Georgi Nemsadze

Georgi Vazhayevich Nemsadze, also spelled Giorgi Nemsadze, was born on 10 May 1972 in Tbilisi, in what was then the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. He joined Dinamo Tbilisi, the leading club in Soviet Georgia, and made his debut in the top division of the Soviet championship in 1989, playing five games and scoring once that season. Georgian sources record that he graduated from the commerce faculty of Tbilisi State University in 1995.

After Georgia's independence Nemsadze played in the new Georgian league, first for Dinamo Tbilisi (briefly renamed Iberia), then on loan at Guria Lanchkhuti (1991 to 1992) and Shevardeni Tbilisi (1992 to 1993), before returning to Dinamo from 1993 to 1995. Georgian sources credit him with four Georgian championships.

In 1995 he moved abroad, joining FC 08 Homburg in Germany alongside other Georgian players. He spent 1996 to 1997 with Trabzonspor in Turkey and 1997 to 1998 with Grasshoppers in Switzerland, then played in Serie B for Reggiana in 1999, where injury limited his appearances. After a short return to Georgia with Lokomotivi Tbilisi and Dinamo Tbilisi, he signed for Dundee in 2000.

At Dundee he played 79 Scottish Premier League matches between 2000 and 2003 and captained the club. Manager Jim Duffy compared his importance to the team with that of Barry Ferguson at Rangers, praising his composure on the ball, passing and vision. In April 2003 he scored the winning goal against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, taking Dundee to their first Scottish Cup final in 39 years. Dundee lost the final 1-0 to Rangers on 31 May 2003. Supporters also remember a celebrated chip in the Dundee derby against Dundee United.

He made 69 appearances for Georgia between 1992 and 2004 and captained the national side; his move abroad in 1995 was credited with encouraging other Georgian players to follow. He returned to Dinamo Tbilisi in 2004 and retired after the 2004 to 2005 season.

In March 2011 he was appointed sporting director of Dinamo Tbilisi, leaving about a year and a half later to begin coaching. He was head coach of Georgia's under-17 team from 2017 to 2018, then managed Shevardeni-1906 Tbilisi (2018 to 2019), Dila Gori (2019 to 2020) and Dinamo Tbilisi (2020 to 2021). At the time of his death he was head coach of Georgia's under-18 national team.

Outside football, Georgian sources record that he served on the Tbilisi city council (Sakrebulo) from 2006 to 2010, and in July 2021 he stood as a Georgian Dream candidate in municipal elections.

Nemsadze's son, Vazha Nemsadze, born in 1990, also became a professional footballer. Nemsadze kept close ties with Dundee long after leaving the club, and in May 2015 he returned to play for a Dundee side of former favourites in Julian Speroni's testimonial against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Georgi Nemsadze died in Tbilisi on 21 October 2026, aged 54. His death was reported that day by Georgian sports media, Interpressnews, Commersant and Georgia Today. The cause of death was not made public.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze expressed deep sorrow, describing the former national captain as an outstanding professional and a leader with a fighting character who had defended the honour of the national team and of Georgian and foreign clubs, and saying that with his own style of play and tenacity he had left a permanent mark on the history of Georgian sport.

Nemsadze is remembered in Georgia as a long-serving captain of the national team and one of the first players of his generation to build a career abroad. In Scotland he remains a cult hero at Dens Park: Dundee supporters have repeatedly named him among the best players they have seen at the club, and he was inducted into the Dundee Hall of Fame and given its International Award in 2010. His semi-final winner in 2003 ended a 39-year wait for a Scottish Cup final for the club.