Levan Mchedlidze

Levan Mchedlidze (Georgian: ლევან მჭედლიძე, translit.: levan mch'edlidze, pronounced [lɛvan mt͡ʃʼɛdlid͡zɛ]; born 24 March 1990) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a forward, currently playing for Dinamo Tbilisi.

Levan Mchedlidze
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-03-24) 24 March 1990
Place of birth Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Dinamo Tbilisi
Number 10
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– Dinamo Tbilisi 5 (1)
National team‡
2005–2006 Georgia U-17 18 (10)
2006–2007 Georgia U-19 8 (1)
2011 Georgia U-21 3 (0)
2007– Georgia 32 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 October 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 October 2019

Career

Empoli

Originally noted in early 2006 by Empoli scout Gianni Carnevali, he joined the Tuscan side on 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, on July 2007, due to bureaucratic issues concerning his non-EU citizen status.[2]

Loan to Palermo

Following 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. On 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

In 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

In September, 2019, Mchedlidze agreed one-plus-one deal with FC Dinamo Tbilisi.[9]

International career

Despite 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.[10] 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),[11] scored the first goal in the 2–0 victory against Scotland, thus marking the first goal of his professional career.[12]

Career statistics
As of 3 June 2019[13]
Club Season League Playoffs Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Palermo2008–09Serie A91———91
2009–1020———20
Total 111000000111
Empoli2010–11Serie B202—10—212
2011–122412110—272
2012–131904100—221
2013–14232—22—254
2014–15Serie A254—21—275
2015–16130—10—140
2016–17156—00—156
2017–18Serie B00—00—00
2018–19Serie A110—10—120
Total 1501562830016320
Career total 1611662830017521

Honours

FC Dinamo Tbilisi:

References
  1. http://www.empolicalcio.net/Levan-Mchedlidze.htm
  2. "Levan Mchedlidze: alcune notizie" (in Italian). Empoli FC. 17 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
  3. "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.
  4. "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.
  5. "Sabatini: "Vi presento Succi e Levan"" (in Italian). Mediagol. 11 September 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  6. "NAPOLI-PALERMO: esordio per Mchedlidze" (in Italian). Mediagol. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  7. "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.
  8. "Empoli: addio a Mchedlidze dopo 13 anni" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  9. "ლევან მჭედლიძე დინამოელია" [Dinamo signed Levan Mchedlidze] (in Georgian). Dinamo Tbilisi. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  10. "Levan il debutto del predestinato" (in Italian).
  11. "Future bright for Toppmöller's Georgia".
  12. "Youthful Georgia hurt Scotland hopes".
  13. "Levan Mchedlidze". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
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