Georgi Kinkladze

At 50 years old, Georgi Kinkladze has this physical status:

Georgi Kinkladze (born 6 July 1973), also spelled Georgiou, Giorgi, or simply shortened to Gio, is a Georgian former footballer who played as a playmaking midfielder.

Mretebi Tbilisi, a native of Georgia, was his first professional team.

He won three league titles and two cups with Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia, and was named national player of the year twice.

He made his first international debut in 1994 and 1995 as a member of the Georgian national team against Wales. Kinladze moved from Dinamo Tbilisi to Manchester City in 1995, where his dribbling skills and spectacular goals made him a cult hero in two seasons.

Despite relegation to the Football League First Division in 1996, Kinkladze remained with Manchester City, but the club continued to decline, and after a second relegation in 1998, he joined Dutch champions Ajax.

Kinkladze was unable to settle in the Netherlands and returned to England with Derby County just over a year later.

He appeared in nearly 100 appearances during his four years at Derby.

He joined Derby in 2003 and became a journeyman footballer, having failed trials at several clubs before joining Anorthosis in 2004, where he captured a league championship medal.

In 2006, he began playing for Rubin Kazan, a Russian club.

Early life

Georgi Kinkladze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He lived in the city's Didube district with his father, Robinzon (an engineer), his mother Khatuna (a tutor) and his elder sister. Robinzon was eager to see his son flourish as a footballer, occasionally forcing him to walk around the family's house on his knees to stretch his legs, and enrolled him in Dinamo Tbilisi's junior program when he was six years old. Khatuna desapproved of certain of her husband's techniques, but she took Georgi to lessons in mtiuluri, a traditional Georgian ballet. Kinkladze's youth teams progressed as far as the reserve team, where he played alongside Shota Arveladze, who would later become his teammate at both senior and international levels.

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Playing career

In 1989, Georgian football formed leagues independent of Soviet football, and a family friend helped Kinkladze relocate to Mretebi Tbilisi, the first openly professional club in the Soviet Union. Mretebi Tbilisi was a smaller club playing at a lower level, but the move gave Kinkladze the opportunity to play first team football rather than competing for Dinamo's second team. Kinkladze made his professional debut at the age of 16, and he quickly became a first team regular. Mretebi of Kinkladze won the Pirveli Liga in 1991 and gained promotion to the top division in the following play-off.

Dinamo Tbilisi, the team he represented as a youth, was paid one million roubles after a season in the top flight with Mretebi, Kinkladze. Kinkladze made his senior international debut in September 1992, just days after signing for Dinamo. The match, against Azerbaijan, was the Georgian national team's fourth since being kicked out of the Soviet Union in 1991. Shota Arveladze, a youth teammate of Kinkladze, also participated in the game, and Kinkladze's goalkeeper, Arveladze, was also involved, and Kinkladze gave an assist.

Dinamo won a league and cup double in Kinkladze's first season with the club. However, during 1993, the Dinamo Tbilisi leadership attempted to put their players in a more stable environment due to the continuing Georgian Civil War. Kinkladze was sent on loan to 1, as part of this scheme. In Germany, FC Saarbrücken has arrived. In a 2 he made his Saarbrücken debut. On March 4, 1994, a Bundesliga match against Tennis Borussia Berlin was a 2–2 draw. He was unable to settle in on Saarbrücken's side, barely playing a complete 90 minutes, and was sent home in a 1–3 loss to Hertha Berlin. Kinkladze left Tbilisi to begin his career in Georgia, where he was named the National Player of the Year for 1993. Merab Jordania, the president of Dinkladze, was still unhappy with the player's political chaos, and he was offered to Atlético Madrid for about £200,000; the player was given a trial but no agreement; he was still unhappy. He then trained with Real Madrid's reserves, where he caught Boca Juniors' eye and took him to Argentina for a month's loan. Diego Maradona, a child of Boca's Italian national playmaker Alberto Márcico, met Kinkladza, but did not receive a permanent job as a result of manager Silvio Marzolini's decision that he was too similar to Boca's Argentine international playmaker Alberto Márcico.

Kinkladze was part of the Georgian team that defeated Moldova in Tbilisi in September 1994. After seeing footage of his performance, Italian clubs became interested in Kinkladze, and the Italian press dubbed Kinkladze the "Rivera of the Black Sea," but no formal efforts to sign him took place. It was not until Manchester City chairman Francis Lee heard the recording that permanent relocation was underway. Enthused by Kinkladze's performance, Lee called Jordania, ensuring an understanding that Manchester City will have first refusal if Dinamo wishes to sell the player.

Georgia defeated Wales 5–0, two months later, Kinkladze scored his first international goal. Neville Southall, Wales' goalkeeper, later said of the match: "They murdered us... [Kinkladze] was a different class and the best player on the field by a mile." When the teams met again at Cardiff Arms Park, scouts from several clubs saw Kinkladze score the game's only goal with a 20-yard (18 m) chip over Southall. The team won the double again in his last season with Dinamo. Kinkladze had scored 14 goals in 21 appearances, and teams from many countries expressed concern in signing him. Jordania stayed true to his relationship with Lee, and on July 15, 1995, the city's Kinkladze was signed. The fee was usually reported as £2 million. Kinkladze made his debut for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw on August 19, 1995 after initial struggles to obtain a work permit.

During the 1995–96 season, Manchester City's results were poor. In the first three months of the season, the team was unable to win a single league game, but Kinkladze soon became a hit figure. In a 1–0 win over Aston Villa, Kinkladze's first goal was scored, and it was a one-two for Niall Quinn. Kinkladze was first homesick when he was staying in a hotel and spoke no English. His mother travelled to Manchester to provide him with nourishing food in an attempt to alleviate his homesickness. By the time Manchester City travelled to Middlesbrough on December 9, 1995, journalists and supporters alike regarded Kinkladze as the Manchester City's top player. The match against Middlesbrough was billed as a match between Kinkladze and Brazilian playmaker Juninho. Kinkladze scored the first goal with a solo effort, but the game was decided 4–1 to Middlesbrough. However, the Middlesbrough supporters later voted Kinkladze the "Best Opposing Player of the Season." Kinkladze defeated Southampton 2–1 on March 16, 1996, with a particular goal. Before shooting the ball over Southampton goalkeeper Dave Beasant, Kinkladze beat five players before chipping the ball. The aim was a win for BBC show "Goal of the Month" and second in the program's "Goal of the Season" competition.

Manchester City was relegated to the First Division on the last day of the season, sparking transfer speculation linking Kinkladze to a number of clubs, including Barcelona, Internazionale, Liverpool, and Celtic. However, he stayed at Manchester City, where he had been named Player of the Year for 1995–96. The 1996–97 season for Manchester City was tumultuous, and Kinkladze played for five different bosses over the course of the year. Kinkladze became the key penalty taker and scored a number of goals from free-kicks, including a 35-yard (32 m) effort against Swindon Town, which was described as "like a missile" by English newspaper Manchester Evening News. Kinkladze had two or even three opposing players named to man mark him in the First Division. Several teams opted to combat Kinkladze's playmaking abilities with strong tackles; in one such match against Crystal Palace, Kinkladze had to be stretchered off after David Hopkin's challenge. Manchester City finished the season at a much cheaper price than those promoted, and there was rumors that Kinkladze would leave the team early in the season. Even though he was not playing in the match due to injury, Manchester City supporters continued to encourage Kinkladze to stay at the club on Sunday, beating Reading 3–2. The campaign also extended to the half-time ads on the scoreboard, with the "adverts" being messages from supporter organizations that had paid to advertise them. Kinkladze was named Player of the Year for the second year in a row, and just one month after the season ended, he announced his intent to stay with the team by signing a new three-year deal. Kinkladze converted the funds from his new job to buy a Ferrari, but club officials expressed indignation at the car. Their tremblings were sparked when Kinkladze lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a motorway bridge in Hale on October 29, 1997. Kinkladze suffered back injuries that required 30 stitches and had to cancel two matches as a result.

Manchester City's decline into the Second Division continued in the 1997–98 season, but manager Frank Clark was fired on February 17th. Joe Royle, his replacement, was appointed City manager on February 18, 1998. He had a reputation for playing defensive midfielders, which resulted in his Everton squad being dubbed the "Dogs of War" in honor of his nickname. In his first board meeting as Manchester City manager, Royle viewed Kinkladze as an unaffordable luxury, and he began proceedings with the phrase "We have to sell Kinkladze." Kinkladze sustained an ankle injury while playing the first two games under Royle, a 1–2 loss to Ipswich Town on 18 February and a 3–1 victory over Swindon Town on February 23. Despite having little participation in training in the previous week, he returned to Port Vale on March 14th. Port Vale was a team with a physically fit strategy, and they thrived under muddy conditions. Kinkladze was played out of place on the right wing, much to his surprise, and gave a show that the Manchester Evening News described as "hardly noticeable." Vale beat City 2–1, while Royle chastised Kinkladze for a lack of effort, causing him to be suspended for the next six games. "In 2005, Royle outlined his Kinkladze's view in his autobiography: "He was the only positive in all that time." He was a major negative to me. I am not saying that the city's ills were linked to Kinkladze, but that there was just too much about the whole Kinkladze cult phenomenon that wasn't right....too often since his arrival, the team had underperformed. I couldn't help deducing that contrary to common belief, he'd be my weak link, not my strongest one." Manchester City and Kinkladze were already relegated to the starting lineup for the home match against Queens Park Rangers, with two games remaining. "If their top geezer gets sorted out early doors, you win," the QPR team's Vinnie Jones, a tumultuous name and played using the axiom. Jones tried to apply his philosophy to Kinkladze, even attacking him in the tunnel before the match began. Kinkladze began scoring with a free kick, but City could not hold their lead. The defense team was described by The Observer's reporter as a "calamity" that culminated in Jamie Pollock's unexpected own goal, resulting in a 2–2 draw. Despite a dramatic day 5–2 victory over Stoke City, the city was relegated for the second time in three seasons. Kinkladze made 119 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 22 goals. During this time of his career, he played regularly international football, most notably in a 0–0 draw with three-time World Cup champions Italy.

Kinkladze left Manchester City for Ajax, the Netherlands club, following transfer talks that had been ongoing in the last month of the season. Shota Arveladze, with whom he shared a house in Amsterdam, was involved in the change. However, Kinkladze's spell at Ajax was fruitless. He had been signed as a replacement for Jari Litmanen, but Litmanen stayed at Ajax as his planned transfer to Barcelona fell through. As a result, Kinkladze was in a strange left-wing position. Ajax's first game against Willem II on August 23, 1998, but he got off to a 2–0 win, but he got off to a rocky start. To complicate matters, boss Morten Olsen was fired early in the season, and a spat with replacement Jan Wouters resulted in Kinkladze losing his position in the team. "I could have been Maradona and he wouldn't have adjusted the system to accommodate me," Kinkladze recalled later. "I wasn't playing football, and it made my life hell." He began to look elsewhere right away. Many top-flight clubs in England expressed interest in signing him, but work permit issues prevented him from doing so. He also lost his spot in the Georgian national team due to his inability of regular playing time. He spent only 12 appearances for Ajax in his first season after struggling to establish himself in the first team and dealing with a string of injuries.

For his second season, Kinkladze was not allocated a squad number, and he was encouraged to train with the reserve team. Kinkladze held transfer talks with Sheffield United in September 1999, but no progress was made. In the form of a loan transfer to Derby County, a return to England was made two months later.

He was not entitled to a work permit when he signed for Derby, but a review panel gave him a special exemption for his previous contribution to English football. In a 1–2 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, he made his debut on November 28th and came as a replacement. He made his first appearance on loan against Arsenal in a 1–2 loss. In a 4–0 win over Wimbledon on 4 March 2000, he scored his first Derby goal. The loan transfer was made permanent at the end of the season. The transfer fee of £3 million was a club record that stood before 2007.

Kinkladze's 2001-02 season was postponed due to a hernia surgery, to Smith's displeasure, who was supposed to be a leading figure at the club. On September 6, 2000, he returned to the side as a replacement against Middlesbrough. Kinkladze and Malcolm Christie were used in a double substitution as Derby 3–0 down. The pair then became a fixture as Derby came back to draw the match 3–3. Kinkladze was a starter and often a substitute during the next four months, changing with Stefano Eranio until a groin injury in the return match with Middlesbrough kept Kinkladze out for two months. Kinkladze "showed little of the brilliance he was promised to provide" over the season, according to The Guardian, and he was named Derby's biggest disappointment of the season. On September 23, 2000, Leeds United's match against Leeds United was a rare success for him. With 17 minutes remaining and levelled the game 1–1 with a solo goal two minutes later, jinking between two defenders before curling a left-foot shot beyond the goalkeeper. Derby stifled for the majority of the season, but the club avoided relegation. Kinkladze stayed at the club, but there were no serious offers after his injuries and inability to prove himself. Louise Tai, a Mancunian, was married about this time. Louise became a member of the Orthodox Church of Tbilisi and was christened in Tbilisi, under the new name Mariam. Saba, their first child, was born in October 2001.

The start of the 2001–02 season in Kinkladze followed a similar pattern as the previous season, with a mixture of starts and substitute appearances. Jim Smith resigned from his Derby management role on October 7, 2001, leaving Kinkladze, a Smith favorite, bitterly dissatisfied. Colin Todd's arrival as the club's new manager signaled a change in the club's playing style. Todd did not like flair players, and Kinkladze made only one replacement appearance in Todd's first two months as boss. Kinkladze took the unusual measure of calling on his counsel to schedule a meeting with Todd to discuss his removal from the first team after being frustrated by a lack of opportunities. Todd told Kinkladze that if he was dissatisfied, he would leave the club. According to Kinkladze's manager, Manchester City, as well as Spanish clubs Valencia, Mallorca, and Málaga, were all keen on signing Kinkladze. However, Todd was fired on January 14th, 2002 with Derby second from last in the Premier League, and John Gregory was appointed as boss on January 30. Kinkladze stayed with the club, playing in regular first team football for the remainder of the season, but Derby and Kinkladze continued to fail, and Kinkladze suffered with relegation for the third time in his career. The club, who were £35 million in debt, opted out of an end-of-season auction to reduce their annual £17 million wage bill. Derby's offloading of some of the highest earners as a result, as the manager told Kinkladze that he had no future at the club. However, Kinkladze, the club's chairman, was unable to leave the team and turned down a transfer to Galatasaray, the Turkish champions.

He trained with the reserve team up to 29 September 2002, missing Derby's first five games of the 2002-03 season as the club continued to try to end Kinkladze's deal. After an hour's stalemate against Stoke City on Monday, he was brought back to the first team following two losses, introduced as a replacement. His introduction made the game a 2–0 win for Derby as he participated in the build-up to both goals. He then missed a few games due to injuries, and he appeared in about half of Derby's games in the remainder of 2002. Aleksandr Chivadze, the Georgian national team's head coach, unexpectedly suspended Kinkladze and captain Georgi Nemsadze from the team's match against Russia in October 2002, causing a ruckus in Georgia. "When I was out of shape, he called me daily and called me to the squad" (Kinkladze). Now that I'm fit and scoring goals, he didn't call me and also didn't bother with me. Both Kinkladze and Nemsadze have been recalled to the starting line-up for the upcoming European Championship qualifying match against Ireland. Kinkladze had not been paid for more than three months as a result of the financial crisis in Derby. He intended to resign, but his repulsaray's second inquiry did not turn up and he stayed at the club, although his agent stated an interest from German side Hamburg and a second inquiry. He played for Derby more often in the second half of the season, and his form earned him the accolade of the Year. Derby finished the season in the bottom half of the table, and the next season will be less expensive as a result of their Premier League parachute payments came to an end. As a result, Derby gave Kinkladze a one-year deal but at a lower salary than his previous one. Kinkladze has turned down this contract extension bid, wishing for a move to a more profitable club with a chance of winning trophies. He held talks with Liverpool in May 2003, which brought them to an end. Kinkladze left the club after labor talks with Derby did not come to an end.

Kinkladze was on the managing staff of Portsmouth, where his former manager Jim Smith was on the sidelines, in the absence of a club during pre-season. He played for Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly but Portsmouth decided against signing Eyal Berkovic, a former Manchester City player. He was linked with moves to Scottish clubs Dundee and Celtic over the next few months, but no agreement has resulted in a contract.

He also joined Leeds United on trial, playing for the reserve team in the hopes of a long-term deal, but after he reportedly arrived late to training sessions, then boss Eddie Gray ended Kinkladze's trial period.

As a result, he had to train separately and lost his place in the national team again, this time before the return match against Russia. Following an invitation from Giannis Vardinogiannis, the owner of the Greek club, Kinkladze, went for a one-week trial at Panathinaikos in December 2003. However, the club has decided not to sign him at the end of the trial. He was linked to a transfer to Russian club Shinnik Yaroslavl six months ago, but he was not given a contract.

In October 2004, Kinkladze's year and a half without a club came to an end. Temuri Ketsbaia, a former international teammate of Kinkladze, was player-manager of Anorthosis' financially struggling Cypriot team. Ketsbaia gave his old friend a chance to restart his career by arranging a contract with Anorthosis. On November 21, he made his debut against APOEL, a title threat that threatens title hopes, and with a fine goal. He scored once more in a 5–0 home win over Olympiakos Nicosia, and in February he was called to Georgia's squad for the friendly against Lithuania. His deal was initialy only for one season, but the club subsequently extended it for another year. Anorthosis finished the season with a win over the Cypriot championship and a spot in the qualifying rounds of the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League, where Kinkladze appeared five times. He was on both legs of a 2–1 aggregate victory over Dinamo Minsk in a 3–2 second round aggregate victory over Süper Lig runners-up Trabzonspor and played the entire 90 minutes in a 1–2 home loss to Rangers. Rubin Kazan's manager, Gurban Berdiew, who invited him to join the Russian club, was captivated by his performance against Rangers. Kinkladze played his last game for Anorthosis in the Cypriot Super Cup on August 22, 2005, and two days later, against Omonia, he reached an agreement with Rubin. Ketsbaia reacted angrily about the player's departure: "I don't want players who have no interest to play for Anorthosis." The Kinkladze chapter is now closed, as far as I'm concerned.

On August 26, Anorthosis and Rubin reached an agreement. Kinkladze has been in the Russian Premier League since being the most decorated Georgian footballer to play in the sport. In a 1–2 loss to FC Rostov, he made his Rubin debut on the next day and played the full 90 minutes. On a personal note, the debut was a success; Vitalijs Astafjevs' corner kick was headed into the net for Rubin's goal. He had less impressive results in the next two games and was forced both times. Berdyev's faith in him was not harmed, and he defended Kinkladze at a post-match press conference: "He needs time." He is a veteran player who, I believe, will assist the team." Rubin's next game was a 5-1 win over low-ranked Terek Grozny, and Kinkladze contributed to it by scoring two goals and giving two assists. He was less effective against Tom Tomsk. Kinkladze lost on a crucial win after losing Rubin on a vital victory. Berdyev said he had made a mistake in selecting a penalty taker after the match.

Despite Berdyev's misgivings, the team retained Kinkladze, where he was used as one of three offensive midfielders in a 4–2–3–1 formation. Kinkladze, with his scientific flair and inclination for improvisation, added to the team's offensive play, in comparison to Berdyev's strained style of play. In four straight matches, he was assisting in four of them. In a match that determined a place in the following year's UEFA Cup, the most notable of these was against Zenit St. Petersburg. He was then recalled to the Georgian national team for friendlies against Bulgaria and Jordan. However, he missed both national team games and Rubin's final league match due to a muscle strain. In nine appearances for Rubin, he ended the 2005 season with seven assists and two goals.

Rubin deferred in extending Kinkladze's contract, prompting Anorthosis to make an effort to re-sign him early in the pre-season, but Kinkladze turned down the bid because he wanted to remain at Rubin. Rubin expressed a desire to keep him in late December, but contract negotiations were postponed due to family reasons, and it took until mid-January for a new one-year deal to be reached.

During his fiery 2005 season, 32-year-old Kinkladze said he wished to continue playing well into his thirties. Oricum, the 2006 season was his last. In Rubin's first competitive match, he sustained an injury, losing 1–0 cup match against Shinnik, the last time he played a complete match. He was forced to be out for longer than anticipated due to an old injury recurrence, and only recently returned to full training in late May. Kinkladze continued to fail to recover from injury, making five more appearances for Rubin, two of which were new. The last game of Kinkladze's playing career came in 2006. He was called to the Georgia national team in September but did not participate or appear on the substitutes' bench. He would have to begin a new course of medical therapy a short time later. He also underwent a comprehensive medical examination, the results of which were announced as the deciding factor in his future at the club. He was only an ineffective substitute once in October; Rubin's general director had expressed worry about the Georgians in the team's football team, who told the world, "there are concerns about their preparation and attitude to football." Kinkladze sustained an injury in November and missed the remainder of the season.

Rubin decided not to renew his contract after a disappointing year for Kinkladze. He held talks with his old club, Anorthosis, in January 2007, but the transfer did not occur. Kinkladze had completed his career and settled in Moscow in an interview in August 2007. Kinkladze began working as a sports agent and returned to his former club Anorthosis in August 2011, where he was working as Sports Director until his unsatisfie departure in June 2012.

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