Zuriko Davitashvili | |
Birth Date: | 15 February 2001 |
Birth Place: | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Height: | 1.75 m |
Position: | Left winger, attacking midfielder |
Currentclub: | Saint-Étienne |
Clubnumber: | 22 |
Youthyears1: | 2013–2017 |
Youthclubs1: | Dinamo Tbilisi |
Years1: | 2017–2018 |
Clubs1: | Dinamo Tbilisi |
Caps1: | 6 |
Goals1: | 0 |
Years2: | 2018–2019 |
Clubs2: | Locomotive Tbilisi |
Caps2: | 29 |
Goals2: | 3 |
Years3: | 2019–2021 |
Clubs3: | Rubin Kazan |
Caps3: | 28 |
Goals3: | 2 |
Years4: | 2020–2021 |
Clubs4: | → Rotor Volgograd (loan) |
Caps4: | 20 |
Goals4: | 0 |
Years5: | 2021–2022 |
Clubs5: | Arsenal Tula |
Caps5: | 20 |
Goals5: | 3 |
Years6: | 2022–2023 |
Clubs6: | Dinamo Batumi |
Caps6: | 14 |
Goals6: | 6 |
Years7: | 2022–2023 |
Clubs7: | → Bordeaux (loan) |
Caps7: | 30 |
Goals7: | 5 |
Years8: | 2023–2024 |
Clubs8: | Bordeaux |
Caps8: | 37 |
Goals8: | 8 |
Years9: | 2024– |
Clubs9: | Saint-Étienne |
Caps9: | 0 |
Goals9: | 0 |
Nationalyears1: | 2016–2018 |
Nationalteam1: | Georgia U17 |
Nationalcaps1: | 12 |
Nationalgoals1: | 7 |
Nationalyears2: | 2017–2018 |
Nationalteam2: | Georgia U19 |
Nationalcaps2: | 9 |
Nationalgoals2: | 4 |
Nationalyears3: | 2019–2023 |
Nationalteam3: | Georgia U21 |
Nationalcaps3: | 5 |
Nationalgoals3: | 1 |
Nationalyears4: | 2019– |
Nationalteam4: | Georgia |
Nationalcaps4: | 39 |
Nationalgoals4: | 6 |
Club-Update: | 03:55, 19 May 2024 (UTC) |
Nationalteam-Update: | 09:44, 9 July 2024 (UTC) |
Zuriko "Zuka" Davitashvili (Georgian: ზურიკო დავითაშვილი|tr; born 15 February 2001) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne and the Georgia national team. He also plays as an attacking midfielder.
Davitashvili made his career debut for Dinamo Tbilisi on 29 September 2017 in a match against Kolkheti Poti. He came on the pitch in the 72nd minute.[1]
In 2018, he moved to Locomotive Tbilisi.[2] In the same year The Guardian named Davitashvili among 60 best young players worldwide.[3]
As a distinguished player of the Georgian U17 team, he received a golden medal from the Football Federation.[4] Тhis acknowledgement resulted from his highly prolific performance in two qualifying rounds of 2018 European U17 championship. Being captain of the team, he scored seven goals in six matches, including a poker against N.Macedonia.[5]
A year later he was named as the best young Georgian football player of the season.[6]
On 29 June 2019, Davitashvili signed a three-year contract with Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan.[7] He made his Russian Premier League debut for Rubin on 15 July 2019 in the season opener against Lokomotiv Moscow, as a starter.[8]
UEFA included Zuriko Davitashvili in the list of fifty young talents in early 2020.[9]
On 20 August 2020, Davitashvili joined Rotor Volgograd on loan for the 2020–21 season.[10] On 16 July 2021, his contract with Rubin was terminated by mutual consent.[11] Four days later, he signed for Arsenal Tula.[12]
On 23 March 2022, Davitashvili signed with Dinamo Batumi. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA gave foreign players playing in Russia the permission to terminate their contract immediately.[13]
On 2 September 2022, Davitashvili moved to Bordeaux on a one-year loan deal.[14] His goal in a debut game helped his new club to secure victory over Dijon on 17 September.[15] Following the 2022–23 season, the club exercised the option to purchase him on a four-year deal.[16]
The 11th of July of 2024, Zuriko Davitashvili joins AS Saint-Étienne, as they just came back in French first division, Ligue 1.
Before 2016, Davitashvili played for the Georgia under-17s. After 2017, he played for the Georgia under-19s.[17] He made his debut for Georgia national team on 5 September 2019 in a friendly against South Korea, as a starter.[18] Three days later in a friendly game against Bulgaria he netted his first goal.[19]
Davitashvili took part in 2023 European U21 Championship, co-hosted by Georgia. His stunning solo goal scored against Netherlands in a 1–1 draw proved crucial for winning the group stage. For his display Davitashvilil received the Player of the Match award.[20]
Davitashvili appeared in Georgia's all matches both in the Euro 2024 qualifying stages and Euro 2024 championship. On 2 July 2024, along with other squad members he received the Order of Honour.[21]
Zuriko Davitashvili is the son of former football player Suliko Davitashvili, who later became a football coach working with youth teams and at professional clubs such as Rustavi.[22]
Zuriko has a sister and younger brother.
He got married in 2023.[23] The birth of his son was announced in November 2023.[24]
Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Dinamo Tbilisi | 2017 | Erovnuli Liga | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
Locomotive Tbilisi | 2018 | Erovnuli Liga | 19 | 3 | — | — | 19 | 3 | |||
2019 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||||
Total | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 3 | ||||
Rubin Kazan | 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 26 | 2 | — | — | 26 | 2 | |||
2020–21 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
Total | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||||
Rotor Volgograd (loan) | 2020–21 | Russian Premier League | 20 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
Arsenal Tula | 2021–22 | Russian Premier League | 20 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 23 | 4 | ||
Dinamo Batumi | 2022 | Erovnuli Liga | 14 | 6 | — | 4 | 1 | 18 | 7 | ||
2022–23 | Ligue 2 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 32 | 6 | |||
2023–24 | 37 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 8 | ||||
Total | 67 | 13 | 4 | 1 | — | 71 | 14 | ||||
Career total | 184 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 195 | 30 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia | 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
2020 | 4 | 0 | ||
2021 | 8 | 2 | ||
2022 | 8 | 1 | ||
2023 | 11 | 3 | ||
2024 | 7 | 0 | ||
Total | 39 | 6 |
Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Davitashvili goal.[25]
Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 8 September 2021 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | 1–4 | 1–4 | Friendly | |
2. | 12 October 2021 | Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
3. | 5 June 2022 | Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria | 1–0 | 5–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C | |
4. | 17 June 2023 | AEK Arena, Larnaca, Cyprus | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | |
5. | 12 October 2023 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia | 1–0 | 8–0 | Friendly | |
6. | 6–0 |
Georgia U17
Individual