FC Margveti Zestaponi

In 1990 the Georgian Football Federation was founded to hold their own football competition and leave the Soviet football league system. Clubs like FC Dinamo Tbilisi and FC Guria Lanchkhuti gave up their place in the Soviet Top League to join. At that time Zestaponi had their own club FC Metallurg Zestaponi. A new club, formed as Margveti Zestaponi, joined Pirveli Liga and was promoted in the first season. Margveti was a member of Umaglesi Liga and achieved their best season in 1995–96 by finishing runner-up. But in the 1997–98 season, Margveti finished at the bottom and was relegated. FC Margveti Zestaponi faced financial problems and was declared bankrupt in 2000. A new club using the city legend team name Metalurgi Zestaponi was formed in 1999. In 2006 Margveti-2006 was founded in the lower division and recently in Meore Liga, but it is a different (municipal) club.

Notable players

Zviad Endeladze became the club's most famous player after scoring 40 goals in a single season. With this achievement he joined the European Golden Shoe winners.

City rival

Although Metallurgi Zestaponi, Margveti Zestaponi and FC Zestaponi came from the same city, they never met in the league, and both clubs came from the succession of Metallurgi Zestaponi.