Davit Kvirkvelia (; born 27 June 1980), nicknamed Dato, is a Georgian football manager and a former player. He is the head coach of Kolkheti-1913 Poti.
Club career
Kvirkvelia started his professional career at Kolkheti Poti in 1999. Three years later he moved to Dinamo Tbilisi, where head coach Ivo Šušak had already begun his successful period, and won his first title in 2003. The next year he took part in UEFA Cup group stage matches with Dinamo and scored a vital goal in a 3rd round qualifying game against Wisła Kraków.
Kvirkvelia left for FC Alania Vladikavkaz in February 2005 and moved to FC Metalurh Zaporizhya in March 2006.
His next club was Rubin Kazan where Kvirkvelia won the Russian Premier League in 2008, followed by another league and Supercup titles. After several more years spent abroad, he returned to Georgia. Initially, Kvirkvelia played for Dila Gori, who secured their first top-flight medals in 2013. A year later he rejoined Dinamo Tbilisi and added more league and Cup trophies to his tally this season.
Following a one-year spell at Samtredia, Kvirkvelia signed a contract with the recently crowned champions Dila Gori. He played in a UEFA Champions League qualifying round against FK Partizan and helped Dila to seal the third place in the domestic league.
In 2016, Kvirkvelia joined Dinamo Batumi. In this transitional season to the Spring-Autumn system, his team prevailed over Dinamo Tbilisi in a tight contest for bronze medals. But the next season Batumi suffered a dramatic loss in a relegation play-off tie against Sioni Bolnisi, which led to Kvirkvelia's departure for Rustavi. In this club he ended his career as a player at age 38.
International career
Kvirkvelia made his debut with the Georgia national team in a 0–0 draw to Switzerland on 2 April 2003 in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying.
He played 10 games in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.
Managerial career
Kvirkvelia was appointed as assistant head coach at his boyhood team Kolkheti-1913 in February 2022. Four months later he took over as a manager with the aim of securing promotion to the second division.
Honours
Dinamo Tbilisi
Erovnuli Liga winner (2): 2003–04, 2013–2014
David Kipiani Cup winner (3): 2002-03, 2003-04, 2013-14
Georgian Super Cup runner-up: 2012–13, 2013–14
Metalurh Zaporizhya
Ukrainian Cup runner-up (1): 2005-06
Rubin Kazan
Russian Premier League winner (2): 2008, 2009
Russian Cup runner-up (1): 2008–09
Russian Super Cup runner-up (1): 2009
Russian Super Cup winner (1): 2010
Dila Gori
Erovnuli Liga runner-up (1) 2012–13
Georgian Super Cup runner-up (1): 2015
Samtredia
Georgian Cup runner-up (1): 2014–15
Kolkheti 1913
Liga 3 runner-up (1): 2022
References
External links
Profile on Soccerway
Profile at Rubin
1980 births
Living people
Men's footballers from Georgia (country) Georgia (country) men's international footballers Expatriate men's footballers from Georgia (country) FC Dinamo Tbilisi players FC Spartak Vladikavkaz players FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhia players FC Rubin Kazan players Panionios F.C. players Russian Premier League players Ukrainian Premier League players Super League Greece players Cypriot First Division players Expatriate men's footballers in Russia Expatriate men's footballers in Ukraine Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Ukraine Expatriate men's footballers in Greece Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus Men's association football fullbacks FC Anzhi Makhachkala players Anorthosis Famagusta FC players FC Dila Gori players FC Metalurgi Rustavi players Georgia (country) men's under-21 international footballers FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti players Football managers from Georgia (country) People from Guria