Budu Zivzivadze: Who is Heidenheim's prolific Georgian strike siging?
Budu Zivzivadze shone at Karslruhe before taking the step up to Heidenheim. bundesliga.com looks at the the Georgian frontman...
Data correct as of 3 January 2025
Age: 30 (born 10 March 1994)
Club: Heidenheim
Position: Striker
Country: Georgia (34 caps, eight goals)
Key stats
Budu Zivzivadze's 25 goals in Bundesliga 2 for Karlsruhe over a two-year period were significant in making Heidenheim swoop for the then top scorer in the second flight in January 2025. The Georgian has been finding the back of the net for years, however.
A prolific scorer, Zivzivadze began his career with Dinamo Tbilisi, where he struck 28 goals in 41 matches. He continued his scoring success at Torpedo Kutaisi with 13 goals in 28 games, winning player of the year in the 2015/16 season before going on to win the Georgian title with FC Samtredia in the following season. After spells in Denmark and Hungary, he joined Karlsruhe in January 2023.
Watch: The best of Budu Zivzivadze
Following his success in Georgian football he was called up to the national team in January 2017, where he made his debut in a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan. Zivzivadze was also part of the Georgia squad for the 2024 European Championship, where he made two substitute appearances. He now has eight goals for his country and has become a regular for the national team in recent years.
Plays a bit like: Niclas Füllkrug
Both Zivzivadze and Germany international Niclas Füllkrug are known for their physicality and ability to hold up play, which makes them good target men. Like Füllkrug, Zivzivadze can bring teammates into the game and is clinical inside the box. The two also share brilliant positional awareness and an ability to tuck away half-chances.
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Did you know?
Zivzivadze is managed by former Bayern Munich and France defender Willy Sagnol at international level. Former France defender Sagnol made 184 appearances for Bayern, was a five-time German champion and lifted the UEFA Champions League, DFB Cup (four times), German League Cup and Intercontinental Cup while in Munich. He also went on to coach the Bayern first team before linking up with Georgia in 2021, when he brought Zivzivadze back into the international fold after a three-year absence.
What they’re saying
“Budu is a player with international experience. He is versatile and can be used in a variety of ways in attack.” - Oliver Kreuzer, Karlsruhe sporting director
"We have been closely monitoring Budu Zivzivadze's development at Karlsruhe for some time. He has shown in impressive fashion just how good he is at goalscoring. We are therefore convinced that he can immediately help our team in our battle for Bundesliga survival and are very happy that he has chosen us." - Heidenheim chairman Holger Sanwald
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