Levan Kutalia

Levan Kutalia
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-07-19) 19 July 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Zugdidi, Georgian SSR
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 12 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Samgurali
Number 35
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Mglebi Zugdidi 12 (2)
2008–2010 Slavija Sarajevo 27 (7)
2011 Zrinjski Mostar 16 (3)
2012–2013 Zugdidi 31 (4)
2013–2014 Zestafoni 22 (0)
2014–2015 Shukura Kobuleti 19 (1)
2015 Dinamo Zugdidi 12 (0)
2015 Merani Martvili 9 (0)
2016 Odishi 1919 13 (8)
2016–2017 Shukura Kobuleti 29 (9)
2017–2018 Torpedo Kutaisi 49 (15)
2019 Dinamo Tbilisi 33 (20)
2020 Irtysh Pavlodar 2 (0)
2020 Hapoel Tel Aviv 8 (0)
2021 Hapoel Umm al-Fahm 18 (7)
2021–2023 Sektzia Ness Ziona 59 (14)
2023 Alashkert 19 (12)
2024 Dinamo Batumi 11 (1)
2024– Samgurali 15 (9)
International career
2009 Georgia U-21 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 October 2009

Levan Kutalia (Georgian: ლევან კუტალია; born 19 July 1989) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays s a forward for Erovnuli Liga club Samgurali.

He has won five Georgian trophies with three different clubs and the Erovnuli Liga goalscorer's award.

Career

Levan Kutalia started his career in his home town. After a one-year tenure at Mglebi, he became the first Georgian player who moved to a Bosnian football division. While playing for Slavija Sarajevo, he was named the 2nd best foreign player of the league.[1]

Later Kutalia had to return to his boyhood club, which bore four different names during his four seasons there - Mglebi, Baia, Zugdidi, Dinamo. For the last time the sides signed a one-year deal in January 2015.[2]

In July 2017, the striker joined Torpedo Kutaisi, where he clinched all three domestic trophies. He personally contributed to a Super Cup victory with his injury-time winner against Chikhura Sachkhere.[3]

After his departure from Torpedo, Kutalia signed a season-long contract with Dinamo Tbilisi.[4] The 2019 season ended with his wide recognition, as the league top scorer was named Striker of the Year.

In a sharp contrast, his next move turned out unfortune. After taking part in two games for Irtysh Pavlodar, his new club was suspended due to financial issues.[5] Besides, he did not get paid for four months[6] and could not get back home as a result of COVID restrictions.

On 27 July 2020, Kutalia signed in Hapoel Tel Aviv from the Israeli Premier League.[7]

On 7 July 2023, Alashkert announced the signing of Kutalia.[8] In the winter break, the player left the club as its top scorer with 12 goals in 19 league appearances.[9]

In March 2024, Kutalia joined Georgia's reigning champions Dinamo Batumi.[10] In his third appearance for his new team, he scored and sealed a 2–0 win against his former club Dinamo Tbilisi on 8 April.[11] The latter sustained another defeat following Kutalia's winning goal in early August in his debut game for Samgurali[12] who had signed him a few days earlier. On 10 November 2024, Kutalia became only the second player of this league season to net four goals in a single match as his team came from behind to beat Gagra 4–2.[13]

Statistics

As of match played 23 November 2024

Data available from 2009–10 season

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Slavija Sarajevo 2009/10 Bosnian Premier League 11 0 4 1 15 1
Zrinjski Mostar 2011/12 11 2 11 2
2011/12 5 1 5 1
Total 16 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 3
Baia/Zugdidi 2011/12 Umaglesi Liga 14 2 14 2
2012/13 17 2 17 2
2014/15 12 0 12 0
Total 43 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 43 4
Zestafoni 2012/13 Umaglesi Liga 9 0 2 0 1[a] 0 12 0
2013/14 13 0 3 0 16 0
Total 22 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 28 0
Shukura Kobuleti 2013/14 Pirveli Liga 8 1 3 0 11 1
2014/15 Umaglesi Liga 11 0 11 0
2016 Umaglesi Liga 12 3 12 3
2017 Erovnuli Liga 17 6 1 1 18 7
Total 48 10 4 1 0 0 0 0 52 11
Merani Martvili 2015/16 Umaglesi Liga 9 0 2 0 11 0
Odishi 1919 2015/16 Pirveli Liga 13 8 13 8
Torpedo Kutaisi 2017 Erovnuli Liga 15 5 3 1 18 6
2018 34 10 4 1 6 1 1[a] 1 45 13
Total 49 15 7 2 6 1 1 1 63 19
Dinamo Tbilisi 2019 Erovnuli Liga 33 20 1 0 5 2 39 22
Irtysh Pavlodar 2020 Kazakhstan Premier League 2 0 2 0
Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2020/21 Ligat Ha'al 8 0 4 0 12 0
Umm al-Fahm 2020/21 Liga Leumit 18 7 1 1 1[b] 0 20 8
Sektzia Ness Ziona 2021/22 Liga Leumit 35 9 1 0 36 9
2022/23 Ligat Ha'al 24 5 3 2 27 7
Total 59 14 4 2 0 0 0 0 63 16
Alashkert 2023/24 Armenian Premier League 19 12 1 0 3 0 23 12
Dinamo Batumi 2024 Erovnuli Liga 11 1 11 1
Samgurali 2024 Erovnuli Liga 15 9 15 9
Career total 376 102 29 6 18 4 3 1 426 113
  1. ^ a b Appearances in Georgian Super Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Play-offs

Other activities

Kutalia is a socially active person who often expresses his opinion on events happening in his country, whether it is his resolute support for Georgian territorial integrity[14] or the policy of its European integration. He has paid tribute to a young tennis player, who perished in an accident in Tbilisi, and victims of a massive landside in Shovi which killed more than thirty people.[15]

Kutalia has also rendered financial assistance to Odishi 1919 where he had played for several months.[16]

Honours

Team

Individual

  • Erovnuli Liga Forward of the Year: 2019
  • Erovnuli Liga Goalscorer of the Year: 2019

References

  1. ^ "კუტალია პირველლიგელი "ოდიში 1919"-დან წავიდა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 1 June 2016.
  2. ^ "კუტალია "ზუგდიდს" დაუბრუნდა". fanebi.ge (in Georgian). 9 January 2015.
  3. ^ "ლევან კუტალია: მიხარია, რომ სუპერთასზე გადამწყვეტი გოლი გავიტანე". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 24 February 2018.
  4. ^ "ყველაფერი გადაწყვეტილია: ტორპედოდან დინამოში კიდევ ერთი ფეხბურთელი გადავა". goal.ge (in Georgian). 16 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Иртыш снялся с чемпионата Казахстана из-за финансовых проблем". football.ua (in Russian). 31 May 2020.
  6. ^ ""რაც აქ ვნახე, აფრიკაშიც არ ხდება!" - ლევან კუტალია იმედგაცრუებულია და ფიფაში ჩივილს აპირებს". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 31 May 2020.
  7. ^ Aljam, Shiri (27 July 2020). "החלוץ הגאורגי לבאן קוטליה חתם בהפועל ת"א". Sport 5. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. ^ "ՊԱՇՏՈՆԱԿԱՆ ՀԱՅՏԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ․ ԼԵՎԱՆ ԿՈՒՏԱԼԻԱ". facebook.com/FCAlashkert (in Armenian). FC Alashkert Facebook. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  9. ^ "ლევან კუტალიამ ალაშკერტი დატოვა". belive.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ^ "ლევან კუტალია კარიერას დინამო ბათუმში გააგრძელებს". belive.ge (in Georgian). 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Dinamo Batumi vs Dinamo Tbilisi match report". soccerway.com. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Dinamo Tbilisi vs Samgurali match report". eliga.ge (in Georgian). 3 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  13. ^ "ვანოლის პირველი მატჩი კუტალიამ მოაგებინა". atiani.ge (in Georgian). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Грузинский футболист вышел на поле в майке с антиоккупационной надписью". sova.news (in Russian). 16 January 2023.
  15. ^ "ლევან კუტალიამ დუბლი შეასრულა და გოლები შოვში სტიქიის შედეგად გარდაცვლილთა ხსოვნას მიუძღვნა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 7 August 2023.
  16. ^ "კუტალია ზუგდიდის "ოდიში 1919"-ს ფორმებით დაეხმარა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 19 March 2021.