Tariel Kapanadze Former Soviet and Georgian footballer, right midfielder. Date of Birth: 01.12.1962 Country: Georgia

1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
2. Rise in the Second Division
3. Career in Georgia and Ukraine
4. Turning Point in Career
5. Final Years and Retirement
6. Coaching and Family Life

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Tariel Kapanadze, a former Soviet and Georgian footballer, was born into a family of athletes. His identical twin brother, Avtandil Kapanadze, also pursued a career in football. Tariel began his football journey at the age of three with Tbilisi's 35th Football School. In 1980, he joined the reserve team of Lokomotiv Tbilisi, which competed in the second division of the Soviet championship.

Rise in the Second Division

After a brief stint with the reserve team of Dinamo Tbilisi, Kapanadze returned to Lokomotiv Tbilisi in 1984. He spent the next three seasons with the club in the second division. In 1987, he joined Guria Lanchkhuti, which was making its debut in the Soviet top flight. However, Kapanadze struggled for playing time, making only two appearances. He then moved to Torpedo Kutaisi in the first division, where he played nine games.

Career in Georgia and Ukraine

In 1988, Kapanadze transferred to Metallurg Rustavi, which later became known as Gorga. He spent six seasons in Rustavi, helping the team win two Georgian bronze medals. In 1993, he joined Temp Shepetivka in the Ukrainian top flight, where he made a name for himself as a set-piece specialist.

Turning Point in Career

After a successful tenure at Temp, Kapanadze moved to Nive Ternopil in winter 1996. He spent the next six years at the club, playing as a striker and becoming a key player. In 2002, he left Ukraine and joined Russian club Dynamo-GAI, where he scored 17 goals in a year and a half.

Final Years and Retirement

In summer 2003, Kapanadze transferred to Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian second division. He played 24 matches and scored five goals for the club before retiring in 2004.

Coaching and Family Life

After retiring from playing, Kapanadze pursued a coaching career. He taught at the Nizhny Novgorod Football Academy and coached the 1998 age group to the city championship title in 2009.

Tariel Kapanadze is married to Laura, and they have two children, Kristiana and David. Kristiana is a football manager based in Moscow, while David is a coach at FC Radiy. The family resides in Nizhny Novgorod.