Irakli Dzaria

Irakli Dzaria (born 1 December 1988) is a Georgian professional footballer, who plays as a defensive midfielder.

Club Career

Kukesi

On 9 January 2018, Dzaria moved for the first time aboard and joined with Albanian club Kukesi by penning a contract until the end of the season with an option to renew for the next one worth $4,000 per month. He made his debut for the club on 31 January in the first leg of cup's quarter-finals against Tirana.

His first Albanian Superliga appearance came four days later in the 1–1 draw versus Flamurtari Vlore. Dzaria scored his maiden goal for the team on 24 February in form of a winner in the match against Laci.

Later on 13 May, he scored a first-half brace in the eventual 2–2 draw versus Luftetari Gjirokaster which lifted his tally up to 4 goals. He ended the second part of 2017–18 season by making 16 league appearances, all of them as starter, collecting 1320 minutes as Kukesi finished runner-up in the championship.

In June 2018, Kukesi gained the right to play UEFA Champions League football following the Skenderbeu Korce's 10-year ban; the next month, Dzaria was included in manager Peter Pacult squad for the first qualifying round tie versus Malta's Valletta. In the second leg, with Kukesi trailing 0–1, Dzaria made himself a protagonist by netting in the 84th minute with a right-footed shot inside the box which gave the team a 1–1 draw at National Stadium, Ta' Qali. With the first match ending in a goalless draw, Kukesi progressed to the next round on away goal rule. It was his first Champions League goal, and he described it as the most important goal of his career.

This page also has a version in other languages :  Ираклий Дзария (russian)