Giorgi Gvelesiani

Giorgi Gvelesiani (გიორგი გველესიანი; born 5 May 1991) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Iranian club Persepolis and the Georgia national team.

Dinamo Tbilisi
Ending his contract with Dinamo Tbilisi in June 2016, Gvelesiani trained with Ukrainian team Volyn Lutsk soon after. However, his stint there proved transitory as registration problems prevented them from legally letting him play, resulting in him leaving the club in August.

Zob Ahan
Early into summer 2017, the Iranian media spread rumors that a transfer to Persian Gulf Pro League outfit Zob Ahan was imminent for Gvelesiani; he eventually signed for them a few days later. Given a red card for his reckless actions on his debut, the Georgian defender settled well in to the club, forming a good relationship with his teammates and staff.

Nassaji Mazandaran
On 28 July 2018, Gvelesiani joined Iranian club Nassaji Mazandaran on a one-year deal.

Sepahan
On 12 June 2019, Gvelesiani joined Sepahan S.C. on a two-year deal.

Persepolis
On 19 June 2022, Gvelesiani joined Persian Gulf Pro League side Persepolis on a new two-year deal. In December 2022, Gvelesiani gave Persepolis the lead in the 16th minute of Tehran derby against Esteghlal with a header in the box. In the second half, He once again scored with a header in the 89th minute.

He became the first defender in the history of capital derby to score two goals in one game. After his performance in the Tehran derby, he became more popular among Persepolis fans.

He also has become the first choice penalty kick taker at Persepolis. Even in the presence of the team's forwards, he would take penalties. Iranian media wrote about his ability to score penalties.

Among the foreign players in the history of Persepolis club, he is one of the foreign defenders with a significant number of goals. He has usually performed well in important matches for Persepolis, Especially against Esteghlal and Sepahan.

On June 1, 2024, Persepolis played against Mes Rafsanjan on the final game of the season. They had a one point lead over Esteghlal going into the game, needing to win to guarantee the league title. With the score at 0-0 in the 86th minute and Esteghlal winning 2-0, Gvelesiani scored a header to win the game and secure the title.

International career
Gvelesiani was called up to the Georgia national team for the first time in 2015, and made his debut in a friendly match against Montenegro in June 2024.

Gvelesiani was a member of the squad taking part in Georgia's first major tournament. He played in three of the four matches, including against Spain in the knock-out stage.

Style of play
Gvelesiani has a good ability to score goals and helps the team when scoring becomes difficult for the forwards.

Personal life
He has mentioned that his sleep time varies and sometimes he stays up late. He added: "I am not super professional and sometimes I sleep at 2 or 3, eat whatever I want and wake up whenever I want. I don't think football has anything to do with this. Football depends on your personality and that is the most important issue. I try to keep the middle; I am not a fully professional guy and I live a normal life. The secret of success is that I try to give 100% of my game on the field and even in training I always try to win; This is the secret of my personality".

Honours
Dinamo Tbilisi Zob Ahan Sepahan Persepolis
 * Erovnuli Liga: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16; runner-up: 2010–11
 * David Kipiani Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
 * Georgian Super Cup: 2014–15, 2015–16
 * Persian Gulf Pro League runner-up: 2017–18
 * Persian Gulf Pro League runner-up: 2020–21
 * Persian Gulf Pro League: 2022–23, 2023–24
 * Hazfi Cup: 2022–23
 * Iranian Super Cup: 2023