach, guided the club to Meore Liga, which they won with automatic promotion.

Matchakhela were engaged in inter-Adjarian rivalry with Dinamo Batumi for a second promotion place to Umaglesi Liga for most of the next season, in which eventually the latter prevailed. Overall, the 3rd place taken in 2014 in Liga 2 has been the club's highest point reached in Georgian leagues.

The team concluded the 2014/15 season comfortably in mid-table, but a year later entered a period of instability. Struggling the whole season, they eventually lost a battle for survival.

The 2016 season was transitional in all Georgian football leagues into Spring-Autumn system with a sharp reduction of clubs in each division. Matchakhela failed to remain in the third tier and thus suffered double relegation in successive seasons. Although they managed to climb back to Liga 3 the next year, in 2018 the team finished bottom of the league.

Matchakhela spent two seasons in Regionuli Liga before they won promotion to Liga 4 for 2021. After two more years, they successfully concluded their league campaign under Avtandil Kunchulia and moved back into the third tier. In 2023, the team ended up in the drop zone, but due to the demotion of another club to Liga 4, Matchakhela managed to retain their place in the third division.

Squad
As of 13 March 2024

(C)

Honours
• Pirveli Liga


 *  Third place (1): 2013-14, Group B

• Meore Liga


 *  Winners (1): 2012-13

• Liga 4


 * Third place (1): 2022

• Regionuli Liga (West)


 * Runners-up (2): 2017, 2020

Stadium
Matchakhela hosts home games at Akhalsopeli Central stadium, which has the capacity of 1,000 seats.

Name
The name derives from Machakheli, a geographical area near the border between Georgia and Turkey.