Gia Guruli

{{short description|Georgian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gia Guruli | image = | full_name = Gia Guruli | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|5|20}} | birth_place = Chiatura, Soviet Union | height = 1.78 m | position = Striker | currentclub = | years1 = 1982–1988 | years2 = 1988–1989 | years3 = 1989–1990 | years4 = 1990–1992 | years5 = 1992–1994 | years6 = 1994–1997 | years7 = 1997–1999 | clubs1 = Dinamo Tbilisi | clubs2 = Guria Lanchkhuti | clubs3 = Iberia Tbilisi | clubs4 = GKS Katowice | clubs5 = Le Havre | clubs6 = USL Dunkerque | clubs7 = Calais RUFC | caps1 = 104 | caps2 = 40 | caps3 = 25 | caps4 = 36 | caps5 = 48 | caps6 = 87 | caps7 = 2 | goals1 = 19 | goals2 = 18 | goals3 = 23 | goals4 = 11 | goals5 = 12 | goals6 = 9 | goals7 = 0 | totalcaps = 342 | totalgoals = 92 | nationalyears1 = 1994 | nationalteam1 = Georgia | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2012–2013 | managerclubs1 = Dinamo Batumi | manageryears2 = 2014–2016 | managerclubs2 = Kolkheti Khobi | manageryears3 = 2016–2017 | managerclubs3 = Shukura Kobuleti | manageryears4 = 2017 | managerclubs4 = Guria Lanchkhuti | manageryears5 = 2023- | managerclubs5 = Dunkerque U12 }}

'''Gia Guruli''' (born 20 May 1964) is a Georgian professional football manager and former player. He is the father of Alexander Guruli. He made his debut for the Georgia national team on 22 February 1994 against Israel and earned a total of three caps.

==Club career== In 1992, Guruli moved to Le Havre and on 8 August 1992, he played his first game for the club, a 2–0 win against Nîmes in the 1992–93 French Division 1,{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} becoming the first Georgian to play in the league.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guia Gourouli |url=https://www.hac-foot.com/hacman/guia-gourouli.html |website=HAC Foot |access-date=23 February 2025 |archive-date=20 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420010213/http://www.hac-foot.com/hacman/guia-gourouli.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 7 October 1992, he scored his first goal for Le Havre in a 3–0 French Division 1 win against Strasbourg, becoming the first Georgian to score in the league.<ref>{{cite web |title=deux-zero.com - Division 1 |url=https://www.deux-zero.com/ligue-1/fiche/edition/1992-1993/match/6867 |website=Deux Zero |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>

On 7 March 1993, as Le Havre won 3–0 against Le Touquet, he became at 28 years the first Georgian to play in Coupe de France.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

He remained the only Georgian to play in that competition until 3 January 2004, when his own son Aleksandre played with Boulogne-sur-mer against Créteil in the 2003–04 Coupe de France at 18 years old.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistiques US Boulogne - Créteil |url=https://fr.besoccer.com/match/us-boulogne/creteil-lusitanos/200475470#google_vignette |website=Besoccer |access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref>

He scored his twelfth and last goal for Le Havre on 29 January 1994, in a 3–0 French Division 1 win against Strasbourg; as of today he still remains the oldest Georgian goalscorer in the league.<ref>{{cite web |title=RCS - Le Havre 0-3 |url=https://racingstub.com/games/165/ |website=Racingstub |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>

He remained the oldest Georgian to play in Coupe de France until 2020–21, when his own son Aleksandre broke his record by playing the 2020–21 Coupe de France at 35 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=COUPE DE FRANCE 2020 - 2021 - 7E TOUR MÉTROPOLE |url=https://www.fff.fr/competition/match/23342270-u-s-st-maurice-loos-en-gohelle-u-s-du-pays-de-saint-omer.html |website=Fédération Française de Football |access-date=2 March 2025}}</ref>

==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/40676.html |title=Aleksandr Guruli |website=National-Football-Teams.com |access-date=2 September 2015}}</ref> |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |Georgia |1994||3||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!3!!0 |}

==Honours== '''Iberia Tbilisi''' * Erovnuli Liga: 1990<ref name="90m">{{cite web |title=Gia Guruli |url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=608 |website=90minut.pl |access-date=20 May 2024 |language=pl |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520221035/http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=608 |url-status=live }}</ref>

'''GKS Katowice'''<ref name="90m"/> * Polish Cup: 1990–91 * Polish Super Cup: 1991

'''Individual''' * Erovnuli Liga top scorer: 1990<ref name="90m"/>

== Notes == {{notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{NFT|15995}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guruli, Gija}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Imereti Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Soviet men's footballers Category:Men's footballers from Georgia (country) Category:Georgia (country) men's international footballers Category:FC Dinamo Tbilisi players Category:GKS Katowice players Category:FC Guria Lanchkhuti players Category:Le Havre AC players Category:USL Dunkerque players Category:Calais RUFC players Category:Soviet Top League players Category:Erovnuli Liga players Category:Ekstraklasa players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Ligue 2 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 France Category:Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in France Category:Football managers from Georgia (country) Category:FC Dinamo Batumi managers Category:FC Guria Lanchkhuti managers Category:Erovnuli Liga managers