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Merab Gigauri

{{short description|Georgian footballer}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Merab Gigauri

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|1|5|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tbilisi, Georgia

| image =

| height = 1.82 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Torpedo Kutaisi

| clubnumber = 7

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Torpedo Kutaisi

| years1 = 2010–2014 | clubs1 = Torpedo Kutaisi | caps1 = 63 | goals1 = 3

| years2 = 2011–2012 | clubs2 = → Jagiellonia Białystok (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2014 | clubs3 = Metalurgi Rustavi | caps3 = 11 | goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2014 | clubs4 = Tskhinvali | caps4 = 14 | goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2015 | clubs5 = Kolkheti 1913 | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2015 | clubs6 = Tskhinvali | caps6 = 2 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2015–2016 | clubs7 = Kolkheti 1913 | caps7 = 24 | goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2016 | clubs8 = Rustavi | caps8 = 14 | goals8 = 4

| years9 = 2017–2019 | clubs9 = Torpedo Kutaisi | caps9 = 82 | goals9 = 2

| years10 = 2019–2021 | clubs10 = Gabala | caps10 = 40 | goals10 = 1

| years11 = 2021–2022 | clubs11 = Shamakhi | caps11 = 24 | goals11 = 2

| years12 = 2022– | clubs12 = Torpedo Kutaisi | caps12 = 77 | goals12 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2010 | nationalteam1 = Georgia U17 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2012 | nationalteam2 = Georgia U19 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2013 | nationalteam3 = Georgia U21 | nationalcaps3 = 1 | nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2013 | nationalteam4 = Georgia | nationalcaps4 = 1 | nationalgoals4 = 0

| pcupdate = 30 May 2025

| ntupdate =

}}

Merab Gigauri ({{lang-ka|მერაბ გიგაური}}; born 5 January 1993) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays for midfielder for Erovnuli Liga club Torpedo Kutaisi, which he captains.

He has played for eight clubs in three countries as well as in all national youth teams.

Gigauri is the winner of Erovnuli Liga, the national Cup and Georgian Super Cup.{{cite web |title=Merab Gigauri |url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=20868 |website=90minut.pl |access-date=22 July 2023 |language=Polish}}

Career

=Club=

Gigauri started his professional career at Torpedo Kutaisi in 2010. He scored his top-flight goal in a 1–0 win against Zestaponi.{{cite web |title=Torpedo Kutaisi vs Zestafoni |url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2010/10/17/georgia/umaglesi-liga/fc-torpedo-kutaisi/fc-zestafoni/978260/ |website=soccerway.com}}

After the first season Gigauri left the club on loan.{{cite web |url=http://www.90minut.pl/news/166/news1667678-Merab-Gigauri-wypozyczony-do-Jagiellonii.html |title=Merab Gigauri wypożyczony do Jagiellonii |date=30 August 2011 |language=Polish}} He made his Ekstraklasa debut for Jagiellonia Białystok on 26 November 2011 in a game against ŁKS Łódź as a 58th-minute substitute for Hermes.{{cite web |publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/11/26/poland/ekstraklasa/lks-lodz/jagiellonia-bialystok/1121792/|title=Game Report by Soccerway|date=26 November 2011}} Despite the lack of playing time, his desire was to stay on with this club,{{cite web |url=https://worldsport.ge/en/page/merab-gigauri-i-do-not-want-to-return-to-georgian-championship |website=worldsport.ge |title=Merab Gigauri: "I do not Want to Return to Georgian Championship" |date=9 May 2012}} although he returned to Torpedo after the loan agreement had expired.

In July 2016, he joined Pirveli Liga side Rustavi,{{cite web |url=https://sportall.ge/fexburti/qarthuli-fekhburthi/chempionati/93889-merab-gigauri-amitomac-movedi-kilasoniasthan.html |website=sportall.ge (in Georgian) |title=მერაბ გიგაური: ...ამიტომაც მოვედი კილასონიასთან |date=8 July 2016}} who won their league group this season in spite of a six-point deduction.

At the end of 2016 Gigauri moved to Torpedo again,{{cite web |url=https://www.mysports.ge/ka/post/view/17196?month=03&year=2023 |website=mysports.ge (in Georgian) |title=მერაბ გიგაური „ტორპედოს“ დაუბრუნდა |date=29 December 2016}} where he earned four trophies, including the league title in 2017.

When a severe financial crisis hit the club in mid-2019, twelve players were forced to find new teams. On 27 June 2019, Gigauri signed a one-year contract with Gabala.{{cite web |title=Qəbələ Merab Qiqaurini rənglərinə bağladı |url=http://gabalafc.az/az/xeber/qebele-merab-qiqaurini-renglerine-bagladi-4476 |website=gabalafc.az/ |publisher=Gabala FK |accessdate=27 June 2019 |language=Azerbaijani |date=27 June 2019}} During the first fourteen games he was four times included in the symbolic team of the league.{{cite web |url=https://1tv.ge/news/qartvelebi-azerbaijanshi-sauketesoebshi-arian/ |website=1tv.ge (in Georgian) |title=ქართველები აზერბაიჯანში საუკეთესოებში არიან |date=24 December 2019}}

In the summer of 2022, Gigauri started his fourth spell at Torpedo,{{cite web |url=https://1tv.ge/news/gigauri-torpedoshi-dabrunda-nakhevarmcveli-7-nomriani-maisurit-itamashebs-1tvsport/ |website=1tv.ge (in Georgian) |title=გიგაური „ტორპედოში“ დაბრუნდა - ნახევარმცველი 7-ნომრიანი მაისურით ითამაშებს |date=22 July 2022}} where he was confirmed as the team captain next May. Gigauri netted his first European goal with Torpedo in 2023. His injury-time leveller against FK Sarajevo helped the team to make it through to the second round of the UEFA Conference League.{{cite web |title=Sarajevo vs Torpedo |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/match/2038569--sarajevo-vs-torpedo-kutaisi/ |website=UEFA |access-date=22 July 2023}}

On 8 November 2024, Gigauri was greeted with heartwarming gestures from the fans on his 250th appearance for Torpedo in a 1–0 win over Dinamo Batumi.{{cite web |url=https://infoimereti.ge/მერაბ-გიგაურმა-ტორპედოს/|title=მერაბ გიგაურმა "ტორპედოს" ფორმით 250-ე მატჩი ჩაატარა |website=infoimereti.ge |language=KA |date=9 November 2024 |access-date=13 November 2024}}

=International=

Gigauri made his debut for Georgia national football team on 5 June 2013 in a friendly against Denmark.{{cite web|publisher=Eurosport|url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/international-friendlies/2013/live-denmark-georgia_mtc610917/live.shtml|title=Denmark v Georgia game report|date=5 June 2013}}

Career statistics

=Club=

{{updated|match played 15 May 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/merab-gigauri/145822/|title=M.Gigauri|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Club statistics

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|Cup

!colspan="2"|Continental

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan="4"|Torpedo Kutaisi

|2010–11

|Umaglesi Liga

|20

130colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—231
2012–13

|Umaglesi Liga

|28

140colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—321
2013–14

|Umaglesi Liga

|15

11020colspan="2"|—181
colspan="2"|Total

!63

38020colspan="2"|—733
Jagiellonia (loan)

|2011–12

|Ekstraklasa

|3

000colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—30
Metalurgi

|2013–14

|Umaglesi Liga

|11

220colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—132
Tskhinvali

|2014–15

|Umaglesi Liga

|14

240colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—182
Kolkheti Poti

|2014–15

|Umaglesi Liga

|14

2colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—142
Tskhinvali

|2015–16

|Umaglesi Liga

|2

0colspan="2"|—20colspan="2"|—40
Kolkheti Poti

|2015–16

|Umaglesi Liga

|24

320colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—263
Rustavi

|2016

|Pirveli Liga

|14

4colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—144
rowspan="3"|Torpedo Kutaisi

|2017

|Erovnuli Liga

|31

0502010390
2018

|Erovnuli Liga

|32

2512010403
2019

|Erovnuli Liga

|19

010colspan="2"|—11211
rowspan="3" valign="center"|Gabala

|2019–20

|Azerbaijan Premier League

|18

02020colspan="2"|—220
2020–21

|Azerbaijan Premier League

|22

130colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—251
colspan="2"|Total

!40

15020colspan="2"|—471
Shamakhi

|2021–22

|Azerbaijan Premier League

|24

23020colspan="2"|—292
rowspan="5"|Torpedo Kutaisi

|2022

|Erovnuli Liga

|14

151colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—192
|2023

|Erovnuli Liga

|25

0104120321
2024

|Erovnuli Liga

|23

1104020301
2025

|Erovnuli Liga

|15

1000000151
colspan="2"|Total

!222

82611427126912
colspan="3"|Career total

!368

244222017143728

Honours

Torpedo Kutaisi{{cite web |title=Merab Gigauri |url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=20868 |website=90minut.pl |access-date=5 June 2024 |language=pl}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Soccerway|merab-gigauri/145822}}
  • {{NFT player | 52503 }}
  • {{FootballFacts.ru|}}

{{FC Torpedo Kutaisi squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gigauri, Merab}}

Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Tbilisi

Category:Men's footballers from Georgia (country)

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Georgia (country) men's youth international footballers

Category:21st-century sportsmen from Georgia (country)

Category:Georgia (country) men's under-21 international footballers

Category:Georgia (country) men's international footballers

Category:FC Torpedo Kutaisi players

Category:Jagiellonia Białystok players

Category:FC Metalurgi Rustavi players

Category:FC Tskhinvali players

Category:FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti players

Category:Gabala SC players

Category:Shamakhi FK players

Category:Erovnuli Liga players

Category:Erovnuli Liga 2 players

Category:Ekstraklasa players

Category:Azerbaijan Premier League players

Category:Expatriate men's footballers from Georgia (country)

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Poland

Category:Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Poland

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Azerbaijan

Category:Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Azerbaijan