Fotbal Club Sheriff Founded: 04.04.1997
Home city: Tiraspol, Moldova (200 000 inhabitants)
Stadium: Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena
Capacity: 13 000
Suit colours: Yellow shirt, black shorts
Merits: 4 league and 3 cup gold
Coach: Leonid Kuchuk
Top scorer 03/04: Andrei Nesteruc, 10 goals in 28 matches
Official homepage UEFA.com: Sheriff Sheriff in e-cup
Sheriff were favourites against the Luxembourg amateurs, and as expected won the combined 1st qualifying leg. The 2-0 victory at home was ok, but Wednesday's 0-1 against Jeunesse Esch is proof that the squad isn't in shape.
An important reason is of course that the home league has not yet started. The last match of the 2003/04-season was played at June 13th, and the league doesn't start until a month - Sat Aug 21st.
Another important fact is that most of the team's stars have left the club. After Sheriff won the "Union Cup" in ex-Soviet, January 2003, several clubs noticed the players. Russian clubs especially have shopped Sheriff's for their use. Lately, the most merited player - midfielder Stanislav Ivanov - went to FC Moscow (earlier Torpedo Metallurg), while the Nigerian star defender Chidi Odiah was sold to CSKA Moscow.
"Sheriff is no doubt weakened. If Rosenborg had met the team that won the Union Cup, RBK could have lost, but now I only hope that Sheriff does not lose by more than two goals," the FC Sheriff-supporter "Serega" states in rbkweb.com's forum.
Rosenborg faces Sheriff at Lerkendal at July 28th, while the away leg will be played in Tiraspol at Aug 4th. Norwegian broadcaster TV3 shows both games in the 2nd qualifying stage.
About FC Sheriff The immensely wealthy businessman Victor Gushan, owner of the Sheriff consortium in Moldova, wanted his own football club - a dream shared with certain other ex-Soviet noveau riche's, and Gushan's dream came true in 1997.
The new club advanced to the premier division on first try, and has since been the dominating club in Moldova. Sheriff has four league titles in a row, and three cup titles at that.
Almighty owner Gushan has spent millions. Among other things, he has purchased players from Brasil (Norbrego de Lima) and Panama (Roberto Brown). Not the least, he has paid for a new posh stadium: Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena was finished in 2002 and takes 13 000 spectators.
BOLSHAYA SPORTIVNAYA ARENA: Where RBK will play on the 4th of August.
Previous season one won the league a comfortable eight points ahead of Nistru Otaci. But at May 30th Sheriff lost the cup final 1-2 against Zimbru Chisinau, who finished third in the league. No "double" this time.
Sheriff made their debut in the European cups autumn 1999, and has played 16 games so far: four victories, five draws and seven losses. Last year, Flora Tallin (with now-Vålerenga Oslo player Tor Henning Hamre) was beat 2-1 in the 1st qualifying stage for the Champions League. The second stage gave Shakhtar Donetsk as opponent, and Sheriff did ok: At home they managed 0-0, but had to endure a 0-2 loss in the away leg.
