Trio face tussle for bronze

By Miron Goihman

With only a handful of games still to be played, the big issues of the Moldovan season have long since been decided, with FC Sheriff claiming a fifth consecutive title and FC Nistru Otaci securing second place, having also won the Moldovan Cup for the first time in five attempts.

Bronze battle
That combination of results mean the team finishing third in the league will also qualify for the UEFA Cup. At the moment CSF Zimbru Chisinau, FC Dacia Chisinau and FC Tiraspol can all take third spot, with Tiraspol currently in pole position on 41 points.

Remaining matches
All three sides have two matches remaining, with Tiraspol travelling to Dacia on Wednesday while Zimbru visit champions Sheriff. If those fixtures do not settle the matter, Zimbru play Dacia on the final day while Tiraspol take on lowly FC Unisport-Auto Chisinau.

Tiligul mourning
FC Tiligul Tiraspol are out of the running for third place and are also recovering from the news that one of their best ever coaches, Eugen Shinkarenko, died on 3 June. A one-club man, Shinkarenko served Tiligul in a number of capacities and brought them the best results in their history.

Heroes abroad
While Moldova's national team continue to struggle in FIFA World Cup qualifying, some local players have been celebrating success abroad with their clubs. Goalkeeper Evgheni Hmaruc helped PFC CSKA Sofia win the Bulgarian title while Vladislav Lungu claimed the Slovenian title with NK Gorica.