Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol are 90 minutes away from becoming the first team from their country to reach the Champions League group stages. Sheriff won the first leg of their play-off round tie, beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0, to put themselves within touching distance of the promised land.
It would mark an incredible achievement for the club and the country of Moldova.
Sheriff Tiraspol 90 Minutes Away From Champions League Fairytale
The Lowdown on Sheriff Tiraspol
The club was founded in 1996 and was initially known as Tiras Tiraspol. They changed their name to Sheriff Tiraspol a year later. Since their formation, they have dominated Moldovan football, winning 19 league titles and 10 Moldovan Cups. Also, they have twice made it into the Europa League group stages in 2013 and 2017.
In the Champions League, they have made the play-off round three times, losing out to Olympiakos, Basel and Legia Warsaw. However, their run into the play-off round this year has come as a huge surprise. Especially considering last season they were knocked out by Irish side Dundalk in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.
They started their Champions League campaign by comfortably defeating Albanian side Teuta and Armenian champions Alashkert. In the third qualifying round, they stunned former European champions Red Star Belgrade. They then followed that up with an incredible first-leg display against Dinamo Zagreb.
A double from Adama Traore and a goal from Dimitris Kolovos has put them in a strong position going to Zagreb for the second leg.
Considering that Dinamo are a side that reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League and knocked out Tottenham Hotspur last season, it was quite an amazing performance. If they can see it through it would arguably be one of the most incredible achievements in Champions League history.
Boost for Moldovan Football
Sheriff being on the brink of the Champions League group stages will be a big boost for Moldovan football. The Moldova national team are currently languishing in 177th place in the FIFA World Rankings.
They were as high as 37 in April 2008 but have been on a downhill slide ever since. In March, they were battered 8-0 by Denmark in a World Cup qualifier. Between 2010-19, they won just 16 of their 93 matches.
There has been a shortage of famous players coming through in Moldova, with centre-back Alexandru Epureanu, who has played club football in Russia and Turkey, probably the most successful. However, if Sheriff qualifies for the Champions League it would be a huge boost for football in Moldova.
The money that Sheriff earns in the Champions League will also be filtered to other clubs in the country. It is a chance to improve coaching, grassroots football, and facilities which will hopefully benefit the national team.
Sheriff’s run in the Champions League shows that Europe’s premier club competition should be open to all and not just for the select rich few.
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