Sirbu walks out on Zimbru

Coach Serghey Sirbu and his assistants have parted company with Moldovan top-flight team CSF Zimbru Chisinau.

New faces
Sirbu and his assistants Boris Tropanet and Marian Ciobanu have left the club with Romanian coach George Niculescu being drafted in as the new coach. He will be assisted by Alexandr Curtian, who recently ended his playing career and has been working with the Zimbru reserve team for about six weeks.

European challenge
Sirbu was appointed as Zimbru coach at the start of the season, drafting several players into the first team who had previously worked with him in Zimbru's reserves. His side reached the first round of the UEFA Cup after a win against Bulgaria's PFC Litex Lovech but were knocked out by Greece's FC Aris Thessaloniki.

League form
However, of more concern to the club's directors was the form Sirbu's side showed in domestic football. With 17 points from their first eleven games of the season, the Chisinau side had slipped to fifth place in the Moldovan First Division and stand little chance of challenging FC Sheriff of Tiraspol for the title.