Former Georgia captain Giorgi Nemsadze dies aged 54
Giorgi Nemsadze, the former Georgia captain and Dundee midfielder, has died of a heart attack at 54, prompting tributes led by Georgia's prime minister.
Giorgi Nemsadze, the former Georgia captain and Dundee midfielder, has died at the age of 54 after a heart attack. Dinamo Tbilisi, the club where he began and ended his playing career, announced his death on Facebook, saying it did so "with a heavy heart".
Nemsadze earned 69 caps for Georgia and captained the national team. His club career took him abroad to Hamburg, Trabzonspor, Grasshoppers and Reggiana, as well as Locomotive Tbilisi, before he joined Dundee in 2000 and spent three years in Scotland.
His time at Dundee came during the era of high-profile signings under manager Ivano Bonetti, a period that also brought Argentina striker Claudio Caniggia to the club. Dundee inducted Nemsadze into its hall of fame in 2010.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze led the tributes, describing the death as a tremendous loss for Georgian football. He praised Nemsadze as an outstanding professional and a leader with a fighting spirit who represented both the national team and Georgian and foreign clubs successfully, and said his distinctive playing style and perseverance left a lasting mark on the history of Georgian sport.
After retiring, Nemsadze spent a year as Dinamo Tbilisi's sporting director before moving into coaching with Georgia's youth players. He also managed Shevardeni Tbilisi, Dila Gori and Dinamo.
Image: SNS / BBC Sport
