Otar Gabelia

Otar Gabelia (Georgian: ოთარ ამბროსის ძე გაბელია; born 24 March 1953 in Zugdidi) is a Georgian football manager and a former player. He was a long-time Goalkeeper for Dinamo Tbilisi. Winner of the Best Soviet Goalkeeper Award (1979), Gabelia is regarded by pundits as one of the best Georgian goalkeepers of all time.

Otar Gabelia
Personal information
Full name Otar Ambrosis dze Gabelia
Date of birth (1953-03-24) 24 March 1953
Place of birth Zugdidi, Georgian SSR,
Soviet Union
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1970–1971 Dinamo Zugdidi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1973 Dinamo Sukhumi 41 (0)
1974–1976 Torpedo Kutaisi 109 (0)
1977–1982 Dinamo Tbilisi 129 (0)
1983–1984 Torpedo Kutaisi 29 (0)
1985–1990 Dinamo Tbilisi 142 (0)
National team
1979 USSR 1 (0)
Teams managed
1990–1992 Odishi Zugdidi
1992–1993 Alazani Gurjaani
1993–1995 Duruji Kvareli
1995–1996 Algeti Marneuli
1997–1999 TSU Tbilisi
2001–2002 Merani Tbilisi
2004–2005 Torpedo Kutaisi
2009–2011 Georgia U-21
2016 Zugdidi
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Gabelia spent his club career at FC Dinamo Zugdidi, playing from 1970 to 1971, at FC Dinamo Sukhumi, from 1972 to 1973, at FC Torpedo Kutaisi, from 1974 to 1976 and from 1983 to 1984, at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1985 to 1989.[1]

He won the Soviet championship in 1978 and Soviet Cup in 1979 and was named Best Soviet Goalkeeper in 1979.[2] He was known for his emotional style of play with excellent reaction.

In 1981 he won UEFA Cup Winners Cup, which was the biggest achievement of his sport career.

Honours

Club
Dinamo Tbilisi

Individual
  • Soviet Goalkeeper of the Year: 1979[3]

International career

Gabelia played his only game for USSR on 21 November 1979 in a friendly against West Germany.

References
  1. "Otar Gabelia — Club-statistics, Country-statistics, Games". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. Приз "Вратарь года" был одним из самых почетных наград советского футбола. Он вручался лучшему вратарю по итогам сезона. kommersant.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  3. ЛУЧШИЙ ВРАТАРЬ СССР-79 СТАЛ ГЛАВНЫМ ТРЕНЕРОМ. sport-express.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 14 February 2017.


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