FC Sioni Bolnisi

History

The football club in Bolnisi was founded in 1936. For years they took part in Georgian domestic competitions under the name Madneuli. While being in the second division in early 1990s, the team emerged among the candidates challenging for the top league.

For the first time Sioni participated in Umaglesi Liga in the 1995/96 season and after initial several years made significant progress towards joining ambitious clubs vying for titles.

In 2002, they reached the Cup final, although failed to prevail over Dinamo Tbilisi.

In the 2003/04 season, Sioni and WIT Georgia shared the first position in the league, and the title was decided in a championship play-off. WIT won the game 2–0, but a crowd violence during the match led UEFA to ban Sioni from the UEFA Cup participation.{{cite web | author-link = Reuters | access-date = 2008-07-30 | archive-date = 2012-02-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120204145428/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=302080&cc=5739 | url-status = dead

The third attempt two years later turned out successful. The club set a remarkable unbeaten home record by winning 14 games out of 15 and ended the season five points clear of a main rival. Kakha Tskhadadze became Manager of the Year, while striker Koka Mikuchadze, who scored 19 goals, was named in the symbolic team of the season. Sioni represented Georgia in the UEFA Champions League 2006-07, where they defeated FK Baku from Azerbaijan in the first qualifying round, | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070712160154/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2006/round=2354/index.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 12, 2007 | access-date = 2008-07-30 }} but were eliminated by Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia in the second stage, losing 2–0 both home and away. | archive-url = https://archive.today/20070713025206/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2006/round=2355/index.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 13, 2007 | access-date = 2008-07-30 }}

As champions, in January 2007 Sioni participated in the CIS Cup in Moscow where they defeated two opponents out of three, although failed to qualify for the play-offs on goal difference.

Sioni achieved another league success in 2013/14. Under Vladimir Burduli the club, strengthened by some experienced players, including former national team members Valeri Abramidze and Revaz Kemoklidze, won the bronze medals. Two years later Sioni played in the national Cup final for the second time in fifteen years. Soon their performance deteriorated, which saw the team relegated to Liga 2 for the first time in the last two decades.

Following a two-year tenure in the second division, Sioni secured another promotion in 2021. The team topped the league from the very beginning and, although slipped up in midseason which resulted in the sacking of the manager, eventually they comfortably won the championship contest.

Sioni spent the entire 2022 season in battles to move out of the drop zone. Due to poor results, the club twice replaced managers during the year. At the end of the season, they lost both play-off ties to Samtredia and suffered a third relegation in seven seasons.

Seasons

Domestic leagues

Notes

Overall

Seasons spent in Georgian leagues since 1990:

● Umaglesi Liga / Erovnuli Liga (1st tier): 25

● Pirveli Liga / Erovnuli Liga 2 (2nd tier): 12

● Meore Liga (3rd tier): 1

Correct up to 2026 season

European football

Current squad

As of 10 March 2025

Managers

• Georgia Kakha Tskhadadze (Dec 31, 2005 – Aug 31, 2006)
• Georgia Giorgi Kipshidze (Jul 1, 2007 – Jun 30, 2008)
• Georgia Otar Korgalidze (Jul 1, 2008 – Jun 30, 2009)
• Georgia Temur Makharadze (Jul 1, 2008 – Jun 30, 2010)
• Georgia Giorgi Kipshidze (Jul 1, 2010 – Mar 19, 2011)
• Georgia Khvicha Kasrashvili (Mar 18, 2011–1?)
• Georgia Vakhtang Chagelishvili (Jul 1, 2011–1?)
• Georgia Levan Bajelidze (Sept 15, 2011 – Jan 12, 2012)
• Georgia Khvicha Kasrashvili (Jan 15 – Aug 27, 2012)
• Georgia Armaz Jeladze (Aug 28, 2012 – Jun 1, 2013)
• Georgia Giorgi Kiknadze (Jun 1, 2013–Oct, 2013)
• Georgia Vladimir Burduli (Oct, 2013–)
• Georgia Koba Zhorzhikashvili (2017–2018)
• Georgia Teimuraz Shalamberidze (2018–2019)
• Georgia Davit Kokiashvili (February - July 2020)
• Georgia Varlam Kilasonia (July 2020 - June 2021)
• GeorgiaIsrael Giorgi Daraselia (June 2021 - March 2022)
• Georgia Ucha Sosiashvili (March - November 2022)
• Georgia Giorgi Chelidze (November - December 2022)
• Georgia Koba Zhorzhikashvili (February - June 2023)
• Georgia Giorgi Okropiridze (June 2023 - March 2024)
• Georgia Giorgi Devdariani (March – June 2024)
• Georgia Gaga Kirkitadze (June – September 2024)
• Georgia Giorgi Chelidze (October 2024 – May 2025)
• Georgia Varlam Kilasonia (May - December 2025)
• Georgia Ucha Sosiashvili (since January 2026)

Honours

• Umaglesi Liga/Erovnuli Liga
  • Winners (1): 2005–06
  • Runners-up (1): 2003-04
  • Third place (1): 2013-14
• Pirveli Liga/Erovnuli Liga 2
  • Winners (2): 1994–95 (East), 2021
  • Third place (2): 2017, 2024
• Georgian Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 2002-03, 2015-16

Sponsors

Rich Metals Group, engaged in mining activities near Bolnisi, signed a first sponsorship contract with Sioni in 2016.

Name

While Sioni is a Georgian equivalent of Zion, the football club is named after Bolnisi Sioni, the fifth century cathedral located near the current municipal centre.

References

References

1. "The Cup final of 2001/02 (in Georgian)".
2. "Umaglesi Liga, 2005-06".
3. "CIS tournament 2007". wildstat.com.
4. (18 May 2016). "თბილისის "დინამომ" საქართველოს თასი მოიპოვა".
5. (6 December 2016). "სიონი" ამ საუკუნეში პირველად გავარდა".
6. "ბოლნისის "სიონი" ეროვნული ლიგა 2-ის გამარჯვებულია".
7. "სიონი ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაბრუნდა".
8. (11 December 2022). "სამტრედია" ეროვნულ ლიგაში დაბრუნდა, "სიონი" ლიგა 2-ში გავარდა".
9. "Sioni squad in 2025".
10. (3 October 2016). "ბოლნისის "სიონს" კომპანია RMG დააფინანსებს".