Former Georgia captain Giorgi Nemsadze dies aged 54

Former Georgia captain and Dundee midfielder dies aged 54

Former Georgia captain and Dundee midfielder Giorgi Nemsadze has died at the age of 54 of a heart attack.

Dinamo Tbilisi, with whom he started and ended his playing career, made the announcement "with a heavy heart" on Facebook.

Nemsadze earned 69 caps for his country and played abroad for Hamburg, Trabzonspor, Grasshoppers, Reggiana and Locomotive Tbilisi before joining Dundee in 2000, spending three years with the club.

Tributes from Georgia

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has led the tributes, stating:

"I express my deep sorrow over the death of Giorgi Nemsadze. This is a tremendous loss for Georgian football."

"As the former captain of Georgia's national team, an outstanding professional and a leader with a fighting spirit, he successfully represented both the national team and Georgian and foreign clubs. With his distinctive playing style and perseverance, he left a lasting mark on the history of Georgian sport."

Dundee career

Nemsadze joined Dundee during the era of big-name signings, such as Argentina striker Claudio Caniggia, under manager Ivano Bonetti. He was inducted into the Scottish Premiership club's hall of fame in 2010.

After playing, he spent a year as Dinamo's sporting director before entering coaching with the country's youth players and managing Shevardeni Tbilisi, Dila Gori and Dinamo.