First Moldovan Club Qualifies for Champions League Group Stage

Moldovan football club Sheriff Tiraspol went through to the UEFA Champions League group stage after a goalless draw on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their tie against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. In the previous game in Tiraspol, Sheriff won 3-0.

"After we defeated them 3-0 in Tiraspol, Dinamo's coach declared that they will not need penalties and will beat us in regular time. I didn't even need to motivate the team with these words," said Sheriff Tiraspol's coach, Yuri Vernydub.

Sheriff Tiraspol are now one of the last 32 clubs in the high-profile, lucrative European competition. Progress to the group stage will secure the club at least 17 million euros.

Sheriff will find out who they will play in the Champions League group stage on Thursday night when the draw held is made in Istanbul, Turkey.

The team is officially based in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria, and is owned by controversial businessman Viktor Gushan.

Gushan runs the most prominent business on the left bank of the Dniester River - Sheriff Holding - and has a significant influence on the politics of the breakaway region.

Sheriff Tiraspol Football Club was founded in 1997, and it affiliated with the Moldovan Football Federation to participate in international competitions. For years, the club has dominated the Moldova's domestic football championship.

However, in Sheriff's first team on Wednesday night, there was only one player who has Moldovan citizenship - Brazilian-born Henrique Luvannor.

Sheriff Holding controls the main economic activities in the breakaway region of Transnistria, involving wholesale and retail food, fuels, medicines and other products. It is also involved in trading in cars, construction and real estate.