Giorgi Gocholeishvili

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Giorgi Gocholeishvili

| image = Матч «Динамо» – «Шахтар» 0-1. 3 листопада 2023 року — 1486586 (Giorgi Gocholeishvili).jpg

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|2|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kutaisi, Georgia

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Right-back

| currentclub = Copenhagen
(on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk)

| clubnumber = 22

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Saburtalo Tbilisi

| years1 = 2020–2022

| clubs1 = Saburtalo Tbilisi

| caps1 = 69

| goals1 = 8

| years2 = 2023–

| clubs2 = Shakhtar Donetsk

| caps2 = 30

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2024–

| clubs3 = → Copenhagen (loan)

| caps3 = 21

| goals3 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2021–2023

| nationalteam1 = Georgia U21

| nationalcaps1 = 11

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2022–

| nationalteam2 = Georgia

| nationalcaps2 = 12

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 9 June 2025

| nationalteam-update = 9 June 2025

| caption = Gocholeishvili with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023

| upright = 0.7

}}

Giorgi Gocholeishvili ({{post-nominals|post-noms=Order of Honor}}) ({{lang-ka|გიორგი გოჩოლეიშვილი}}; born 14 February 2001) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Danish club Copenhagen, on loan from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk, and the Georgia national team.{{cite web |title=Gocholeishvili Giorgi |url=https://upl.ua/en/people/view/67732 |website=upl.ua |accessdate=22 March 2023}}

He has won the Ukrainian Premier League and the Georgian Cup.

Club career

=Saburtalo=

Giorgi Gocholeishvili was born in Kutaisi and is a product of the Saburtalo Tbilisi academy. He made his debut for the club in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round match against Cypriot club Apollon Limassol on 27 August 2020, which Saburtalo would go on to lose 5-1.{{cite web|publisher=UEFA|title=Apollon-Saburtalo|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/2030286/|language=en|date=27 August 2020}} He made his league debut for the club on 13 September 2020 in a 2020 Erovnuli Liga match against Merani Tbilisi, which ended in a 0-0 draw. By 2021, Gocholeishvili had become a starting player for the team and would help them win the 2021 Georgian Cup after a 1–0 win against Samgurali Tsqaltubo in the final, his first ever trophy.{{cite web|website=int.soccerway.com|title=SAMGURALI VS. SABURTALO 0 - 1 |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/12/08/georgia/david-kipiani-cup/fc-samgurali/saburtalo/3702286/|language=en|date=8 December 2021}}

At the end of 2022, Gocholeishvili was named in the best XI players of the 2022 Erovnuli Liga season.{{cite web |url=https://europop.ge/article/49725-gff-awards-2022-khvicha-kvaratskhelia-da-skhvebi-clis-sauketesoebi-gamoavlines |website=europop.ge |title=GFF AWARDS 2022 |date=26 December 2022 |language=KA |access-date=22 June 2023 |archive-date=23 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623190956/https://europop.ge/article/49725-gff-awards-2022-khvicha-kvaratskhelia-da-skhvebi-clis-sauketesoebi-gamoavlines |url-status=dead }}

In total he played 85 matches, scored 8 goals and assisted 12 for Saburtalo Tbilisi.{{cite web |title=Шахтар підшукав підсилення правого флангу захисту в Грузії |url=https://football.ua/ukraine/491404-shakhtar-pidshukav-pidsilennja-pravogo-flangu-zakhistu-v-gruziji.html |website=football.ua |accessdate=22 March 2023}}

=Shakhtar Donetsk=

In November 2022 he signed a five-year contract with the Ukrainian Premier League giant Shakhtar Donetsk effective from 1 January 2023.{{cite web|publisher=football.ua|script-title=uk:Георгій Гочолейшвілі — гравець Шахтаря|url=https://football.ua/ukraine/492605-georgijj-gocholejjshvili-gravec-shakhtarja.html|language=uk|date=29 November 2022}} He made his debut for Shakhtar Donetsk as a substitute player against Mynai on 28 February 2023.{{cite web|publisher=UPL official website|title=VBET League. 9th round Match #65|url=https://upl.ua/en/report/view/6376|language=en|date=28 February 2023}}

Gocholeishvili netted his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against Chernomorets Odesa on 2 April 2023.{{cite web |title=In the 19th round of the UPL, Shakhtar played against Chornomorets in Odesa |url=https://shakhtar.com/en/news/2023/april/2_news/2_chornomorets_shakhtar/ |website=shakhtar.com |date=2 April 2023}} In his first full UEFA Champions League game against Barcelona on 8 November, Gocholeishvili displayed an impressive performance, provided an assist for the only goal of the match and subsequently got a reward by being named in Champions League Team of the Week.{{cite web |title=UEFA names Haaland, Kane, Saka, others in Champions League team |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/uefa-names-haaland-kane-saka-others-in-champions-league-team-full-list/ar-AA1jFbdu |website=msn.com |access-date=9 November 2023}}

He has won the league twice with Shakhtar.{{cite web |title=Шахтар — чемпіон України сезону-2023/24 |url=https://football.ua/ukraine/530920-shakhtar-chempion-ukrajini-sezonu-202324.html |website=football.ua |access-date=12 May 2024 |language=Ukrainian}}

=Copenhagen=

On 29 July 2024, Danish Superliga club Copenhagen announced signing Gocholeishvili on a year-long loan deal.{{cite web |title=Georgian international defender joins FCK |url=https://www.fck.dk/en/news/georgian-international-defender-joins-fck |website=fck.dk |access-date=29 July 2024}} The player made a debut for his new club in a UEFA Conference League qualifier against Czech side Banik ten days later.{{cite web |title=Copenhagen vs Banik match report |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/match/2041753--copenhagen-vs-banik/ |publisher=UEFA |access-date=9 August 2024}}

Gocholeishvili won the Danish league and cup with the team in May 2025.{{cite news |title= გოჩოლეიშვილის მეორე ტიტული |trans-title=Gocholiehsvili win the second title |url=https://www.crystalsport.ge/news/74661-gocholeishvilis-meore-tituli--kopenhagenma-daniis-tasi-moigo |access-date=9 June 2025 |work=crystalsport.ge |date=29 May 2025 |language=ka}}

International career

=Youth=

Gocholeishvili played for the Georgia national under-21 football team for the first time in a 4–1 friendly win over Belarus in March 2021. He shone in a 3–2 friendly win against England on 16 November 2021, when he netted and provided an assist. Additoonally, Gocholeishvili won an annual Goal of the Year award, given by GFF in honour of the most spectacular goal scored during the entire season.{{cite web |url=https://europop.ge/article/40994-gff-awards-2021-kvaratskhelia-zedized-meored-azarovi-sauketeso-akhalgazrdaa |website=europop.ge |title=GFF AWARDS 2021 |date=29 December 2021 |language=KA |access-date=22 June 2023 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622082054/https://europop.ge/article/40994-gff-awards-2021-kvaratskhelia-zedized-meored-azarovi-sauketeso-akhalgazrdaa |url-status=dead }}

=Senior=

Gocholeishvili was called up to the Georgia national football team for the first time in November 2022 by Willy Sagnol.{{cite web|publisher=sportall.ge|script-title=ka:საქართველოს ნაკრების შემადგენლობა ამხანაგური მატჩისთვის|url=https://sportall.ge/fekhburthi/fekhburthii/erovnuli-nakrebiiii/159906-saqarthvelos-nakrebis-shemadgenloba-amkhanaguri-matchisthvis.html|language=ka|date=10 November 2022}} Gocholeishvili made his debut for his country in the friendly match against Morocco on 17 November.{{cite web|publisher=sportall.ge|script-title=ka:მაროკოსთან მატჩში საქართველოს ნაკრების სასტარტო შემადგენლობა ცნობილია|url=https://sportall.ge/fekhburthi/fekhburthii/erovnuli-nakrebiiii/160094-marokosthan-matchshi-saqarthvelos-nakrebis-sastarto-shemadgenloba-cnobilia.html|language=ka|date=17 November 2022}} He was called up to the Georgia team that competed in Euro 2024.

Personal life

Gocholeishvili is married to Anna Okruashvili. Their first child Aleksandre was born in March 2024.{{cite web |title=ერთ-ერთი ძვირადღირებული ქართველი ფეხბურთელის პირადი ცხოვრება და გზა დონეცკის "შახტარისკენ" - ვინ არის 23 წლის გიორგი გოჩოლეიშვილის რჩეული: "ეს ჩემი პირველი შვილია! ბედნიერი ვარ" |url=https://www.ambebi.ge/article/307950-ert-erti-zviradgirebuli-kartveli-pexburtelis-pirad/ |website=ambebi.ge (in Georgian) |date=6 April 2024 |access-date=7 April 2024}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4"\|Saburtalo \|2020 \|rowspan="3"\|Erovnuli Liga \|5	0	3	0	1{{efn\|Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League\|name=UEL}}	0	colspan="2" \|—	9	0
2021 \|34	4	5	0	colspan="2" \|—	colspan="2" \|—	39	4
2022 \|30	4	3	0	4{{efn\|Appearance(s) in UEFA Conference League\|name=UCL}}	0	1{{efn\|Appearance(s) in Georgian Super Cup\|name=SUC}}	0	38	4
colspan="2"\|Total !69	8	11	0	5	0	1	0	86	8
rowspan="4"\|Shakhtar \| 2022–23 \| rowspan="3"\|Ukrainian Premier League \|13	1	colspan="2" \|—	colspan="2" \|—	colspan="2" \|—	13	1
2023–24 \|17	0	1	0	5	0	colspan="2" \|—	23	0
2025–26 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0
colspan="2"\|Total !30	1	1	0	5	0	0	0	36	1
Copenhagen (loan) \| 2024–25 \| Danish Superliga \|21	1	2	0	10{{efn\|name=UCL}}	0	0	0	33	1
colspan="3"\|Career total !120	10	14	0	20	0	1	0	155	10

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="4"\|Georgia \|2022	1	0
2023	7	0
2024	3	0
2025	3	0
colspan="2"\|Total	14	0

Honours

Saburtalo Tbilisi

Georgian Cup: 2021

Shakhtar Donetsk

Ukrainian Premier League: 2022–23, 2023–24

Copenhagen

Danish Superliga: 2024–25{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediano.nu/oversigt/2025/05/26/mediano-superliga-32-runde|title=Mediano Superliga: Tillykke til FC København|date=25 May 2025|website=Mediano}}
Danish Cup: 2024–25{{Cite web|url=https://www.bt.dk/content/item/1824551|title=FCK tager tiende pokaltitel med soloridt på hadebanen|date=29 May 2025|website=www.bt.dk}}