Beka Gotsiridze

Beka Gotsiridze (; 21 February 1988 – 8 February 2026) was a Georgian footballer who played as a forward.

Career Gotsiridze was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union on 21 February 1988. He began his career at FC Zestaponi, in Georgia's Umaglesi Liga before his transfer to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on a €1 million deal in January 2009.

In June 2009, he was involved in a car accident while driving to Tbilisi, Georgia from a nearby village. His spleen had to be removed due to his injuries.

His health condition did not allow Gotsiridze to play in highly ambitious clubs any longer. Although later he was a squad member of several Georgian teams such as Dila Gori, Merani Martvili, Racha Ambrolauri and Gareji Sagarejo, the career of this player ended prematurely.

Later life and death As of the summer 2022, Gotsiridze lived in the United States.

On 16 August 2025, during 2024–2026 protests two people were arrested and charged with group violence for allegedly assaulting Gotsiridze, a hardline Georgian Dream supporter, during a 31 July rally on Rustaveli Avenue. While the defendants face up to two years in prison, the defense argues that Gotsiridze provoked the clash by broadcasting a derogatory livestream and, as some activists claim, arriving at the protest armed with a knife. Despite these tensions, Gotsiridze testified on 17 December that he felt no significant pain and requested that the defendants be released on bail to spend the New Year with their families; however, the judge denied this request and ordered that they remain in custody.

On 8 February 2026, Gotsiridze's friends shared on social media that he had died, with some reports suggesting he was found dead at his home under unknown circumstances. He was 37.