Know Your Minnows: FC Zestaponi
By: Dan | July 14th, 2009An 11-1 aggregate score is bound to attract attention, even when it takes place in early Europa League qualifying rounds between two teams that even the most dedicated observers are unfamiliar with. FC Zestaponi, the club that administered this beating to Northern Ireland’s Lisburn Distillery, definitely fits this description.
The amount of background available about the club is not very detailed; the club’s English language website and, of course, Wikipedia, appear to be the only sources of information. FC Zestaponi was founded in 2004 with the backing of the city’s Ferro-Alloy plant. As the city itself is home to a fairly large metal producing industry, during the Soviet era the city’s club was Metallurg, I assume that the plant counts as a major backer.
The official site touts the contribution of the club and owners towards Georgian football as a whole and its investment into the sporting infrastructure of the city, especially in regards to upgrading the stadium. This kind of local investment can only be a good thing. Readers of Jonathan Wilson’s Behind the Curtain will probably remember the story of WIT Georgia, who were forced to move a 2001 Intertoto tie against Austrian club SV Reid on the grounds that their home stadium did not actually constitute a stadium.
If recent history is any guide, Georgian teams have not fared well against more capable opposition, so Zestaponi, in all likelihood, face an uphill battle against Helsingborg in the next round.
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