Lado Akhalaia (footballer, born 2002)

Lado Akhalaia (born 1 July 2002) is a Moldovan footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Torino.

Lado Akhalaia

Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-07-01) 1 July 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Chișinău, Moldova
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Torino
Youth career
0000–2018	Dacia Chișinău
2019–2021	Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–	Torino	0	(0)
2022	→ Virton (loan)	3	(0)
2023–2024	→ Swift Hesperange (loan)	20	(2)
International career‡
2020	Moldova U-19	1	(0)
2021	Moldova U-21	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 October 2021

Career

Having started out playing for Dacia Buiucani in Moldova, Lado Akhalaia soon attracted the attention of several European clubs, including Sporting Portugal, where he spent several months on trial. However, his stay was cut short by the crisis of 2018, when the club's management was eventually dismissed after endangering the physical integrity of its players.^[1][2]

As a youth player, Akhalaia joined the youth academy of Moldovan second tier side Dacia Buiucani.^[3][4][5] In 2019, he joined the youth academy of Inter in the Italian Serie A after trialling for the youth academies of Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting in Portugal.^[6][7]

In 2021, he signed for Italian Serie A team Torino.^[8] In 2022, Akhalaia was sent on loan to Virton in the Belgian second tier. On 14 January 2023, he moved on a new loan to Swift Hesperange in Luxembourg.^[9]

Personal life

He is the son of Georgia international Vladimir Akhalaia and the grandson of Moldova international and manager Alexandru Spiridon.^[10][11]

Honours

Swift Hesperange

• Luxembourg National Division: 2022–23

References

1. Dumitrașcu, Vlad (13 July 2021). "Lado Akhalaia, jucătorul moldovean de la campioana Italiei". FMF (in Romanian). Retrieved 10 May 2023.
2. Беседин, Cергей (25 January 2020). "Ладо Ахалая-младший: «Избили игроков, тренеров, разбили им машины… Пришлось уезжать»". SPORTS.md (in Russian). Retrieved 10 May 2023.
3. "Ладо Ахалая-младший: «Избили игроков, тренеров, разбили им машины… Пришлось уезжать»". moldova.sports.md. 25 January 2020.
4. "Ладо Ахалая-младший: «Со своим дедом мы никогда не пересекались ни в одном клубе, и я бы никогда не поехал ни в «Шахтёр», ни в «Зенит»". moldova.sports.md. 27 January 2020.
5. "Lado Akhalaia: "Golurile pentru Inter Milano sunt importante pentru mine, însă aş fi putut marca mai mult"". moldfootball.com.
6. "Lado Akhalaia, jucătorul moldovean de la campioana Italiei".
7. "Forza, fiuto e gol del moldavo Akhalaia". tuttomercatoweb.com.
8. "chi è Akhalaia: l'attaccante cresciuto tanto in Primavera". toronews.net. 8 July 2022.
9. "1.Wantertransfer: Lado Akhalaia" (in Luxembourgish). FC Swift Hesperange. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
10. "Interview with Lado Akhalaia". publika.md. January 2020.
11. "Povestea fotbalistului de la Internazionale Milano, cu cetăţenie română. Tatăl său a trecut pe la Dinamo Bucureşti. "Vreau să ajung la Cupa Mondială"". orangesport.ro. 26 September 2020.

External links

• Lado Akhalaia at Soccerway