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Zuriko Davitashvili

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Zuriko Davitashvili
Davitashvili with Saint-Étienne in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 25)
Place of birth Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
 Saint-Étienne
Number 22
Youth career
2013–2017 Dinamo Tbilisi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Dinamo Tbilisi 6 (0)
2018–2019 Locomotive Tbilisi 29 (3)
2019–2021 Rubin Kazan 28 (2)
2020–2021 → Rotor Volgograd (loan) 20 (0)
2021–2022 Arsenal Tula 20 (3)
2022–2023 Dinamo Batumi 14 (6)
2022–2023 → Bordeaux (loan) 30 (5)
2023–2024 Bordeaux 37 (8)
2024– Saint-Étienne 62 (23)
International career‡
2016–2018 Georgia U17 12 (7)
2017–2018 Georgia U19 9 (4)
2019–2023 Georgia U21 5 (1)
2019– Georgia 53 (7)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:30, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

Zuriko "Zuka" Davitashvili (Order of Honor) (Georgian: ზურიკო დავითაშვილი, romanized: zurik'o davitashvili; born 15 February 2001) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 2 club Saint-Étienne and the Georgia national team. He also plays as an attacking midfielder.

Club career

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Early career

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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]

Russia

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Davitashvili in 2021 with Arsenal Tula

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]

Return to Georgia

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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]

Bordeaux

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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]

During his two-year tenure at Bordeaux, Davitashvili made 71 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists.[17]

Saint-Étienne

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On 11 July 2024, Davitashvili signed for Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne on a four-year contract, for a transfer fee of €5 million plus €1 million in potential bonuses.[18][19] On 27 July, he made a debut in a friendly game against Villarreal, in which he scored a brace.[20] On 5 October 2024, Davitashvili got himself on the scoresheet in an official league match as well. His hat-trick, the first delivered by a Georgian player in the French top league, sealed a 3–1 win over Auxerre.[21] One of these goals was consequently voted goal of the month.[22] Moreover, after two more goals scored against Angers on 26 October, Davitashvili was named Player of the Month by UNFP.[23]

The same organization announced him as the 2025–26 Ligue 2 Player of the Season as he became the team topscorer with 14 goals in 29 league matches and made a solid contribution to their promotion bid.[24]

International career

[edit]

Before 2016, Davitashvili played for the Georgia under-17s. After 2017, he played for the Georgia under-19s.[25] He made his debut for Georgia national team on 5 September 2019 in a friendly against South Korea, as a starter.[26] Three days later in a friendly game against Bulgaria he netted his first goal.[27]

Davitashvili took part in 2023 European U21 Championship, co-hosted by Georgia. His stunning solo goal scored against Netherlands in a 1–1 draw, which proved crucial for winning the group stage, was selected by UEFA among the top three goals of the tournament.[28] For his display Davitashvili received the Player of the Match award.[29]

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.[30]

Personal life

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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.[31]

Zuriko has a sister and younger brother.

He got married in 2023.[32] The birth of his son was announced in November 2023.[33]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 9 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe 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 0 0 — 19 3
2019 10 0 0 0 — 10 0
Total 29 3 0 0 — 29 3
Rubin Kazan 2019–20 Russian Premier League 26 2 0 0 — 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[b] 1 18 7
Bordeaux (loan) 2022–23 Ligue 2 30 5 2 1 — 32 6
Bordeaux 2023–24 Ligue 2 37 8 2 0 — 39 8
Saint-Étienne 2024–25 Ligue 1 33 9 1 0 — 34 9
2025–26 Ligue 2 29 14 1 1 — 30 15
Total 62 23 2 1 — 64 24
Career total 247 53 9 3 4 1 260 57
  1. ^ Includes Georgian Cup, Russian Cup, Coupe de France
  2. ^ Two appearances and one goal in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League

International

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As of match played 29 March 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Georgia 2019 2 0
2020 4 0
2021 8 2
2022 8 1
2023 10 3
2024 13 0
2025 7 1
2026 2 0
Total 53 7

Source

Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Davitashvili goal.[34]
List of international goals scored by Zuriko Davitashvili
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 8 September 2021 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 1–4 1–4 Friendly
2. 12 October 2021 Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo  Kosovo 2–1 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
3. 5 June 2022 Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 1–0 5–2 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C
4. 17 June 2023 AEK Arena, Larnaca, Cyprus  Cyprus 2–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
5. 12 October 2023 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia  Thailand 1–0 8–0 Friendly
6. 6–0
7. 4 September 2025 Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia  Turkey 2–3 2–3 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Georgia U17

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Kolkheti vs Dinamo Tbilisi". soccerway.com.
  2. ^ "დადასტურდა: ზურიკო დავითაშვილის ახალი გუნდი ცნობილია" (in Georgian). fanebi.com. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2022.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Next Generation 2018: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. 11 October 2018.
  4. ^ "სფფ-მ საუკეთესოები დააჯილდოვა - წლის საუკეთესო ფეხბურთელად გიორგი ჩაკვეტაძე დაასახელეს" (in Georgian). sportall.ge. 28 December 2018.
  5. ^ "დავითაშვილის პოკერი, საქართველო ევროპაზე გასვლის თეორიულ შანსს ინარჩუნებს". europop.ge (in Georgian). 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  6. ^ "GFF awards 2019". mygoals.ge (in Georgian).
  7. ^ "ЗУРИКО ДАВИТАШВИЛИ – ИГРОК "РУБИНА"" [Zuriko Davitashvili is a Rubin player] (in Russian). FC Rubin Kazan. 29 June 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Game Report by RFPL". Russian Premier League. 15 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Fifty for the future: UEFA.com's ones to watch". UEFA. 14 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Зурико в "Роторе"" (in Russian). FC Rotor Volgograd. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  11. ^ "ЗУРИКО ДАВИТАШВИЛИ ПОКИДАЕТ "РУБИН"" (in Russian). FC Rubin Kazan. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  12. ^ "ЗУРИКО, ДОБРО ПОЖАЛОВАТЬ В "АРСЕНАЛ"!" (in Russian). FC Arsenal Tula. 20 July 2021.
  13. ^ "ხვიჩა კვარაცხელია და ზურიკო დავითაშვილი "დინამო ბათუმში" ითამაშებენ" (in Georgian). worldsport.ge. 23 March 2022.
  14. ^ "ზურიკო ბორდოში ოფიციალურად გადავიდა - დავითაშვილი" (in Georgian). crystalsport.ge. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  15. ^ "დებიუტი გოლით - ზურიკო დავითაშვილმა ბორდოს დიჟონთან მოაგებინა" (in Georgian). europop.ge. 17 September 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Zuriko, bordelais jusqu'en 2027!". girondins.com (in French). FC Girondis. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Profile: ASSE's Zuriko Davitashvili Shines in Ligue 1 Spotlight". ligue1.com. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Official | Georgian international Zuriko Davitashvili joins Saint-Étienne from Bordeaux - Get French Football News". 11 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Mercato : Fenway ne voulait pas vendre Zuriko Davitashvili à l'AS Saint-Etienne" (in French). 13 July 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  20. ^ "დავითაშვილის ზღაპრული დებიუტი "სენტ ეტიენში": დუბლი და საგოლე პასი "ვილიარეალთან" (+VIDEO)". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 27 July 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Saint-Etienne vs Auxerre match report". bbc.com. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Ligue 1: Zuriko Davitashvili rewarded!". euro.dayfr.com. 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  23. ^ "joueurs du mois Le Lauréat d'Octobre 2024". tropheesunfp.com. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  24. ^ "ASSE: Zuriko Davitashvili élu meilleur joueur de Ligue 2" [ASSE: Zuriko Davitashvili voted best player in Ligue 2]. foot-sur7.fr (in French). Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  25. ^ "Zuriko Davitashvili statistics". soccerway.com.
  26. ^ "South Korea v Georgia game report". ESPN. 5 September 2019.
  27. ^ "ბულგარეთი-საქართველო 4:1". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 8 September 2021.
  28. ^ "2023 U21 EURO Goal of the Season". UEFA. 11 July 2023.
  29. ^ "Georgia and Portugal march on, Spain win group". UEFA. UEFA. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  30. ^ "პრეზიდენტი - მინდა, ერთობის სახელით, ეს ჯილდო გადავცე ბიჭებს და ვუსურვო, რომ გზა მათი გამარჯვებისა უსასრულო ყოფილიყოს". president.ge (in Georgian). 2 July 2024. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  31. ^ ""რუსთავი" სულიკო დავითაშვილმა ჩაიბარა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 8 July 2020.
  32. ^ ""ხელი მოულოდნელად მოაწერეს... გააზრებული აქვს, რამდენად რთულია ფეხბურთელის ცოლობა" - ზურიკო დავითაშილის დედა, შვილის პირად ცხოვრებაზე, კარიერასა და ხვიჩა კვარაცხელიასთან მეგობრობაზე". kvirispalitra.ge (in Georgian). 22 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  33. ^ "პირველი ფოტო სამშობიაროდან: "დაიბადა დათი დავითაშვილი!"- ზურიკო დავითაშვილი და მია გზირიშვილი მშობლები გახდნენ". marao.ge (in Georgian). 16 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Z. Davitashvili". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  35. ^ "President Cup 2017". atozwiki.com (in Russian). Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  36. ^ "ОПРЕДЕЛЕНЫ ЛУЧШИЕ ИГРОКИ КУБКА ПРЕЗИДЕНТА РК". kff.kz (in Russian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
  37. ^ "GFF AWARDS 2018 - გამარჯვებულები". tabula.ge (in Georgian). 30 December 2018.
  38. ^ "სფფ-მ წლის საუკეთესო ფეხბურთელები დაასახელა" (in Georgian). fanebi.com. 28 December 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  39. ^ "Zuriko Davitashvili, joueur du mois d'octobre de la Ligue 1 McDonald's !" [Zuriko Davitashvili, McDonald's Ligue 1 Player of the Month for October!] (in French). National Union of Professional Footballers. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  40. ^ "ზურიკო დავითაშვილის გოლი ოსერის კარში თვის საუკეთესო გოლად დასახელდა". lagazzeta.ge (in Georgian). 8 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  41. ^ "ზურიკო დავითაშვილი საფრანგეთის ლიგა 2-ის სეზონის საუკეთესო მოთამაშედ დასახელდა" [Zuriko Davitashvili named French Ligue 2 Player of the Season]. commersant.ge (in Georgian). 12 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
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