Most Manchester City fans, especially their modern day supporters, would not be familiar with the name Georgi Kinkladze. He didn't win any Silverware with the Citizens as well, and yet here we are talking about him.
Kinkladze's time with City was the ultimate proof that one could be a club legend without winning titles. Let us look back at his Manchester City years, and why he was adored by the Citizens.
The spark during darkness
After witnessing the player's magnificent abilities at such a young age, then Manchester City chairman Francis Lee was extremely keen on bringing Georgi Kinkladze to City. A deal was eventually struck with Dinamo Tbilisi for the midfielder, with a £2 million transfer fee being paid.
The young Georgian sensation joined City at a time when they were playing terribly in the league. They failed to win a single league game during the first three months of the season, and there was only one thing that brought happiness to City fans. That was none other than Kinkladze, whose magnificent displays made him a popular figure at the club.
The player did have a tough time initially adapting in England though, and had to bring his mother to Manchester to overcome his homesickness. In the months that followed, Kinkladze was widely seen by City supporters as their star player. His spectacular goal against Southampton that season is remembered in particular, which was even awarded as the second best Goal of the Season by BBC programme Match of the Day.
Despite his best efforts, City got relegated on the final day of the season. It was quite clear by now that Kinkladze was the only shining spark in a declining team. This led to huge transfer speculation, with Liverpool, Barcelona, and Inter Milan all reportedly interested in the player. However, Kinkladze shocked everyone by staying at City.
Difficult moments
After coming out as the club's 1995-96 season Player of the Year, Kinkladze was poised to take City back to the English top-flight. However, it was yet another turbulent season for City, which even resulted in Kinkladze playing under 5 different managers. He was yet again the only spark in a dull team, with opposition teams even assigning several players to mark him. Defenders also started to become aggressive on the Georgian, which eventually led to the player being injured during the season.
Kinkladze was yet again named as Manchester City's Player of the Season, but the Citizens failed to finish the league in a promotion spot. This yet again led to rumours that he would leave, while City fans were desperate for their star man to stay. Kinkladze yet again shocked everyone and showed his loyalty to city, as he signed a new contract with the club.
The end
Things went from bad to worse for City and Kinkladze in the 1997–98 campaign. After the sacking of manager Frank Clark, the defensive minded Joe Royle was brought in as a replacement. The new manager saw Kinkladze as a luxury he could not afford, and also wanted the City board to sell the player. This was followed by Kinkladze suffering an ankle injury, which ruled him out for a month.
Kinkladze returned after a month, but the player was deeply unimpressed by Royles's tactics. He forced the City to start to operate on the right wing, much to his displeasure. The manager later criticized Kinkladze as well and dropped him for the next 6 games.
The team's poor form and the manager's feud with their star player was the final nail in the coffin for City. They ended the season in yet another relegation spot, and was demoted to the third-division for the first time in their history.
It was the end of Kinkladze's time with the Citizens as well, as he made the move to Ajax. In a period of constant disappointments and heartbreak, Kinkladze was the sole spark that brought happiness to the Citizens. It is for this reason as well that he'll always be remembered as a club legend who stood with them during the most challenging times.
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