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FC Sheriff Tiraspol made headlines for being the first club from Moldova (Transnistria) to make the Champions League group stage. I don’t think anyone realized how much of a gold mine this team is until the club’s historic 2-0 home victory against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Sheriff may be one of the most rag tag teams to play in the competition (trust me there have been some obscure clubs), but that didn’t stop the minnows from three points in the opener. The club didn’t even have a shirt sponsor on the kits this season.
Debutants Sheriff secure historic win! #UCL pic.twitter.com/W0Dhr08Uyj
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 15, 2021
Zero of the players who started against Shakhtar were Moldovan. The starting XI featured a hodgepodge of players from Brazil, Greece, Colombia, Ghana, Uzbekistan, Luxembourg, Peru and Mali.
Sheriff, the first club from Moldova to play in the #UCL, had a starting XI with no one from Moldova:
GK
LB
CB
CB
RB
LM
CM
RM
LW
ST
RW— David Moore (@RunDavidMoore) September 15, 2021
Sheriff’s star player was the Brazilian left back … Cristiano. What a name to have. He assisted Sheriff’s first-ever Champions League goal with a cross to … Adama Traoré. Is this a sequel to Jordan Peele’s “Us” or something? What’s going on with all the doppelgängers?
ADAMA TRAORE SCORES THE FIRST EVER #UCL GOAL FOR SHERIFF.
THE FIRST FROM A TEAM FROM MOLDOVA pic.twitter.com/jiDQ3uhThY— UCL on Paramount+ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 15, 2021
This Cristiano Sheriff guy wasn’t playing around and helped provide Sheriff’s second goal with a beautiful ball to Momo Yansané who we can call Sané for short. More doppelgängers!
THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN. pic.twitter.com/FP1rwH9FCu
— UCL on Paramount+ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 15, 2021
Cristiano has been a Brazilian journey man. The 28-year-old had been loaned out to six different Brazilian clubs before making Moldova his new home in 2017. He looked sharp against Shakhtar and could be leaving Moldova if any bigger clubs think of snagging him.
Sheriff’s next Champions League game will have a higher degree of difficulty as the minnows will have to play Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu. Good luck with that, Sheriff, but for now celebrate this win.
SHERIFF WIN THEIR FIRST #UCL MATCH pic.twitter.com/fF3pkFsAaz
— UCL on Paramount+ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 15, 2021
