FC Tiraspol was a Moldovan football club based in Tiraspol, Moldova. They played in the Divizia Naţională, the top division in Moldovan football.

Founded in 1992 as Constructorul Chișinău, it entered the Moldovan National Division in the 1995–96 season, winning its only title in the 1996–97 and Moldovan Cups in 1996 and 2000. The club then relocated in 2001 to Cioburciu before moving to Tiraspol the year after. Despite the latter two settlements being in the breakaway republic of Transnistria, their clubs play in the Moldovan league system.

History

Constructorul Chișinău

The side was founded in 1992 as Constructorul Chișinău, and played in Chișinău, the Moldovan capital. It entered the Moldovan National Division in the 1995–96 season. Constructorul won their first silverware, the 1996 Moldovan Cup with a 2–1 win over Tiligul Tiraspol, and the next season won their only Moldovan National Division title by denying city rivals Zimbru Chișinău a sixth consecutive triumph. The league triumph earned Constructorul a place in the 1997-98 UEFA Champions League, where they were knocked out by Belarusian club MPKC Mozyr 4–3 on aggregate in the first qualifying round. In 2000, Constructorul won their second Cup, by beating Zimbru 1–0 in the final on 24 May.

The club also participated in the UEFA Cup during the Constructorul era. In September 2000, the club was banned from appearing in European competitions for a year following a number of security breaches in a home match against Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.

The first FC Tiraspol chairman was Valeriu Rotari (1947–2000), a businessman accused of organized crime gang activities. Thanks to Rotari, the club managed to achieve his first National Division titles. The murder of Rotari on February 16, 2000, was one of the reasons the club's further performance was much worse than in the 1990s.

Move to Transnistria

Before the 2001–02 season, the club relocated to Cioburciu, a small village outside Tiraspol, the capital of the breakaway republic of Transnistria, and was renamed Constructorul Cioburciu. The following season, the club moved into Tiraspol and became its current entity. The club has not won a Cup or National Division title since leaving Chișinău.

The only major European campaign since leaving Chișinău was the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. The club defeated Armenian team Shirak in the first qualifying round (4–1 on aggregate) before a 5–1 aggregate elimination by Metalurh Donetsk of Ukraine in the next round.

Past crests

FC Constructorul Chişinău (1993–01)

Honours

List of seasons

Until 2001, the club was known as Constructorul Chișinău, in 2001–02 as Constructorul Cioburciu, and FC Tiraspol since 2002.

SeasonDivPosPlWDLGSGAPCupEuropeNotes
1993–943D1202000791140Round of 16Promoted
1994–952D13628441032088Quarter-finalistsPromoted
1995–961D3302424711674Winner
1996–971302631821081Round of 32CWC1st Round
1997–983261736543254Runner-upUCL1st qualifying round
1998–992261565301351Runner-upCWCqualifying round
1999–0033618117522365WinnerUCqualifying round
2000–014281099303039Semi-finalistsUCqualifying round
2001–0242810711364239Quarter-finalists
2002–035247512273826Semi-finalistsIntertoto1st Round
2003–044281297322245Quarter-finalists
2004–054281288412344Quarter-finalistsUC2nd qualifying round
2005–063288137242137Quarter-finalists
2006–07536101610373246Semi-finalistsIntertoto3rd Round
2007–084301677362155Semi-finalists
2008–097309516303632Semi-finalistsIntertoto2nd Round
2009–1093381015203434Quarter-finalists
2010–1173917616574557Quarter-finalists
2011–12633101211363242Quarter-finalists
2012–1333318105542064Winner
2013–142332193602772Quarter-finalistsUELRound 1
2014–154241428492844Semi-finalistsUELRound 1

European record

UEFA Champions League

SeasonRoundOpponentsHome legAway legAggregate
1997–981Belarus MPKC Mozyr1–12–33–4

UEFA Europa League

SeasonRoundOpponentsHome legAway legAggregate
1999–001Hungary Ferencváros1–11–32–4
2000–011Bulgaria CSKA Sofia2–30–82–11
2004–051Armenia Shirak2–12–04–1
2Ukraine Metalurh Donetsk1–20–31–5
2013–141Latvia Skonto FC0–11–01–1 (2–4 p)
2014–151Azerbaijan Inter Baku2–31–33–6

UEFA Intertoto Cup

SeasonRoundOpponentsHome legAway legAggregate
20021Czech Republic Synot0–00–40–4
20061Azerbaijan FK MKT Araz Imisli2–00–12–1
2Poland Lech Poznań3–11–04–1
3Austria SV Ried1–11–32–4
20081Armenia Mika0–02–22–2 (a)
2Ukraine Tavriya Simferopol0–01–31–3

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

SeasonRoundOpponentsHome legAway legAggregate
1996–971Israel Hapoel Iorni Rishon LeZion1–02–33–3 (a)
2Turkey Galatasaray0–10–40–5
1998–991Slovenia Rudar Velenje0–00–20–2

Managers

External links

  • (in Russian)
  • at DiviziaNationala.com (in Romanian) (archived)