FC Zimbru Chișinău

Zimbru Chișinău

File:FC Zimbru logo.png
Full name	Fotbal Club Zimbru Chișinău
Nickname(s)	Galben-verzii (The Yellow-Greens)
Founded	16 May 1947 (1947-05-16)
Ground	Zimbru Stadium
Capacity	10,400
President	Nicolae Ciornîi
Head Coach	Lilian Popescu
League	Moldovan Super Liga
2021–22	7th
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Fotbal Club Zimbru Chișinău, commonly known as Zimbru Chișinău or simply Zimbru, is a Moldovan professional football club based in Chișinău, which competes in the Moldovan Super Liga, the highest tier of Moldovan football.

Founded in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1947, Zimbru entered the Soviet Top League in 1956 and totalled eleven participations before their last relegation in 1983. After the independence of Moldova in 1991, the team established itself as an early force in the country, winning all the first five national titles and eight of the first nine, but have not won since. Zimbru's honours also include six Moldovan Cups and one Moldovan Super Cup.

Galben-verzii play their home matches at the 10,400-seater Zimbru Stadium.

History

See also: List of FC Zimbru Chișinău seasons

Zimbru Chișinău was formed in 1947 in the Moldovan Soviet Republic (present day Republic of Moldova). 'Zimbru' is a Romanian word for a form of European bison, but the club also previously functioned under names such as Dinamo, Burevestnik, Moldova, Avântul, and Nistru. The Soviet Era was spent mostly in Class B of the regional league until eventual promotion to Class A. The club then flitted between Class A and Class B as well as spending time in the Soviet Top League and First League. In total, Zimbru spent 11 seasons in the Top League between 1956 and 1983. Zimbru had their biggest success in 1956 when they finished in 6th place out of 12 in the Soviet Top League and in 1963 when they reached the quarter-finals of the Soviet Cup.
Zimbru's fortunes changed after the fall of the USSR and the establishment of the Republic of Moldova. The club won all five of the initial seasons of the Moldovan National Division (1992–96), and apart from finishing as runners-up to Chișinău rivals Constructorul Chișinău in 1996–97, won eight of the first nine championships. Zimbru have also won the Moldovan Cup six times, including a double in 1997–98 and the Moldovan Super Cup once.

Crest and colours

Since its foundation, Zimbru's colours always was yellow and green. Throughout history, Zimbru Chișinău had many logos. Traditional colours were always present on club crests.

Stadium

Main article: Stadionul Zimbru

Zimbru Stadium

Full name	Zimbru Stadium
Location	Botanica, Chișinău
Owner	Zimbru Chișinău
Capacity	10,400
Field size	105 x 68 m
Surface	Grass
Scoreboard	1,600 lux
Construction
Built	March 2004 – May 2006
Opened	20 May 2006
Construction cost	$11 million
Architect	Ceproserving SA
Structural engineer	INCONEX-COM

FC Zimbru's home ground is Zimbru Stadium, a football-specific stadium in Botanica sector of Chișinău. It was opened in 2006. The stadium has a natural grass playing surface, and its capacity is 10,400.

Rivalries

In the 1990s (the first decade of Moldova's independence), Zimbru's rival was the other team from Chișinău, Constructorul Chișinău. Then Contructorul was dissolved. In 1997, a new team was founded in Tiraspol, Sheriff Tiraspol. In a few years, Sheriff was promoted to the first league and became a force in Moldovan football. Considering the strength of team and the tensions between Moldovans and separatist Transnistrians, the match between Zimbru and Sheriff became a derby, the most important match in country. Thus, it has been named "Derby of Moldova", being labelled even as "Moldovan El Clasico" (Romanian: El Clasico de Moldova). Another rivalry was established in the mid 2000s when Dacia Chișinău, another team from Chișinău, became one of Moldova's top teams. The match between them is known as "The Derby of the capital" (Romanian: Derbyul capitalei).

Honours

Moldova

• Divizia Națională / Liga Națională / Superliga

Winners (8): 1992, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000

Runners-up (5): 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07

Third place (4): 2001–02, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2015–16

• Cupa Moldovei

Winners (6): 1996–97, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2013–14

Runners-up (3): 1994–95, 1999–2000, 2017–18

• Supercupa Moldovei

Winners (1): 2014

Runners-up (3): 2003, 2004, 2007

Soviet Union

• Soviet First League

Winners (1): 1955

Runners-up (2): 1973, 1982

• Soviet Second League

Winners (2): 1987, 1988

Players

Current squad

As of 19 September 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK GRE Nikos Giannakopoulos 2 DF MDA Cristian Ursu 3 DF MDA Ștefan Burghiu (captain) 4 DF ROU Robert Burcea 5 DF NED Donny van Iperen 6 MF MDA Vlad Răileanu 7 MF MDA Mihail Ghecev 8 MF RWA Steve Rubanguka 9 MF MDA Maxim Mihaliov 10 MF MDA Alexandru Dedov 11 FW MDA Eugen Sidorenco 12 GK MDA Silviu Șmalenea 14 DF MDA Mihai Morozan

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 FW MDA Rostislav Garganciuc 17 MF MDA Iulian Bejan 18 MF MDA Gheorghe Anton 20 DF POR Ivanilson Magalhães 21 MF GNB Rachid Baldé 22 FW MDA Ilie Damașcan 23 MF ANG Amâncio Fortes 25 DF MDA Maxim Cojocaru 26 DF JAM Kenroy Campbell 27 DF MDA Alexei Ciopa 28 MF MDA Octavian Bulat 33 DF GRE Nikos Karanikas 35 GK MDA Anatol Chirinciuc

Player of the year

Zimbru players who received the award Moldovan Footballer of the Year:

Year	Winner
1992	Alexandru Spiridon
1993	Alexandru Curtianu
1994	Serghei Cleșcenco
1995	Ion Testemițanu
1997	Ion Testemițanu
1999	Sergiu Epureanu
2002	Boris Cebotari

League history

Table

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Europe		Top scorer (league)
1992	Divizia Națională	1	22	15	5	2	40	15	35	1/4	–		Alexandru Spiridon Iurie Miterev – 8
1992–93		1	30	22	6	2	66	17	50	1/8	–		Alexandru Spiridon – 12
1993–94		1	30	25	2	3	86	22	52	1/2	UCL	PR	Serghei Cleșcenco – 14
1994–95		1	26	21	4	1	69	10	67	RU	UC	PR	Serghei Cleșcenco – 11
1995–96		1	30	26	3	1	110	11	81	1/4	UC	R2	Vladislav Gavriliuc – 34
1996–97		2	30	22	4	4	112	21	70	W	UC	PR	Iurie Miterev – 34
1997–98		1	26	22	3	1	75	8	69	W	CWC	QR	Serghei Cleșcenco – 25
1998–99		1	26	18	7	1	43	9	61	1/4	UCL	Q1	Vladislav Gavriliuc – 10
1999–00		1	36	25	7	4	78	21	82	RU	UCL UC	Q3 R1	Victor Berco – 15
2000–01		2	28	20	6	2	46	15	66	1/2	UCL UC	Q3 R1	Iurie Miterev – 8
2001–02		3	28	12	10	6	52	20	46	1/2	UC	QR	Victor Berco – 12
2002–03		2	24	15	5	4	47	20	50	W	UC	R1	Vladimir Shishelov – 13
2003–04		3	28	14	7	7	40	23	49	W	UC	R1	Vladimir Shishelov – 15
2004–05		5	28	12	7	9	29	15	43	1/4	–		Sergiu Chirilov – 7
2005–06		2	28	15	8	5	47	20	53	1/2	–		Sergiu Chirilov – 11
2006–07		2	36	21	8	7	63	23	71	W	UC	Q2	Alexei Zhdanov – 14
2007–08		5	30	13	13	4	43	21	52	1/2	UC	Q1	Alexei Zhdanov – 12
2008–09		4	30	13	7	10	42	30	46	1/2	–		Oleg Andronic – 16
2009–10		4	33	17	8	8	47	29	59	1/4	UEL	Q2	Andrei Secrieru – 7
2010–11		4	39	22	10	7	56	20	76	1/8	–		Oleg Andronic – 9
2011–12		3	33	17	10	6	47	24	61	1/4	–		Oleg Molla – 14
2012–13		6	33	12	10	11	53	38	46	1/4	UEL	Q2	Oleg Molla – 7
2013–14		4	33	18	7	8	56	24	61	W	–		Sergey Tsyganov – 13
2014–15		6	24	7	6	11	23	19	27	1/4	UEL	PO	Alexandru Dedov – 4
2015–16		3	27	15	4	8	42	26	49	1/4	–		Rui Miguel – 9
2016–17		5	30	13	7	10	32	29	46	1/2	UEL	Q2	Hugo Neto – 6
2017		8	18	5	4	9	17	21	19	RU	–		Jean Theodoro – 5
2018		5	28	9	9	10	28	37	36	1/2	–		Ilie Damașcan Ion Nicolaescu – 5
2019		7	28	3	7	18	16	43	16	1/4	–		Dan Pîslă – 5
2020–21		8	36	6	7	23	39	63	25	1/8	–		Artur Pătraș – 10
2021–22		7	28	7	6	15	32	46	27	1/4	–		Eugen Sidorenco – 5

European record

Main article: FC Zimbru in European football

UEFA Champions League

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
1993–94	PR	Beitar Jerusalem	1–1	0–2	1–3
1998–99	Q1	Újpest	1–0	1–3	2–3
1999–00	Q1	St Patrick's Athletic	5–0	5–0	10–0
	Q2	Dinamo Tbilisi	2–0	1–2	3–2
	Q3	PSV Eindhoven	0–0	0–2	0–2
2000–01	Q1	KF Tirana	3–2	3–2	6–4
	Q2	Maribor	2–0	0–1	2–1
	Q3	Sparta Prague	0–1	0–1	0–2

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
1997–98	QR	Shakhtar Donetsk	1–1	0–3	1–4

UEFA Cup

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
1994–95	PR	Budapest Honvéd	0–1	1–4	1–5
1995–96	PR	Hapoel Tel Aviv	2–0	0–0	2–0
	R1	RAF Jelgava	1–0	2–1	3–1
	R2	Sparta Prague	0–2	3–4	3–6
1996–97	PR	Hajduk Split	0–4	1–2	1–6
1999–00	R1	Tottenham Hotspur	0–0	0–3	0–3
2000–01	R1	Hertha BSC	1–2	0–2	1–4
2001–02	QR	Gaziantepspor	0–0	1–4	1–4
2002–03	QR	IFK Göteborg	3–1	2–2	5–3
	R1	Real Betis	0–2	1–2	1–4
2003–04	QR	Litex Lovech	2–0	0–0	2–0
	R1	Aris	1–1	1–2	2–3
2006–07	Q1	Qarabağ	1–1	2–1 (aet)	3–2
	Q2	Metalurh Zaporizhya	0–0	0–3	0–3
2007–08	Q1	Artmedia Bratislava	2–2	1–1	3–3 (a)

UEFA Europa League

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
2009–10	Q1	Okzhetpes	1–2	2–0	3–2
	Q2	Paços de Ferreira	0–0	0–1	0–1
2012–13	Q1	Bangor City	2–1	0–0	2–1
	Q2	Young Boys	1–0 (aet)	0–1	1–1 (1–4 pen.)
2014–15	Q1	FK Shkëndija	2–0	1–2	3–2
	Q2	CSKA Sofia	0–0	1–1	1–1 (a)
	Q3	SV Grödig	0–1	2–1	2–2 (a)
	PO	PAOK	1–0	0–4	1–4
2016–17	Q1	Chikhura Sachkhere	0–1	3–2	3–3 (a)
	Q2	Osmanlıspor	2–2	0–5	2–7

Notes: PR – preliminary round. QR – qualifying round. R1 – First round. R2 – Second round
Q1, Q2, Q3 – qualifying rounds. PO – play-off round.

Club officials

Technical staff

As of 24 September 2022

Role	Name
Head coach	Lilian Popescu
Assistant coach	Dmitri Arabadji
Masseur	Petru Caraman
Club doctor	Mihail Mudrenco
Administrator	Dmitri Mahortov

Club management

As of 5 July 2021

Role	Name
President	Nicolae Ciornîi
General director	Sergiu Topor
Sporting director	Alexei Popa

Former players

For a list of many former and current FC Zimbru players, see Category:FC Zimbru Chișinău players.

Former managers

For a full list of FC Zimbru managers, see List of FC Zimbru Chișinău managers.

External links

• Official website (in Romanian, Russian, and English)
• Profile at soccerway.com (in English)
• Zimbru Chișinău Archived 2020-11-27 at the Wayback Machine at weltfussballarchiv.com
• Zimbru Chișinău supporters website – ”OASTEA FIARĂ”
• Profile at footballfacts.ru (in Russian)