Georgiou Kinkladze
Encyclopedia
Georgi Kinkladze also spelled as Georgiou, Giorgi, or Gio is a Georgian
former footballer, who played as a midfielder
. A playmaker
, he first came to prominence with his performances for Georgia
against Wales
in 1994 and 1995. He transferred from his hometown team Dinamo Tbilisi
to English Premier League club Manchester City
in 1995, where his dribbling ability and spectacular goals made him a cult hero, winning the club's Player of the Year award in two consecutive seasons.
After enduring two relegations
with City, he joined Dutch champions Ajax in 1998, but did not settle and returned to England with Derby County
a little over a year later. He spent four years at Derby, making nearly 100 appearances. After leaving Derby in 2003, he became a journeyman footballer, having unsuccessful trials at several clubs before joining Cypriot club Anorthosis
in 2004, where he won a league championship
medal. He finished his playing career with Russian club Rubin Kazan
in 2006.
, Georgia
, which was then part of the Soviet Union
. As a child, he lived in the Didube district of the city with his father, Robinzon (an engineer), his mother Khatuna (a teacher) and his elder sister. Robinzon was keen to see his son succeed as a footballer, sometimes making him walk around the family home on his knees to strengthen his legs, and enrolled him for Dinamo Tbilisi
's junior side when he was six years old. Khatuna disapproved of some of her husband's methods, instead taking Georgi to lessons in mtiuluri, a traditional Georgian ballet. Over the next few years, Kinkladze played in Dinamo Tbilisi's youth teams, progressing as far as the reserve team
, where he played alongside Shota Arveladze
, who would later become his teammate at both senior and international level.
When Georgian football
formed leagues independent of Soviet competition in 1989, a family friend arranged for Kinkladze to move to Mretebi Tbilisi
, the first openly professional club in the Soviet Union. Mretebi Tbilisi were a smaller club playing at a lower level, but the move gave Kinkladze the opportunity to play first-team football instead of playing for Dinamo's second team. Kinkladze made his professional debut aged 16, and immediately became a first-team regular. In 1991 Kinkladze's Mretebi won the Pirveli Liga
, and won promotion
to the highest division following a play-off.
, the team he represented as a youth, for one million roubles
. In 1991, Georgia became an independent state again, but independence brought civil war
as rival factions fought for control. On 17 September 1992, at the age of 19, Kinkladze made his senior international debut against Azerbaijan
, the Georgian national side's fourth match since breaking from the Soviet Union. Kinkladze's youth-level team-mate Shota Arveladze also played in the match, and the pair combined for one of Georgia's six goals.
In Kinkladze's first season at the club, Dinamo won a league and cup double. However, as the civil war continued, during 1993 the Dinamo Tbilisi management sought to put their players in a more stable environment. As part of this, Kinkladze was sent on loan to 1. FC Saarbrücken
in Germany. Kinkladze made his Saarbrücken debut in a 2. Bundesliga
match against Tennis Borussia Berlin
, a 2–2 draw on 4 March 1994. He was unable to settle into the side at Saarbrücken, rarely playing a full 90 minutes, and was sent off in a 1–3 defeat to Hertha Berlin. At the end of the season, Kinkladze returned to Tbilisi to resume his career in Georgia, where he was named the national Player of the Year
for 1993. Dinamo president Merab Jordania
was still uncomfortable with Kinkladze playing in Georgia amid political instability, and offered the player to Atlético Madrid for approximately £
200,000; they gave him a trial, but no contract. He then trained with Real Madrid
's reserves, where he caught the eye of Boca Juniors
scouts, who took him to Argentina
for a month's loan. Kinkladze met his childhood hero Diego Maradona
, but did not gain a permanent contract, as manager Silvio Marzolini
regarded him as too similar to Boca's Argentine international playmaker Alberto Márcico
.
, finally arrived on 25 November 1995. Kinkladze scored the winner following a one-two with Niall Quinn
. Kinkladze was initially homesick, as he was living in a hotel and spoke little English. In an effort to resolve his homesickness, his mother moved to Manchester to provide him with familiar food. By the time Manchester City travelled to Middlesbrough
on 9 December 1995, press and supporters touted Kinkladze as the star player of the Manchester City side. The match against Middlesbrough was billed as a contest between Kinkladze and the Brazilian playmaker Juninho
. Kinkladze scored the opening goal with a solo effort, but the match ended 4–1 to Middlesbrough. However, the Middlesbrough fans subsequently voted Kinkladze the "Best Opposing Player of the Season". On 16 March 1996, Kinkladze scored a particularly spectacular goal in a 2–1 win against Southampton
. Kinkladze beat five players before chipping the ball over Southampton goalkeeper Dave Beasant
. The goal won BBC programme Match of the Day
's "Goal of the Month", and placed second in the programme's "Goal of the Season" competition.
On the final day of the season, Manchester City were relegated
to First Division
, prompting transfer speculation linking Kinkladze to a number of clubs including Barcelona
, Internazionale
, Liverpool
, and Celtic
. However, he instead opted to stay at Manchester City, where he had been named Player of the Year for 1995–96. The 1996–97 season proved a turbulent one for Manchester City, and over the course of the season, Kinkladze played for five different managers. With Keith Curle
no longer at the club, Kinkladze became the main penalty
taker, and also scored a number of goals from free-kicks, including a 35-yard (32 m) effort against Swindon Town
described by English newspaper Manchester Evening News
as "like a missile". In the First Division, Kinkladze frequently had two or even three opposing players assigned to man mark him. Several teams chose to combat Kinkladze's playmaking skill with robust tackles; in one such match on 11 January 1997, against Crystal Palace
, Kinkladze had to be stretchered off following a challenge by David Hopkin
. Manchester City finished the season well below the promotion places, and again, there was speculation that Kinkladze would leave the club. At the final match of the season on 3 May 1997, a 3–2 win against Reading
, Manchester City supporters campaigned to keep Kinkladze at the club, even though he was not playing in the match, due to injury. The campaign even extended to the half-time advertisements on the scoreboard, the "adverts" being messages from supporter groups who had paid to display them. Kinkladze was named Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and one month after the season ended, he announced his intention to stay at the club by signing a new three-year contract. Kinkladze used the proceeds from his new contract to buy a Ferrari
, though the car caused consternation among club officials. Their fears were realised on 29 October 1997, when Kinkladze lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a motorway bridge in Hale
. Kinkladze received back injuries requiring 30 stitches, and missed two matches as a result.
Manchester City's freefall to the Second Division
continued in the 1997–98 season, and on 17 February 1998, manager Frank Clark was sacked. His replacement, Joe Royle
, was appointed City manager on 18 February 1998. He had a reputation for playing defensive midfielders, which led to his Everton
team being nicknamed the "Dogs of War". Royle viewed Kinkladze as an unaffordable luxury in a relegation battle, and in his first board meeting as Manchester City manager, he opened proceedings with the words "We have to sell Kinkladze". After playing the first two games under Royle, a 1–2 loss on 18 February against Ipswich Town
, and a 3–1 win against Swindon Town
on 23 February, Kinkladze sustained an ankle injury, which sidelined him for a month. He made his return at a muddy Vale Park
on 14 March. Port Vale
defeated City 2–1, and Royle severely criticised Kinkladze for a lack of effort, dropping him for the next six games. In 2005, Royle explained his view in his autobiography: "To the supporters he was the only positive in all that time. To me, he was a big negative. I am not saying that City's ills were all down to Kinkladze, but there was too much about the whole Kinkladze cult phenomenon that wasn't right... ...too often since his arrival, the team had under-performed. I couldn't help deducing that contrary to popular opinion, he would be my weak link not my strong one." With two games remaining, Manchester City were in the relegation places, and Kinkladze was restored to the starting lineup for the home match against Queens Park Rangers
(QPR). The QPR team contained hardman Vinnie Jones
, who targeted Kinkladze from the outset, even in the tunnel before the start of the match. Kinkladze opened the scoring with a free kick, but calamitous defending, including a freak own goal
from Jamie Pollock
, meant the match ended in a 2–2 draw. City no longer controlled their own fate, and were relegated for the second time in three seasons despite a final day 5–2 win against Stoke City
. In total, Kinkladze made 119 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 22 goals.
, but Litmanen stayed at Ajax as his proposed move to Barcelona fell through. As a result, Kinkladze played in an unfamiliar left-wing position. His league debut for Ajax came in a 2–0 win against Willem II on 23 August 1998, but starts were a rare occurrence. To compound matters, manager Morten Olsen
was sacked early in the season, and a disagreement with replacement Jan Wouters resulted in Kinkladze losing his place in the team, with Richard Knopper
the preferred backup for Litmanen. "I could have been Maradona
and he wouldn't have changed the system to accommodate me", Kinkladze recalled later. "I wasn't playing football and that made my life hell." He immediately started to look elsewhere. Several English top-flight clubs showed interest in signing him, but were discouraged by work permit issues. His lack of regular playing time also resulted in him losing his place in the Georgian national team. Having failed to established himself in the first team and struggling with a succession of injuries, he made just 12 appearances for Ajax in his first season.
Kinkladze was not even issued a squad number for his second season, and was made to train with the reserve team. In September 1999, Kinkladze held transfer talks with Sheffield United
, but no move materialised. Two months later, a return to England was secured in the form of a loan move to Derby County
.
As Kinkladze was not playing regular international football when he signed for Derby, he was not automatically entitled to a work permit, but a review panel gave him special dispensation, due to his previous contribution to English football. He made his debut on 28 November 1999, coming on as a substitute for Avi Nimni
in a 1–2 loss against Arsenal
, the first of 14 loan appearances. He scored his first Derby goal on 4 March 2000 in a 4–0 win against Wimbledon
. After the match against Wimbledon, Kinkladze complained about the direct nature of his team's tactics, and so during the half-time, he asked manager Jim Smith to change the tactics to give him more possession and opportunities to create attacking moves. At the end of the season, the loan move was made permanent. The transfer fee of £3 million set a club record that stood until 2007.
Kinkladze missed the start of the 2000–01 season due to a hernia operation, to the disappointment of Smith, who expected him to become a leading figure at the club. He returned to the side as a substitute against Middlesbrough on 6 September 2000. With Derby 3–0 down, Kinkladze and Malcolm Christie
were introduced in a double substitution. The pair then proved influential as Derby came back to draw the match 3–3. Over the next four months, Kinkladze was sometimes a starter and sometimes a substitute, rotating with Stefano Eranio
, until a groin injury sustained in the return match with Middlesbrough kept Kinkladze out for two months. Over the season, Kinkladze "showed little of the brilliance he was bought in to deliver" and was named Derby's biggest disappointment of the season by The Guardian
. The match against Leeds United
on 23 September 2000 was a rare success for him. He came on as a substitute with 17 minutes remaining and levelled the game 1–1 with a solo goal two minutes later, jinking between two defenders before curling a left-foot shot beyond the goalkeeper. Derby struggled for most of the season, but avoided relegation. Kinkladze stayed at the club, since his injuries and inability to prove himself, led to a lack of serious offers. Around this time, he married Louise Tai, a Mancunian. Louise then became a member of the Orthodox Church
and was christened in Tbilisi, receiving a new name — Mariam. Their first child, Saba, was born in October 2001.
For Kinkladze, the start of the 2001–02 season followed a similar pattern to the previous season, comprising a mixture of starts and substitute appearances. Jim Smith
resigned from his managerial position at Derby on 7 October 2001, leaving Kinkladze, a Smith favourite, bitterly disappointed. The appointment of new manager Colin Todd
signalled a change in the club's playing style. Todd did not favour flair players, and Kinkladze made only a single substitute appearance in Todd's first two months in charge. Frustrated by a lack of opportunities, Kinkladze took the unusual step of using his lawyer to arrange a meeting with Todd to discuss his exclusion from the first team. Todd reacted by telling Kinkladze he could leave the club if he was unhappy. According to Kinkladze's agent, Manchester City, as well as Spanish clubs Valencia
, Mallorca
and Málaga
, were all interested in signing Kinkladze. However, Todd was sacked on 14 January 2002 with Derby second from bottom of the Premier League, and John Gregory was appointed as manager on 30 January 2002. Kinkladze stayed at the club, playing regular first team football in the remainder of the season, but Derby continued to struggle, and Kinkladze endured relegation for the third time in his career. The club, who were £35 million in debt, started an end-of-season clear-out to reduce their annual £17 million wage bill. Derby's actions included off-loading of some of the highest earners, and the manager informed Kinkladze that he had no future at the club. However, Kinkladze, whose contract ended in summer 2003, was reluctant to leave the club and turned down a move to Turkish champions Galatasaray
.
As the club continued its attempts to terminate Kinkladze's contract, he trained with the reserve team up to 29 September 2002, missing Derby's first five matches of the 2002–03 season. He was brought back to the first team following two defeats, introduced as a substitute after an hour's stalemate against Stoke City
on 31 August. His introduction proved crucial in turning the game into a 2–0 win for Derby, as he took part in the build-up of both goals. He then missed a number of matches through injuries, featuring in around half of Derby's games in the remainder of 2002. In October 2002, Georgian national team manager Aleksandr Chivadze
unexpectedly omitted Kinkladze and captain Georgi Nemsadze
from the team for their match against Russia, causing a stir in Georgia. Kinkladze, surprised and disappointed, said: "When I was out of form, he constantly phoned me, asked me about my play and called me to the team. Now I'm fit, scoring goals, but he didn't call me and even didn't phone." Both Kinkladze and Nemsadze returned to the starting line-up for the next European Championship
qualifying match on against Ireland
. By January, because of the financial crisis at Derby, Kinkladze had not been paid for over three months. He intended to quit, but although his agent admitted interest from German side Hamburg
and a second enquiry from Galatasaray, no move transpired and he remained at the club. He played for Derby more often in the second half of the season, and his form resulted in him being named the supporters Player of the Year. Derby finished the season in the bottom half of the table, and needed to reduce costs for the next season as their Premier League parachute payments had ended. As a result, Derby offered Kinkladze a one-year contract, but on a wage one third of that of his previous contract. Kinkladze decided to turn down this contract extension proposal, desiring a move to a more successful club with a chance of winning trophies. To this end, he held talks with Liverpool in May 2003. As contract negotiations with Derby did not reach a positive conclusion, Kinkladze left the club.
Without a club during pre-season, Kinkladze trained with Portsmouth
, where his former manager Jim Smith was on the managing staff. He played for Portsmouth in one pre-season friendly, but Portsmouth decided instead to sign another former Manchester City playmaker, Eyal Berkovic
. Over the next few months, he was linked with moves to Scottish clubs Dundee
and Celtic, and later Leeds United, but none resulted in the a contract offer. As a consequence, he had to train individually and lost his place in the national team again, this time before the return match against Russia. In December 2003, Kinkladze went for a one-week trial at Panathinaikos, following an invitation from Giannis Vardinogiannis
, the owner of the Greek club. However, at the end of the trial, the club decided not to sign him. Six months later, he was linked with a move to Russian club Shinnik Yaroslavl
, but again, he was not offered a contract.
was player-manager at financially troubled Cypriot team Anorthosis
. Ketsbaia gave his old friend a chance to rebuild his career, offering him a contract to play for Anorthosis. Kinkladze thus became one of the best known footballers ever to have played in Cyprus. He made his debut against title contenders APOEL on 21 November and marked it with a fine goal. He scored once more in a 5–0 home victory against Olympiakos Nicosia
, and in February he was recalled to Georgia's squad for the friendly against Lithuania
. His contract was initially only for one season, but the club extended it for another year. Anorthosis ended the season successfully by winning the Cypriot championship
and earned a place in the qualifying rounds of 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, where, thanks to the club's good run, Kinkladze played five times. He started both legs of a 2–1 first round aggregate win against Dinamo Minsk, was twice a substitute in a historic 3–2 second round aggregate win against Turkish Super League runners-up Trabzonspor
, and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–2 third round home defeat against Rangers
. His display against Rangers caught the attention of Rubin Kazan
’s manager Gurban Berdiýew, who invited him to join the Russian club. On 22 August 2005, Kinkladze played his last game for Anorthosis against Omonia
in Cypriot Super Cup and two days later, on the day of the second leg of the tie against Rangers, he left to close a deal with Rubin. Ketsbaia said regarding the departure: "I don't want players who have no wish to play for Anorthosis. As far as I'm concerned the Kinkladze chapter is now closed."
. He made his debut for Rubin the next day, playing the full 90 minutes of a league match in a 1–2 defeat against FC Rostov
. On a personal level the debut was a successful one; his corner kick
was headed into the net by Vitalijs Astafjevs
for Rubin's consolation goal. He had less remarkable performances in the next two games and was substituted both times. This did not affect Berdyev's faith in him, and at the post-match press conference he defended Kinkladze: "He needs time. He is an experienced player who, I think, will help the team." The next game for Rubin was a 5–1 away win against low-ranked Terek Grozny
, and Kinkladze made a considerable contribution to it, scoring two goals and making two assists. First Kinkladze took part in a short corner
which resulted in the opening goal of the game. Terek equalised before the break, but within seventeen minutes of the restart Kinkladze restored the lead, collecting a pass from Alejandro Domínguez
inside the penalty area, beating a defender and curling the ball into the far corner. Six minutes later Kinkladze and Andrés Scotti
combined for Tomáš Čížek
to score, three minutes later Kinkladze raced into the box, dribbled past four players and struck a left-footed shot into the top corner. In the next game at home against Tom Tomsk Kinkladze missed a late penalty, denying Rubin a vital victory. After the match Berdyev claimed he made a mistake in his choice of penalty taker.
Despite his misgivings Berdyev kept Kinkladze in the team, with positive results. Operating as a playmaker, Kinkladze helped the team to move from defence to attack with his ability to hold on to the ball. He was used as one of three offensive midfielders in a 4–2–3–1 formation. The arrival of Kinkladze, with his technical style and inclination for improvisation, brought more variety to the attacking play of the team and was in contrast to the restrained style of play that Berdyev favoured. He provided an assist in four consecutive matches, most importantly against Zenit St. Petersburg
, in a match that decided a place in the following year's UEFA Cup. Consequently, he received a recall to the Georgian national squad for friendlies against Bulgaria
and Jordan
. However, a muscle strain meant he missed both national team games and Rubin's final league match. He ended the 2005 season with seven assists and two goals in nine appearances for Rubin.
Rubin delayed in offering Kinkladze a contract extension, leading Anorthosis to make an attempt to re-sign him early in the pre-season, but Kinkladze rejected the offer as he wished to stay at Rubin. By late December, Rubin expressed a desire to retain him but contract talks were delayed, due to family reasons, and it took until mid-January for a new one-year contract to be agreed. In the new season, Berdyev intended to switch to a 4–3–3 formation and use Kinkladze alongside Damani Ralph
and Vladimir Bairamov
in attack. The manager said the level of play shown by the trio during pre-season was "very serious".
During his successful 2005 season, 32-year-old Kinkladze said he hoped to play on well into his thirties. The 2006 season, however, was his last. He sustained an injury in Rubin's first competitive match, a 1–0 cup match defeat against Shinnik
which proved to be the last time he played a full match. A recurrence of an old injury meant he was sidelined for longer than expected, only making his return to full training in late May. Kinkladze continued to struggle to maintain fitness, making five further appearances for Rubin, two of which were starts. A match against Rostov on 20 August 2006 was the last of Kinkladze's playing career. In September, he was called to the Georgia national team
but did not play or appear on the substitutes' bench. A short time later he had to undergo another course of medical treatment. He also passed a thorough medical examination, the results of which were reported as the deciding factor for his future at the club. In October, he was an unused substitute just once; he and his compatriots were the subject of criticism from Rubin's general director who announced to the press "there are questions about the Georgians in the team regarding their training and attitude to football". In November, Kinkladze again suffered an injury and missed the remainder of the season.
After a disappointing year for Kinkladze, Rubin decided not to renew his contract. In January 2007, he held talks with his previous club, Anorthosis
, but the transfer never materialised, despite reports to the contrary by some Russian press sources. In an interview in August 2007 Kinkladze's former international team-mate Malkhaz Asatiani
confirmed that Kinkladze had finished his career and settled in Moscow
.
team that played Moldova
in Tbilisi. Footage of Kinkladze's performance resulted in interest from clubs in Italy, where the press nicknamed Kinkladze the "Rivera
of the Black Sea", but no concrete attempts to sign him took place. It was not until Manchester City
chairman Francis Lee
saw the recording that negotiations for a permanent move abroad occurred. Enthused by Kinkladze's display, Lee contacted Jordania, securing an agreement that Manchester City would have first refusal should Dinamo wish to sell the player.
Two months later, Kinkladze scored his first international goal as Georgia thrashed Wales
5–0. At the return match at Cardiff Arms Park
, scouts from several clubs saw Kinkladze score the only goal of the game with a 20-yard (18 m) chip over Neville Southall
. In his last season with Dinamo, the team once again won the double. Kinkladze had scored 14 goals in 21 outings, and clubs from several countries expressed interest in signing him. Jordania kept true to his agreement with Lee, and on 15 July 1995, Kinkladze signed for Manchester City, becoming Alan Ball's first signing for the club. The fee was generally reported as £2 million. After initial difficulties obtaining a work permit
, Kinkladze made his debut for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur
in a 1–1 draw on 19 August 1995.
midfielder
, typically playing further forward than the rest of the midfield. The main aim of the role is to create goalscoring chances, suiting a creative player like Kinkladze. Dribbling
ability was generally viewed as one of Kinkladze's strongest attributes, and his jinking runs with the ball resulted in some spectacular goals, most notably his "Goal of the Month" against Southampton. Set piece
ability was another of Kinkladze's strengths; he regularly took corners and free kicks. He also took penalties; seven of his Manchester City goals were scored from the spot, though he stopped taking penalties for the club following two consecutive misses in the 1997–98 season.
Weaker points of Kinkladze's game were those related to defending. He was not noted for tackling, which sometimes caused frustration for his managers; Colin Todd remarked wistfully in 2001 that "Georgi has to understand that there is an art to tackling". Unwillingness to tackle and accusations of a lack of effort were also the source of Joe Royle's omission of Kinkladze from his Manchester City side.
On occasions, Kinkladze played as a second striker, a role with less positional responsibility. Periods when Kinkladze was used in this way included Frank Clark's first months as Manchester City manager, and alongside Fabrizio Ravanelli
at Derby County. Though a left-footed player, he did not perform well when played as a left winger, and publicly expressed his distaste for playing in the position.
Over the course of his career he was Georgian Player of the Year
twice, won the Club Player of the Year three times at English clubs, and has been described by a Russian football history as the brightest Georgian talent of the 1990s. In 2005, he placed third in a BBC poll to find Manchester City's all-time "cult hero".
Includes FA Cup
, League Cup
, UEFA Champions League
, UEFA Cup, Johan Cruijff Shield, CIS Cup
and Cyprus Super Cup.Complete figures for the Georgian Cup are unavailable and thus excluded.
Dinamo Tbilisi
Anorthosis
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
former footballer, who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. A playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
, he first came to prominence with his performances for Georgia
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in 1994 and 1995. He transferred from his hometown team Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
to English Premier League club Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in 1995, where his dribbling ability and spectacular goals made him a cult hero, winning the club's Player of the Year award in two consecutive seasons.
After enduring two relegations
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
with City, he joined Dutch champions Ajax in 1998, but did not settle and returned to England with Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
a little over a year later. He spent four years at Derby, making nearly 100 appearances. After leaving Derby in 2003, he became a journeyman footballer, having unsuccessful trials at several clubs before joining Cypriot club Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
in 2004, where he won a league championship
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
medal. He finished his playing career with Russian club Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan is a Russian association football club based in the city of Kazan . Rubin won the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009.-History:...
in 2006.
Early life
Georgi Kinkladze was born on 6 July 1973 in TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, which was then part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. As a child, he lived in the Didube district of the city with his father, Robinzon (an engineer), his mother Khatuna (a teacher) and his elder sister. Robinzon was keen to see his son succeed as a footballer, sometimes making him walk around the family home on his knees to strengthen his legs, and enrolled him for Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
's junior side when he was six years old. Khatuna disapproved of some of her husband's methods, instead taking Georgi to lessons in mtiuluri, a traditional Georgian ballet. Over the next few years, Kinkladze played in Dinamo Tbilisi's youth teams, progressing as far as the reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
, where he played alongside Shota Arveladze
Shota Arveladze
Shota Arveladze is a former Georgian professional football player and currently the manager of Kayserispor. He is Georgia’s all-time top scorer with 291 goals in his 410 league games for his clubs and 26 goals during his 61 games on the national team...
, who would later become his teammate at both senior and international level.
Mretebi Tbilisi
Football in Georgia
Football in Georgia is governed by the Georgian Football Federation . The GFF organises both the men's and women's national football teams. Modern football was introduced by English sailors playing in Poti in beginning of the 20th century....
formed leagues independent of Soviet competition in 1989, a family friend arranged for Kinkladze to move to Mretebi Tbilisi
FC Mretebi Tbilisi
FC Mretebi Tbilisi was a Georgian football club based in Tbilisi. Mretebi were founded on 3 February 1988 by Vazha Chkaizadze, a football coach and theatre director. At that time, major football clubs in the Soviet Union were professional in practice, but were officially regarded as amateur. For...
, the first openly professional club in the Soviet Union. Mretebi Tbilisi were a smaller club playing at a lower level, but the move gave Kinkladze the opportunity to play first-team football instead of playing for Dinamo's second team. Kinkladze made his professional debut aged 16, and immediately became a first-team regular. In 1991 Kinkladze's Mretebi won the Pirveli Liga
Pirveli Liga
The Pirveli Liga is the Georgian First League, which serves as the second division of professional football in Georgia.-History:The Georgian First League was organized in 1990...
, and won promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the highest division following a play-off.
Dinamo Tbilisi, Saarbrücken (loan), and Boca Juniors (loan)
After a season in the top flight with Mretebi, Kinkladze was signed by Dinamo TbilisiFC Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
, the team he represented as a youth, for one million roubles
Soviet ruble
The Soviet ruble or rouble was the currency of the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopeks, ....
. In 1991, Georgia became an independent state again, but independence brought civil war
Georgian Civil War
The Georgian Civil War consisted of inter-ethnic and intranational conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia , as well as the violent military coup d'etat of December 21, 1991 - January 6, 1992 against the first democratically elected President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his...
as rival factions fought for control. On 17 September 1992, at the age of 19, Kinkladze made his senior international debut against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
, the Georgian national side's fourth match since breaking from the Soviet Union. Kinkladze's youth-level team-mate Shota Arveladze also played in the match, and the pair combined for one of Georgia's six goals.
In Kinkladze's first season at the club, Dinamo won a league and cup double. However, as the civil war continued, during 1993 the Dinamo Tbilisi management sought to put their players in a more stable environment. As part of this, Kinkladze was sent on loan to 1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...
in Germany. Kinkladze made his Saarbrücken debut in a 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
match against Tennis Borussia Berlin
Tennis Borussia Berlin
Tennis Borussia Berlin is a German football club based in Berlin-Westend.- History :The team was founded in 1902 and takes its name from its origins as a tennis and ping-pong club. "Borussia" is a Latinised version of Prussia. In 1903 the club took up football and quickly developed a rivalry with...
, a 2–2 draw on 4 March 1994. He was unable to settle into the side at Saarbrücken, rarely playing a full 90 minutes, and was sent off in a 1–3 defeat to Hertha Berlin. At the end of the season, Kinkladze returned to Tbilisi to resume his career in Georgia, where he was named the national Player of the Year
Georgian Footballer of the Year
Georgian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best Georgian footballer.The award for an official year is given in summer on the basis of players' performance in a winter league season. The winner is elected by results of a poll conducted among Georgian journalists. From 1993, it...
for 1993. Dinamo president Merab Jordania
Merab Jordania
Merab Jordania, in , is a retired Georgian footballer.Nowadays he is the president of Dutch football club Vitesse.-Club career:...
was still uncomfortable with Kinkladze playing in Georgia amid political instability, and offered the player to Atlético Madrid for approximately £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
200,000; they gave him a trial, but no contract. He then trained with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
's reserves, where he caught the eye of Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
scouts, who took him to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
for a month's loan. Kinkladze met his childhood hero Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
, but did not gain a permanent contract, as manager Silvio Marzolini
Silvio Marzolini
Silvio Marzolini is a former Argentine football player who played for Boca Juniors . He is widely regarded as being one of the best left backs of all time, playing this position for the Argentine national team in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and the 1966 FIFA World Cup...
regarded him as too similar to Boca's Argentine international playmaker Alberto Márcico
Alberto Márcico
Alberto José Márcico is a former Argentine football striker. He played club football in Argentina and France as well as representing the Argentina national football team....
.
Manchester City
Manchester City's form stuttered during the 1995–96 season. The team failed to win a single game in the first three months of the season, but Kinkladze quickly became a terrace hero. The first win, by 1–0 against Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, finally arrived on 25 November 1995. Kinkladze scored the winner following a one-two with Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...
. Kinkladze was initially homesick, as he was living in a hotel and spoke little English. In an effort to resolve his homesickness, his mother moved to Manchester to provide him with familiar food. By the time Manchester City travelled to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 9 December 1995, press and supporters touted Kinkladze as the star player of the Manchester City side. The match against Middlesbrough was billed as a contest between Kinkladze and the Brazilian playmaker Juninho
Juninho Paulista
Osvaldo Giroldo Júnior , better known as Juninho Paulista or simply Juninho, is a former Brazilian footballer...
. Kinkladze scored the opening goal with a solo effort, but the match ended 4–1 to Middlesbrough. However, the Middlesbrough fans subsequently voted Kinkladze the "Best Opposing Player of the Season". On 16 March 1996, Kinkladze scored a particularly spectacular goal in a 2–1 win against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. Kinkladze beat five players before chipping the ball over Southampton goalkeeper Dave Beasant
Dave Beasant
David John "Dave" Beasant, is a retired English football goalkeeper who began his career in the late 1970s. A well-travelled player, Beasant's former clubs include Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wigan...
. The goal won BBC programme Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
's "Goal of the Month", and placed second in the programme's "Goal of the Season" competition.
On the final day of the season, Manchester City were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, prompting transfer speculation linking Kinkladze to a number of clubs including Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. However, he instead opted to stay at Manchester City, where he had been named Player of the Year for 1995–96. The 1996–97 season proved a turbulent one for Manchester City, and over the course of the season, Kinkladze played for five different managers. With Keith Curle
Keith Curle
Keith Curle is an English former professional football player, who is currently first team coach at Queens Park Rangers.As a player, he was capped three times by England at senior level.-Playing career:...
no longer at the club, Kinkladze became the main penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
taker, and also scored a number of goals from free-kicks, including a 35-yard (32 m) effort against Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
described by English newspaper Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
as "like a missile". In the First Division, Kinkladze frequently had two or even three opposing players assigned to man mark him. Several teams chose to combat Kinkladze's playmaking skill with robust tackles; in one such match on 11 January 1997, against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Kinkladze had to be stretchered off following a challenge by David Hopkin
David Hopkin
David Hopkin is a Scottish former professional football player who is assistant manager at .-Club career:Hopkin started his career at Morton before earning a move to Premier League side Chelsea in 1992...
. Manchester City finished the season well below the promotion places, and again, there was speculation that Kinkladze would leave the club. At the final match of the season on 3 May 1997, a 3–2 win against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, Manchester City supporters campaigned to keep Kinkladze at the club, even though he was not playing in the match, due to injury. The campaign even extended to the half-time advertisements on the scoreboard, the "adverts" being messages from supporter groups who had paid to display them. Kinkladze was named Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and one month after the season ended, he announced his intention to stay at the club by signing a new three-year contract. Kinkladze used the proceeds from his new contract to buy a Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, though the car caused consternation among club officials. Their fears were realised on 29 October 1997, when Kinkladze lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a motorway bridge in Hale
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
. Kinkladze received back injuries requiring 30 stitches, and missed two matches as a result.
Manchester City's freefall to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
continued in the 1997–98 season, and on 17 February 1998, manager Frank Clark was sacked. His replacement, Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
, was appointed City manager on 18 February 1998. He had a reputation for playing defensive midfielders, which led to his Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
team being nicknamed the "Dogs of War". Royle viewed Kinkladze as an unaffordable luxury in a relegation battle, and in his first board meeting as Manchester City manager, he opened proceedings with the words "We have to sell Kinkladze". After playing the first two games under Royle, a 1–2 loss on 18 February against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, and a 3–1 win against Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
on 23 February, Kinkladze sustained an ankle injury, which sidelined him for a month. He made his return at a muddy Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
on 14 March. Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
defeated City 2–1, and Royle severely criticised Kinkladze for a lack of effort, dropping him for the next six games. In 2005, Royle explained his view in his autobiography: "To the supporters he was the only positive in all that time. To me, he was a big negative. I am not saying that City's ills were all down to Kinkladze, but there was too much about the whole Kinkladze cult phenomenon that wasn't right... ...too often since his arrival, the team had under-performed. I couldn't help deducing that contrary to popular opinion, he would be my weak link not my strong one." With two games remaining, Manchester City were in the relegation places, and Kinkladze was restored to the starting lineup for the home match against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
(QPR). The QPR team contained hardman Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
, who targeted Kinkladze from the outset, even in the tunnel before the start of the match. Kinkladze opened the scoring with a free kick, but calamitous defending, including a freak own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
from Jamie Pollock
Jamie Pollock
Jamie Pollock is a retired professional football player.-Playing career:His career began at Middlesbrough where he played as a defensive midfielder. He left Middlesbrough in 1996 joining Spanish side CA Osasuna. After failing to make an impression in Spain he returned to England, signing for...
, meant the match ended in a 2–2 draw. City no longer controlled their own fate, and were relegated for the second time in three seasons despite a final day 5–2 win against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. In total, Kinkladze made 119 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 22 goals.
Ajax
Following transfer negotiations which had been ongoing in the final months of the season, Kinkladze left Manchester City for Dutch club Ajax for £5 million. The move brought a reunion with Shota Arveladze, with whom he shared a house in Amsterdam. However, Kinkladze's spell at Ajax proved unsuccessful. He was originally signed as a replacement for Jari LitmanenJari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008...
, but Litmanen stayed at Ajax as his proposed move to Barcelona fell through. As a result, Kinkladze played in an unfamiliar left-wing position. His league debut for Ajax came in a 2–0 win against Willem II on 23 August 1998, but starts were a rare occurrence. To compound matters, manager Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
was sacked early in the season, and a disagreement with replacement Jan Wouters resulted in Kinkladze losing his place in the team, with Richard Knopper
Richard Knopper
Richard Knopper is a Dutch footballer who plays for Haaglandia as a midfielder.-Club career:Knopper began his footballing career with Feyenoord Rotterdam but, still in his youth, moved to rivals Ajax Amsterdam, making his club debuts in November 1997, against Sparta Rotterdam.In 1999, he was voted...
the preferred backup for Litmanen. "I could have been Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
and he wouldn't have changed the system to accommodate me", Kinkladze recalled later. "I wasn't playing football and that made my life hell." He immediately started to look elsewhere. Several English top-flight clubs showed interest in signing him, but were discouraged by work permit issues. His lack of regular playing time also resulted in him losing his place in the Georgian national team. Having failed to established himself in the first team and struggling with a succession of injuries, he made just 12 appearances for Ajax in his first season.
Kinkladze was not even issued a squad number for his second season, and was made to train with the reserve team. In September 1999, Kinkladze held transfer talks with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, but no move materialised. Two months later, a return to England was secured in the form of a loan move to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
.
Derby County
Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni is Maccabi Tel Aviv's highest ever scorer and is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the Israeli national football team...
in a 1–2 loss against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, the first of 14 loan appearances. He scored his first Derby goal on 4 March 2000 in a 4–0 win against Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
. After the match against Wimbledon, Kinkladze complained about the direct nature of his team's tactics, and so during the half-time, he asked manager Jim Smith to change the tactics to give him more possession and opportunities to create attacking moves. At the end of the season, the loan move was made permanent. The transfer fee of £3 million set a club record that stood until 2007.
Kinkladze missed the start of the 2000–01 season due to a hernia operation, to the disappointment of Smith, who expected him to become a leading figure at the club. He returned to the side as a substitute against Middlesbrough on 6 September 2000. With Derby 3–0 down, Kinkladze and Malcolm Christie
Malcolm Christie
Malcom Neil "Malcolm" Christie is an English footballer who is a free agent. He has previously played for Nuneaton Borough, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Leeds United and has earned 11 England under-21 caps.-Career:...
were introduced in a double substitution. The pair then proved influential as Derby came back to draw the match 3–3. Over the next four months, Kinkladze was sometimes a starter and sometimes a substitute, rotating with Stefano Eranio
Stefano Eranio
Stefano Eranio is an Italian former football player, most remembered for his time with AC Milan and Genoa. Eranio played as a winger and represented Italy 20 times between 1990 and 1997. He was voted one of Derby County's 11 greatest ever footballers.-Clubs:Stefano Eranio started his professional...
, until a groin injury sustained in the return match with Middlesbrough kept Kinkladze out for two months. Over the season, Kinkladze "showed little of the brilliance he was bought in to deliver" and was named Derby's biggest disappointment of the season by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. The match against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on 23 September 2000 was a rare success for him. He came on as a substitute with 17 minutes remaining and levelled the game 1–1 with a solo goal two minutes later, jinking between two defenders before curling a left-foot shot beyond the goalkeeper. Derby struggled for most of the season, but avoided relegation. Kinkladze stayed at the club, since his injuries and inability to prove himself, led to a lack of serious offers. Around this time, he married Louise Tai, a Mancunian. Louise then became a member of the Orthodox Church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
and was christened in Tbilisi, receiving a new name — Mariam. Their first child, Saba, was born in October 2001.
For Kinkladze, the start of the 2001–02 season followed a similar pattern to the previous season, comprising a mixture of starts and substitute appearances. Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
resigned from his managerial position at Derby on 7 October 2001, leaving Kinkladze, a Smith favourite, bitterly disappointed. The appointment of new manager Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...
signalled a change in the club's playing style. Todd did not favour flair players, and Kinkladze made only a single substitute appearance in Todd's first two months in charge. Frustrated by a lack of opportunities, Kinkladze took the unusual step of using his lawyer to arrange a meeting with Todd to discuss his exclusion from the first team. Todd reacted by telling Kinkladze he could leave the club if he was unhappy. According to Kinkladze's agent, Manchester City, as well as Spanish clubs Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
and Málaga
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
, were all interested in signing Kinkladze. However, Todd was sacked on 14 January 2002 with Derby second from bottom of the Premier League, and John Gregory was appointed as manager on 30 January 2002. Kinkladze stayed at the club, playing regular first team football in the remainder of the season, but Derby continued to struggle, and Kinkladze endured relegation for the third time in his career. The club, who were £35 million in debt, started an end-of-season clear-out to reduce their annual £17 million wage bill. Derby's actions included off-loading of some of the highest earners, and the manager informed Kinkladze that he had no future at the club. However, Kinkladze, whose contract ended in summer 2003, was reluctant to leave the club and turned down a move to Turkish champions Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
.
As the club continued its attempts to terminate Kinkladze's contract, he trained with the reserve team up to 29 September 2002, missing Derby's first five matches of the 2002–03 season. He was brought back to the first team following two defeats, introduced as a substitute after an hour's stalemate against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 31 August. His introduction proved crucial in turning the game into a 2–0 win for Derby, as he took part in the build-up of both goals. He then missed a number of matches through injuries, featuring in around half of Derby's games in the remainder of 2002. In October 2002, Georgian national team manager Aleksandr Chivadze
Aleksandr Chivadze
Aleksandr Gavrilovich Chivadze , is a former Georgian football defender and coach.Chivadze spent his entire club career at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, playing from 1974 to 1987...
unexpectedly omitted Kinkladze and captain Georgi Nemsadze
Georgi Nemsadze
Georgi Nemsadze is a former Georgian football midfielder. In addition to Georgian teams, he played for many European clubs such as Trabzonspor, Grasshopper-Club Zürich, AC Reggiana and Dundee....
from the team for their match against Russia, causing a stir in Georgia. Kinkladze, surprised and disappointed, said: "When I was out of form, he constantly phoned me, asked me about my play and called me to the team. Now I'm fit, scoring goals, but he didn't call me and even didn't phone." Both Kinkladze and Nemsadze returned to the starting line-up for the next European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
qualifying match on against Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. By January, because of the financial crisis at Derby, Kinkladze had not been paid for over three months. He intended to quit, but although his agent admitted interest from German side Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
and a second enquiry from Galatasaray, no move transpired and he remained at the club. He played for Derby more often in the second half of the season, and his form resulted in him being named the supporters Player of the Year. Derby finished the season in the bottom half of the table, and needed to reduce costs for the next season as their Premier League parachute payments had ended. As a result, Derby offered Kinkladze a one-year contract, but on a wage one third of that of his previous contract. Kinkladze decided to turn down this contract extension proposal, desiring a move to a more successful club with a chance of winning trophies. To this end, he held talks with Liverpool in May 2003. As contract negotiations with Derby did not reach a positive conclusion, Kinkladze left the club.
Without a club during pre-season, Kinkladze trained with Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, where his former manager Jim Smith was on the managing staff. He played for Portsmouth in one pre-season friendly, but Portsmouth decided instead to sign another former Manchester City playmaker, Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic is an Israeli former footballer. He played as a midfielder.He is known in Israel by the nickname Ha-Kosem ....
. Over the next few months, he was linked with moves to Scottish clubs Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
and Celtic, and later Leeds United, but none resulted in the a contract offer. As a consequence, he had to train individually and lost his place in the national team again, this time before the return match against Russia. In December 2003, Kinkladze went for a one-week trial at Panathinaikos, following an invitation from Giannis Vardinogiannis
Giannis Vardinogiannis
Giannis Vardinogiannis is a Greek of Cretan descent, the first-born son of oil tycoon Vardis Vardinogiannis. He majored in economics at Vassar College in the United States...
, the owner of the Greek club. However, at the end of the trial, the club decided not to sign him. Six months later, he was linked with a move to Russian club Shinnik Yaroslavl
FC Shinnik Yaroslavl
FC Shinnik Yaroslavl is a Russian football club, based in Yaroslavl.From 1957 to 1960 the team was called Khimik.- Russia:- Current squad :, according to the .-Out on loan:- Notable players :...
, but again, he was not offered a contract.
Anorthosis
Kinkladze's year and a half spell without a club came to an end in October 2004. Kinkladze's former international team-mate Temuri KetsbaiaTemuri Ketsbaia
Temuri "Temur" Ketsbaia is a Georgian football manager and former player. As a player he represented the Georgian national team and played for Dinamo Tbilisi, Anorthosis Famagusta, AEK, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dundee.Ketsbaia is often regarded as having played a major role...
was player-manager at financially troubled Cypriot team Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
. Ketsbaia gave his old friend a chance to rebuild his career, offering him a contract to play for Anorthosis. Kinkladze thus became one of the best known footballers ever to have played in Cyprus. He made his debut against title contenders APOEL on 21 November and marked it with a fine goal. He scored once more in a 5–0 home victory against Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia is a football club in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The club was founded in 1931. It is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. Olympiakos's home ground is the New GSP Stadium of 23,400 seat capacity...
, and in February he was recalled to Georgia's squad for the friendly against Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
. His contract was initially only for one season, but the club extended it for another year. Anorthosis ended the season successfully by winning the Cypriot championship
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
and earned a place in the qualifying rounds of 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, where, thanks to the club's good run, Kinkladze played five times. He started both legs of a 2–1 first round aggregate win against Dinamo Minsk, was twice a substitute in a historic 3–2 second round aggregate win against Turkish Super League runners-up Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
, and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–2 third round home defeat against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. His display against Rangers caught the attention of Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan is a Russian association football club based in the city of Kazan . Rubin won the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009.-History:...
’s manager Gurban Berdiýew, who invited him to join the Russian club. On 22 August 2005, Kinkladze played his last game for Anorthosis against Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
in Cypriot Super Cup and two days later, on the day of the second leg of the tie against Rangers, he left to close a deal with Rubin. Ketsbaia said regarding the departure: "I don't want players who have no wish to play for Anorthosis. As far as I'm concerned the Kinkladze chapter is now closed."
Rubin Kazan
Anorthosis and Rubin reached an agreement on 26 August. Kinkladze signed a contract until the end of the season, becoming the most decorated Georgian footballer to play in the Russian Premier LeagueRussian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
. He made his debut for Rubin the next day, playing the full 90 minutes of a league match in a 1–2 defeat against FC Rostov
FC Rostov
FC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
. On a personal level the debut was a successful one; his corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
was headed into the net by Vitalijs Astafjevs
Vitalijs Astafjevs
Vitālijs Astafjevs is a former football midfielder from Latvia, currently the assistant manager for Skonto Rīga.- Club career :...
for Rubin's consolation goal. He had less remarkable performances in the next two games and was substituted both times. This did not affect Berdyev's faith in him, and at the post-match press conference he defended Kinkladze: "He needs time. He is an experienced player who, I think, will help the team." The next game for Rubin was a 5–1 away win against low-ranked Terek Grozny
FC Terek Grozny
FC Terek Grozny is a Russian football club, currently playing in the Russian Premier League....
, and Kinkladze made a considerable contribution to it, scoring two goals and making two assists. First Kinkladze took part in a short corner
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
which resulted in the opening goal of the game. Terek equalised before the break, but within seventeen minutes of the restart Kinkladze restored the lead, collecting a pass from Alejandro Domínguez
Alejandro Damián Domínguez
Alejandro Damián Domínguez is an Argentine footballer who plays for River Plate, as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.-Career:...
inside the penalty area, beating a defender and curling the ball into the far corner. Six minutes later Kinkladze and Andrés Scotti
Andrés Scotti
Andrés Scotti Ponce de León is a Uruguayan footballer that currently plays for the Chilean team Colo Colo and the Uruguayan national team as Centre back and very rarely as left back....
combined for Tomáš Čížek
Tomáš Cížek
Tomáš Cízek is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Sibir Novosibirsk in the Russian First Division.Previously he played for Jablonec, Pelikán Děčín, and Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic, and for Rubin Kazan, FC Moscow, and Alania Vladikavkaz in Russia.-External links:...
to score, three minutes later Kinkladze raced into the box, dribbled past four players and struck a left-footed shot into the top corner. In the next game at home against Tom Tomsk Kinkladze missed a late penalty, denying Rubin a vital victory. After the match Berdyev claimed he made a mistake in his choice of penalty taker.
Despite his misgivings Berdyev kept Kinkladze in the team, with positive results. Operating as a playmaker, Kinkladze helped the team to move from defence to attack with his ability to hold on to the ball. He was used as one of three offensive midfielders in a 4–2–3–1 formation. The arrival of Kinkladze, with his technical style and inclination for improvisation, brought more variety to the attacking play of the team and was in contrast to the restrained style of play that Berdyev favoured. He provided an assist in four consecutive matches, most importantly against Zenit St. Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
, in a match that decided a place in the following year's UEFA Cup. Consequently, he received a recall to the Georgian national squad for friendlies against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
and Jordan
Jordan national football team
The Jordan national football team is the national team of Jordan and is controlled by the Jordan Football Association...
. However, a muscle strain meant he missed both national team games and Rubin's final league match. He ended the 2005 season with seven assists and two goals in nine appearances for Rubin.
Rubin delayed in offering Kinkladze a contract extension, leading Anorthosis to make an attempt to re-sign him early in the pre-season, but Kinkladze rejected the offer as he wished to stay at Rubin. By late December, Rubin expressed a desire to retain him but contract talks were delayed, due to family reasons, and it took until mid-January for a new one-year contract to be agreed. In the new season, Berdyev intended to switch to a 4–3–3 formation and use Kinkladze alongside Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :...
and Vladimir Bairamov
Vladimir Bairamov
Wladimir Baýramow , born 2 August 1980) is a Turkmenistan football centre forward who last played for FC Tobol.He was a member of the Turkmenistan national football team...
in attack. The manager said the level of play shown by the trio during pre-season was "very serious".
During his successful 2005 season, 32-year-old Kinkladze said he hoped to play on well into his thirties. The 2006 season, however, was his last. He sustained an injury in Rubin's first competitive match, a 1–0 cup match defeat against Shinnik
FC Shinnik Yaroslavl
FC Shinnik Yaroslavl is a Russian football club, based in Yaroslavl.From 1957 to 1960 the team was called Khimik.- Russia:- Current squad :, according to the .-Out on loan:- Notable players :...
which proved to be the last time he played a full match. A recurrence of an old injury meant he was sidelined for longer than expected, only making his return to full training in late May. Kinkladze continued to struggle to maintain fitness, making five further appearances for Rubin, two of which were starts. A match against Rostov on 20 August 2006 was the last of Kinkladze's playing career. In September, he was called to the Georgia national team
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
but did not play or appear on the substitutes' bench. A short time later he had to undergo another course of medical treatment. He also passed a thorough medical examination, the results of which were reported as the deciding factor for his future at the club. In October, he was an unused substitute just once; he and his compatriots were the subject of criticism from Rubin's general director who announced to the press "there are questions about the Georgians in the team regarding their training and attitude to football". In November, Kinkladze again suffered an injury and missed the remainder of the season.
After a disappointing year for Kinkladze, Rubin decided not to renew his contract. In January 2007, he held talks with his previous club, Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
, but the transfer never materialised, despite reports to the contrary by some Russian press sources. In an interview in August 2007 Kinkladze's former international team-mate Malkhaz Asatiani
Malkhaz Asatiani
Malkhaz Asatiani is a football defender/midfielder from Georgia who most recently played for Lokomotiv Moscow. He started as an attacking midfielder but his displays at the back earned him a solid reputation as a central defender. Mostly playing as center-back at his club, Asatiani is often used...
confirmed that Kinkladze had finished his career and settled in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
International career
In September 1994, Kinkladze was part of the GeorgianGeorgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
team that played Moldova
Moldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
in Tbilisi. Footage of Kinkladze's performance resulted in interest from clubs in Italy, where the press nicknamed Kinkladze the "Rivera
Gianni Rivera
Giovanni Rivera is an Italian former football midfielder, mostly as an offensive playmaker, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. He played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan...
of the Black Sea", but no concrete attempts to sign him took place. It was not until Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
chairman Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
saw the recording that negotiations for a permanent move abroad occurred. Enthused by Kinkladze's display, Lee contacted Jordania, securing an agreement that Manchester City would have first refusal should Dinamo wish to sell the player.
Two months later, Kinkladze scored his first international goal as Georgia thrashed Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
5–0. At the return match at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, scouts from several clubs saw Kinkladze score the only goal of the game with a 20-yard (18 m) chip over Neville Southall
Neville Southall
Neville Southall MBE is a former Wales international footballer, best known for his time with Everton. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985...
. In his last season with Dinamo, the team once again won the double. Kinkladze had scored 14 goals in 21 outings, and clubs from several countries expressed interest in signing him. Jordania kept true to his agreement with Lee, and on 15 July 1995, Kinkladze signed for Manchester City, becoming Alan Ball's first signing for the club. The fee was generally reported as £2 million. After initial difficulties obtaining a work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
, Kinkladze made his debut for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in a 1–1 draw on 19 August 1995.
Style of play
Kinkladze's position was as a playmakingPlaymaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, typically playing further forward than the rest of the midfield. The main aim of the role is to create goalscoring chances, suiting a creative player like Kinkladze. Dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
ability was generally viewed as one of Kinkladze's strongest attributes, and his jinking runs with the ball resulted in some spectacular goals, most notably his "Goal of the Month" against Southampton. Set piece
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
ability was another of Kinkladze's strengths; he regularly took corners and free kicks. He also took penalties; seven of his Manchester City goals were scored from the spot, though he stopped taking penalties for the club following two consecutive misses in the 1997–98 season.
Weaker points of Kinkladze's game were those related to defending. He was not noted for tackling, which sometimes caused frustration for his managers; Colin Todd remarked wistfully in 2001 that "Georgi has to understand that there is an art to tackling". Unwillingness to tackle and accusations of a lack of effort were also the source of Joe Royle's omission of Kinkladze from his Manchester City side.
On occasions, Kinkladze played as a second striker, a role with less positional responsibility. Periods when Kinkladze was used in this way included Frank Clark's first months as Manchester City manager, and alongside Fabrizio Ravanelli
Fabrizio Ravanelli
Fabrizio Ravanelli is a former international Italian football player, who won five titles with Juventus, including a Serie A championship in 1995 and a Champions League title in 1996....
at Derby County. Though a left-footed player, he did not perform well when played as a left winger, and publicly expressed his distaste for playing in the position.
Over the course of his career he was Georgian Player of the Year
Georgian Footballer of the Year
Georgian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best Georgian footballer.The award for an official year is given in summer on the basis of players' performance in a winter league season. The winner is elected by results of a poll conducted among Georgian journalists. From 1993, it...
twice, won the Club Player of the Year three times at English clubs, and has been described by a Russian football history as the brightest Georgian talent of the 1990s. In 2005, he placed third in a BBC poll to find Manchester City's all-time "cult hero".
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cups | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mretebi Tbilisi FC Mretebi Tbilisi FC Mretebi Tbilisi was a Georgian football club based in Tbilisi. Mretebi were founded on 3 February 1988 by Vazha Chkaizadze, a football coach and theatre director. At that time, major football clubs in the Soviet Union were professional in practice, but were officially regarded as amateur. For... |
1990 1990 Pirveli Liga Pirveli Liga is the second division of Georgian Football. It consists of reserve teams and professional teams.Final table 1 Sudori Vani 38 28 4 6 92-56 88 2 Margveti Zestafoni 38 28 3 7 102-44 87... |
34 | 8 | – | – | 34 | 8 |
| 1991 1991 Pirveli Liga Pirveli Liga is the second division of Georgian Football. It consists of reserve teams and professional teams. 1 Mretebi Tbilisi 17 13 0 4 31-12 39 2 Kakheti Telavi 17 12 2 3 43-18 38... |
16 | 1 | – | – | 16 | 1 | |
| 1991–92 | 30 | 9 | – | – | 30 | 9 | |
| Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936... |
1992–93 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 14 |
| 1993–94 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 13 | |
| Saarbrücken 1. FC Saarbrücken 1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903... |
1993–94 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Boca Juniors Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División.... |
1994 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936... |
1994–95 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 15 |
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
1995–96 | 37 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 44 | 8 |
| 1996–97 | 39 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| Ajax | 1998–99 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 1999–2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
1999–2000 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2002–03 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 4 | |
| Anorthosis Anorthosis Famagusta FC Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6... |
2004–05 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Rubin Kazan FC Rubin Kazan FC Rubin Kazan is a Russian association football club based in the city of Kazan . Rubin won the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009.-History:... |
2005 2005 in Russian football 2005 was marked by a greatest success in the Russian club football so far, as CSKA Moscow won the UEFA Cup. Later, CSKA completed the treble, winning the Russian Cup and the Russian Premier League title... |
9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2006 2006 in Russian football -National team:Russia played two friendly matches under the caretaker coach Aleksandr Borodyuk. On 1 March, they lost 0–1 to Brazil in Moscow, and on 27 May drew 0–0 with Spain in Albacete.... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, UEFA Cup, Johan Cruijff Shield, CIS Cup
Commonwealth of Independent States Cup
The Commonwealth of Independent States Cup is a tournament for football clubs which was set up after the split of the Soviet Union. It is open to all the national champions of the successor states of the Union, i.e., the Commonwealth of Independent States member states, as well as Estonia, Latvia,...
and Cyprus Super Cup.Complete figures for the Georgian Cup are unavailable and thus excluded.
International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Georgia national football team The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major... |
1992 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 1995 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1996 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1997 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1998 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2001 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 57 | 9 |
International goals
- Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Note Ref 1. 16 November 1994 Boris Paichadze Stadium Boris Paichadze StadiumThe Boris Paichadze National Stadium , also known as the Dinamo Stadium, is a football stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the home stadium of FC Dinamo Tbilisi. The stadium was built in 1976 by Georgian architect Gia Kurdiani. Before then Dinamo's stadium was a smaller ground with a maximum...
, TbilisiTbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
2–0 5–0 Euro 1996 qualifier UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying Group 7-Standings:-Results and fixtures:---------------------------------------------External links:...
2. 7 June 1995 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms ParkCardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
1–0 1–0 Euro 1996 qualifier 3. 11 October 1995 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi 2–0 2–1 Euro 1996 qualifier Penalty kick 4. 5 December 1996 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium Camille Chamoun Sports City StadiumCamille Chamoun Sports City Stadium is a 47,799 capacity multi-purpose stadium in the Bir Hassan area of Beirut, Lebanon. It is Lebanon's largest stadium. The Sports City Stadium is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has athletics facilities. It was built in 1957 by the...
, BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
2–0 2–4 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
5. 29 March 1997 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi 2–0 7–0 Friendly Penalty kick 6. 7 June 1997 Tsentral Stadium Tsentral Stadium (Batumi)Tsentral Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Batumi, Georgia. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Dinamo Batumi. Originally the capacity of the stadium was 15,000. The stadium currently is able to hold 4,000 people....
, BatumiBatumiBatumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
2–0 2–0 1998 World Cup qualifier 7. 2 May 1998 Stade Olympique de Sousse Stade Olympique de SousseStade Olympique de Sousse is a multi-purpose stadium in Sousse, Tunisia. It is currently used by the football team Etoile Sahel, and was used for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. The stadium holds 30,000 people.-External links:*...
, SousseSousseSousse is a city in Tunisia. Located 140 km south of the capital Tunis, the city has 173,047 inhabitants . Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The name may be of Berber origin: similar names are found in Libya and in...
1–0 1–1 Friendly 8. 29 March 2000 Sala Stadium Sala StadiumThe Šaľa Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Šaľa, Slovakia. Currently, it is mostly used for football matches and is the home ground of FK Slovan Duslo Šaľa. The stadium holds 5,000 people....
, AshkelonAshkelonAshkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
1–0 1–1 Friendly 9. 7 October 2000 S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas KaunasKaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
3–0 4–0 2002 World Cup qualifier
Club
Mretebi Tbilisi- Pirveli LigaPirveli LigaThe Pirveli Liga is the Georgian First League, which serves as the second division of professional football in Georgia.-History:The Georgian First League was organized in 1990...
(1): 19911991 Pirveli LigaPirveli Liga is the second division of Georgian Football. It consists of reserve teams and professional teams. 1 Mretebi Tbilisi 17 13 0 4 31-12 39 2 Kakheti Telavi 17 12 2 3 43-18 38...
Dinamo Tbilisi
- Umaglesi LigaUmaglesi LigaThe Georgian Top League is the top division of football in Georgia. Since 1990, it has been organized by the Professional Football League of Georgia and Georgian Football Federation. From 1927 to 1989, the competition was held as a regional tournament within the Soviet Union...
(3): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 - Georgian CupGeorgian CupThe Georgian Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Georgian football.The competition is a knockout tournament.Previous winners are:-Soviet era cup winners:* 1944: Team of Sukhumi* 1945: Dinamo Sukhumi...
(2): 1992–93, 1994–95
Anorthosis
- Cypriot First DivisionCypriot First DivisionThe Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
(1): 2004–05
Individual
- Georgian Footballer of the YearGeorgian Footballer of the YearGeorgian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best Georgian footballer.The award for an official year is given in summer on the basis of players' performance in a winter league season. The winner is elected by results of a poll conducted among Georgian journalists. From 1993, it...
(2): 1992–93, 1995–96 - Manchester City Player of the Year (2): 1995–96, 1996–97
- Derby County Player of the Year (1): 2002–03