Atlanta United signed winger Saba Lobjanidze (Sah-bah Lobe-jah-neat-zey ) from Turkish Süper Lig side Hatayspor through the 2026 season on Aug. 2, 2023. The Georgian international occupies a Designated Player spot and international roster slot.
After joining Atlanta during the summer transfer window, Lobjanidze made an immediate impact as he started six of his nine appearances and tallied three goals and four assists in 467 minutes during the regular season. He scored a goal in his MLS debut on Aug. 26, coming off the bench in a 4-0 win against Nashville. Lobjanidze made his first MLS start on Sept. 2 against FC Dallas in 2-2 draw and recorded two assists in Atlanta’s 5-2 win against Inter Miami on Sept. 16. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, the winger made three appearances (two starts) and added an assist in Game 2 of Atlanta’s Round One series against Columbus Crew.
The 29-year-old was born in Tbilisi, Georgia and brings a wealth of playing experience to Atlanta United. Since the 2014-15 season, Lobjanidze has 288 total appearances, 69 goals and 57 assists across all club competitions. He began his professional career coming through the ranks of his hometown club Dinamo Tbilisi. He made his first division debut on Aug. 10, 2014 for Dinamo in a 2-0 victory. His first goal came in his first start in a 6-0 victory over Shukura. Dinamo won two trophies that season, the Georgian Cup and Supercup, while Lobjanidze would add the Georgian league title to his resume the following season. In three seasons he made 60 total appearances with 12 goals and 14 assists, before making a move to Denmark with Randers FC in the summer of 2017.Â
In his first full season in the Danish Superliga, the Georgian winger played a pivotal role in helping Randers avoid relegation. After scoring three goals during the regular season, Lobjanidze turned it on in the relegation playoff, scoring six goals in six matches to keep his side in the top flight. He went on to start all 38 of his appearances the following season across all competitions. In his final season in Denmark, Lobjanidze scored nine goals and added three assists in only 16 matches before being transferred to Ankaragücü in the Turkish Süper Lig.
The Tbilisi native became a main fixture for his side instantly, starting 45 of 53 matches in his two seasons with the club before signing with Hatayspor in the summer of 2021 after Ankaragücü suffered relegation. Lobjanidze scored eight goals and added eight assists in his first Süper Lig season with Hatayspor in 2021-22. He began last season with Hatayspor, making 21 appearances in league play before an earthquake forced the club to withdraw from competition. Lobjanidze spent the rest of the year on loan at Karagümrük, contributing two goals and two assists as the team finished in seventh place. Â
International: The 28-year-old winger has earned 36 caps for Georgia and tallied three goals. He made his national team debut on Jan. 23, 2017 and scored in a friendly against Uzbekistan. He has experience playing in World Cup and UEFA Euro Qualifiers, as well as UEFA Nations League with his country
2023 (Atlanta United): MLS: Started six of his nine appearances after joining during the summer transfer window. Tallied three goals and four assists in 467 minutes. Scored a goal in his league debut on Aug. 26 in 4-0 win against Nashville. Made his first MLS start on Sept. 2 against FC Dallas in 2-2 draw. Recorded two assists in 5-2 win against Inter Miami on Sept. 16. MLS Cup Playoffs: Started two of his three appearances in Round One series against Columbus Crew. Recorded an assist in Atlanta’s 4-2 win in Game 2.
