Levan Mchedlidze (Georgian: ლევან მჭედლიძე, romanized: levan mch'edlidze, pronounced [levan mtʃʼedlidze]; born 24 March 1990) is a retired Georgian professional footballer who last played as a forward for Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi.
.jpg) Mchedlidze in 2008 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 March 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgia | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Dila Gori | ||
| 2006–2008 | Empoli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2006 | Dila Gori | 2 | (0) |
| 2008–2019 | Empoli | 150 | (15) |
| 2008–2010 | → Palermo (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 5 | (1) |
| 2021 | Dinamo Batumi | 3 | (0) |
| 2021-2022 | Torpedo Kutaisi | 25 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2005–2006 | Georgia U17 | 18 | (10) |
| 2006–2007 | Georgia U19 | 8 | (1) |
| 2011 | Georgia U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2019 | Georgia | 32 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 March 2024 | |||
Club career
editEmpoli
editOriginally noted in early 2006 by Empoli scout Gianni Carnevali, he joined the Tuscan side in September 2006, following his impressive performances with the Georgia under-19 national team in a youth competition in Belgium, and despite some interest from FC Bayern Munich. He was officially signed only one year later, in July 2007, due to bureaucratic issues concerning his non-EU citizen status.[2]
Loan to Palermo
editFollowing Empoli's relegation into Serie B, Mchedlidze's future was put under discussion. On 30 August 2008, Serie A club Palermo announced on their website to have signed Mchedlidze on a year-long loan, with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.[3] Later, Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini announced to have paid €6.2 mln for the signing of the young Georgian striker.[4] The club also confirmed the bid to be an actual permanent move, as a technical year-long loan that will be made permanent at the end of the 2008–09 season.[5]
Mchedlidze made his Serie A debut on 24 September 2008, playing fifteen minutes in a league game against Napoli,[6] then scoring his first professional goal only a few weeks later, in what ultimately proved to be the winning goal in a surprising 2–1 away win against Juventus. Despite the high hopes for the young striker, he went on to make just another seven appearances that season and didn't add to his goal tally.
Palermo agreed a one-year extension to his loan with Empoli in June 2009. In December 2009, after a lacklustre start of season, Mchedlidze did not return to Sicily from holidays in Georgia, citing lack of first team chances as the main reason behind his choice. The player was successively excluded from the first team and Palermo director of football Walter Sabatini successively confirmed the club will not arrange a deal for him. As of March 2010, the player has not returned to Sicily and his loan to Palermo was subsequently cancelled due to breach of contract.[7]
Return to Empoli
editIn the 2010–11 Serie B season, Mchedlidze made 21 appearances as his side finished mid-table, scoring 2 goals and managing 4 assists. Mchedlidze played a bit-part role for the majority of the 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, with most of his appearances coming off the bench. In the 2014–15 Serie A season, Mchedlidze scored 4 goals in the league, including a brace against Internazionale Milano on the final matchday.
He was released by Empoli at the end of the 2018–19 Serie A season, after thirteen years as a player for the Tuscan side.[8]
Return to Georgia
editIn September, 2019, Mchedlidze agreed one-plus-one deal with Dinamo Tbilisi.[9]
In March 2021, Mchedlidze signed with Dinamo Batumi.[10]
International career
editDespite having never played in his team also because of a knee injury during pre-season training, he was capped for the Georgia national football team at the age of 17, for the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Italy.[11] In spite of his young age, the coach Klaus Toppmöller made him play against the World Champions.
In the following match, Mchedlidze, being featured together with two other teenage team-mates (Levan Kenia and Giorgi Makaridze in the starting lineup),[12] scored the first goal in the 2–0 victory against Scotland, thus marking the first goal of his professional career.[13]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of 3 June 2019[14]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Palermo | 2008–09 | Serie A | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| 2009–10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| Empoli | 2010–11 | Serie B | 20 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | |||
| 2012–13 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | 23 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 25 | 4 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 25 | 4 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 5 | |||
| 2015–16 | 13 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 15 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 6 | ||||
| 2017–18 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 150 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 20 | ||
| Career total | 161 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 21 | ||
Honours
editClub
editTorpedo Kutaisi
Dinamo Tbilisi:
References
edit- ^ "Levan Mchedlidze". Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Levan Mchedlidze: alcune notizie" (in Italian). Empoli FC. 17 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
- ^ "Levan Mchedlidze al Palermo" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 30 August 2008. Archived from the original on 1 September 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "DICHIARAZIONE DI ZAMPARINI" (in Italian). U.S. Città di Palermo. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
- ^ "Sabatini: "Vi presento Succi e Levan"" (in Italian). Mediagol. 11 September 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
- ^ "NAPOLI-PALERMO: esordio per Mchedlidze" (in Italian). Mediagol. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Levan ha rescisso, l'Empoli lo chiama...lui non risponde" (in Italian). Palermo24. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ "Empoli: addio a Mchedlidze dopo 13 anni" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "ლევან მჭედლიძე დინამოელია" [Dinamo signed Levan Mchedlidze] (in Georgian). Dinamo Tbilisi. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "უკვე ოფიციალურად: ლევან მჭედლიძე ბათუმის დინამოს ფეხბურთელი გახდა" [Now it's official: Dinamo Batumi signed Levan Mchedlidze] (in Georgian). Lelo. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ "Levan il debutto del predestinato" (in Italian).[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Future bright for Toppmöller's Georgia".
- ^ "Youthful Georgia hurt Scotland hopes".
- ^ "Levan Mchedlidze". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
External links
edit- Levan Mchedlidze at National-Football-Teams.com
- Levan Mchedlidze – FIFA competition record (archived)