From Champions League glory to the mayoralty of Tbilisi: the life of Kakha Kaladze
Kakha Kaladze transitioned from a celebrated career as a two-time Champions League winner with AC Milan to a polarizing figure in Georgian politics. His journey involves immense professional success, a tragic family kidnapping, and a controversial shift into ministerial power and mayoral office, marked by recent international sanctions.
Born in 1978 in Samtredia, Georgia, Kaladze rose through the ranks of Dinamo Tbilisi before moving to Dynamo Kyiv in 1998. His defensive prowess eventually earned him a record-breaking €16 million transfer to AC Milan in 2001. During his time in Italy, he became the first Georgian to win the Champions League, securing the title twice in 2003 and 2007. Despite his on-field success, his personal life was marred by the 2001 kidnapping of his brother, Levan, whose death was only confirmed in 2006 after FBI-led testing.
Kaladze retired from professional football in 2012, pivoting immediately to politics as a member of the Georgian Dream party, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. His appointment as Minister of Energy that same year sparked intense debate regarding potential conflicts of interest, specifically concerning his investment firm, Kala Capital, which held a 45 percent stake in a hydropower construction company. Although he sold those shares in November 2012, questions regarding his commercial influence persisted throughout his tenure.
Elected Mayor of Tbilisi in 2017 and reelected in 2021, Kaladze has become known for his blunt, often confrontational political style. His career has recently faced significant international friction; in late 2024 and early 2025, he was hit with sanctions from Ukraine, Lithuania, and Estonia amid political unrest in Georgia. Furthermore, in February 2025, the Ukrainian Ministry of Sport revoked his title of Master of Sports of International Class, underscoring the stark divide between his past as a celebrated athlete and his current standing on the global stage.
Source: Kakha Kaladze
