July 1, 2021
This week sees the Moldova Divizia Nationala become the first of Europe’s “winter” leagues to commence their 2021/22 season, although top flight football in Moldova appears to be in quite a troubled state.
The Moldova Divizia Nationala features only 8 clubs in the new season, playing each other four times for a 28 league campaign rather than the 36 matches in the 10 team 2020/21 division.
Fans of Indian food will be pleased to see FC Balti have been promoted after winning the second level Divizia A, replacing Codru Lozova who won only one match in finishing bottom. Ninth placed Speranta Nisperoni were expelled from the league after failing to turn-up for two matches at the end of the season, but the second placed side in Divizia A, Cahul 2005, did not apply for a licence to play in the Divizia Nationala so will remain in the second level.
The other departure from the top flight was Dacia Buiucani, who despite finishing in 5th place, voluntarily opted to go back to the second level after only one season, citing financial difficulties.
In addition to all this turmoil, the Moldovan FA announced a 6 points penalty to Floresti for their involvement in on-going investigations into match fixing.
These diaries covered two matches from Moldova in the spring of the 2020/21, including a game between Sheriff Tiraspol and CS Petrocub Hincesti, the two dominant sides in the league last season. That match was one of just four matches Sheriff failed to win out of 36 as they won the league by 16 points ahead of Petrocub for their 19th title in 21 years. In turn, Petrocub finished 10 points clear of Milsami-Orhei.
Sheriff have been drawn against Albanian champions Teuta Durres in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, with the second leg in Tiraspol whilst in the Europa Conference, Petrocub face North Macedonian side Sileks and Milsami-Orhei face Bosnian side FK Sarajevo.
Fourth placed Sfintul Gheorghe provided a major surprise in winning the 2020/21 Moldovan Cup, holding Sheriff 0-0 after extra-time, and winning the penalty shoot-out 3-2. Their reward is to play Albanians Partizani Tirana in the Europa Conference.
Sfintul Gheorghe followed their Moldovan Cup win with another triumph over Sheriff in the Super Cup new season curtain raiser last week in Balti, with 3,000 spectators in attendance. This time they won the penalty shoot-out 4-2 after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes, with a 92nd minute equaliser from new signing Artyom Litviakov from Dinamo-Auto.
Sheriff are coached by Ukrainian ex-Shakhtyor Soligorsk coach Yuriy Vernidub and their squad for the Super Cup game included just one new addition from last season’s squad, goal-keeper Georgios Athanasiadis joining on a season long loan from AEK Athens. There were two significant departures though, with 10 goal midfielder Dimitris Kolovos having returned to Panathinaikos at the end of his loan, and Rifet Kapic similiarly returned to Paderborn.
The undoubted star of the Sheriff squad is Colombian forward Frank Castaneda, who contributed 28 goals and 12 assists in 2020/21, and Luxembourg playmaker Sebastien Thill appears to have converted his loan into a permanent transfer.
Sheriff have a very cosmopolitan ensemble, with the starting line-up in the Super Cup featuring just one Moldovan, along with two Brazilians, two Colombians, and players from Greece, Slovenia, Ivory Coast, Peru, Luxembourg and Bosnia. On the substitute’s bench were four Moldovans, 2 players from Malawi and once each from Trinidad and Tobago, Mali and Serbia.
Sfintul Gheorghe also paraded a virtually unchanged squad in the Super Cup, with the only addition being Artyom Litviakov. Veteran Belarus forward Roman Volkov, who has represented 11 clubs in his native land including Slavia Mozyr, Vitebsk and Gorodeya, was their top scorer in 2020/21 with 12 goals. The only other foreigners in their squad are Nigerian defender Aliyu Adam, who is on loan from Latvian side Spartak Jurmala, and Senegalese midfielder Sidy Sagna, who has played in France, Portugal, Georgia and Lithuania and scored with an acrobatic volley in the Super Cup. Veteran midfielder Alexandru Suvorov won 59 caps for Moldova and played in Poland for Cracovia, whilst Mihail Ghecev and captain Vitalie Plamadeala each have one Moldovan cap.
Traditional giants and 8 time champions Zimbru Chisnau have fallen on hard times, and for most of 2020/21 looked to be facing relegation. However, a run of 12 points from their last 10 matches, together with the implosion of Speranta saw them reach the safety of 8th place.
Neither Petrocub and Milsami-Orhei appear to have any significant departures or additions at this stage, so both they and Sfintul Gheorghe will be hoping to muster some sort of challenge to Sheriff. Striker Vladimir Ambros found the next 16 times for Petrocub, and along with Sergiu Paltica ( 11 goals ) will be key players for them.
Experienced Alexandru Antoniuc contributed 15 goals from midfield for Milsami-Orhei, whilst Artyom Puntus scored 10 times.
Dinamo-Auto, along with Sheriff located in the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria, will be looking for at least another respectable season, and perhaps maybe push for a place in the Europa Conference. International midfielder Maxim Mihailov will be looking to replicate his 12 goals from last year
Fixtures : Round One
Thursday July 1, 2021
FC Floresti vs CS Petrocub Hincesti ( 18.00 local time/16.00 UK )
Sheriff Tiraspol vs FC Balti ( 20.00 local time/18.00 UK )
Friday July 2, 2021
FC Zimbru Chisinau vs Dinamo Auto ( 18.00 local time/16.00 UK )
FC Milsami-Orhei vs Sfintul Gheorghe ( 20.00 local time/18.00 UK )
All matches in 2020/21 were streamed live on the Moldovan FA YouTube channel ( FMF TV ) as was the Super Cup Final.
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