FC Matchakhela Khelvachauri
FC Matchakhela is a Georgian football club based in the town of Khelvachauri, Adjara. Following the 2025 season, they were relegated to Regionuli Liga, the fifth tier of Georgian football.
History
Matchakhela were founded оn the basis of Khelvachauri's Sport School on 15 June 2011. After the first season under manager Nugzar Kokoladze, the team mostly consisting of local amateur footballers took 4th place in Meore Liga. The next head coach, Amiran Gogitidze, guided the club to the top of the league, which they won with automatic promotion in 2013.On 28 February 2014, the sport school club changed its status into Football Club Matchakhela Ltd.
During most of the 2013–14 season, Matchakhela were engaged in inter-Adjarian rivalry with Dinamo Batumi for a second promotion place to Umaglesi Liga, in which eventually the latter prevailed. Overall, the 3rd place taken in 2014 in Liga 2 has been the club's highest point reached in Georgian leagues.
The team finished the 2014–15 season comfortably in mid-table, but a year later entered a period of instability. Struggling the whole season, they eventually lost a battle for survival.
The 2016 season was transitional in all Georgian football leagues into Spring-Autumn system with a sharp reduction of clubs in each division. Matchakhela failed to remain in the third tier and thus suffered double relegation in successive seasons. Although they managed to climb back to Liga 3 the next year, in 2018 the team finished bottom of the league.
Matchakhela spent two seasons in Regionuli Liga before they won promotion to recently formed Liga 4 for 2021. After two more years, they successfully concluded their league campaign under Avtandil Kunchulia and moved back into the third tier. In 2023, the team ended up in the drop zone, but due to the demotion of another club to Liga 4, Matchakhela managed to retain their place in the third division.
Following the next two seasons, the club once again changed divisions after suffering back-to-back relegations.
Squad
As of 13 March 2024(C)
Honours
• Pirveli Liga• Meore Liga
• Liga 4
• Regionuli Liga *
''Note: Regionuli Liga was fourth tier up until 2018''