The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions.
With the first qualifying round draws two weeks away, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive country coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs discussed.
In these articles, we will provide an analyses of what to expect from each UEFA nation. We will all explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding.
In what is now the third article in this series, we take a deep dive into Moldova.
Moldova In Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 2.000 (30th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 13.125 (31st) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 12.375 (30th) |
Moldova seemed to fall back down to earth in the 2023/24 European season, after two excellent campaigns. The country’s biggest club, Sheriff Tiraspol, finished bottom of their Europa League section, failing to win a single match. That left Moldova with just 2.000 points on the year – a far cry from the 5.250 points they earned in 2021/22.
Now a new season is on the horizon, and this could be a really good one for Moldovan football. Play their cards right, and they will solidify their spot in the top 30 in UEFA’s five-year country coefficient. If they have another year like they did in the first season of the Conference League, maybe 29th could become attainable.
Moldova In Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| Petrocub | Domestic Champion | UCL Q1 | 7 | UECL Q2 | 7.000 | 1.250 (9.52%) |
| Sheriff Tiraspol | Domestic Runner-up | UEL Q1 | 26 | UEL Group Stage | 20.000 | 10.000 (76.19%) |
| Zimbru Chisinau | Domestic Third Place | UECL Q2, Main Path | 19 | UECL Q2 | 2.625 | 0.375 (2.86%) |
| Milsami Orhei | Domestic Fourth Place | UECL Q1 | 11 | UECL Q1 | 5.000 | 1.000 (7.62%) |
As was the case last term, the same four clubs will represent Moldova on the continental scene. But, there is a big change: Sheriff will not be the side in the Champions League. Instead, it is Petrocub who will. The side from Hîncești won the league title last May. This will be their seventh European season, all in a row. This time, they will enter the first qualifying round of the UCL, where they will be seeded.
Sheriff was quite lucky to end up in the Europa League qualifiers. Having taken second from Zimbru Chișinău, they had to rely on Petrocub winning the domestic double, which they did. Thus, Sheriff will enter the Q1 of the UEL. Making a league phase requires Sheriff to progress from three rounds of qualifying. They will be seeded throughout UEL qualifying, which should make it easier for them.
Zimbru enters Q2 of the Conference League, having twice thrown away a shot at Europa League qualifiers. They have only made it beyond that stage in Europe twice, the last time coming a decade ago. They will be unseeded in the Q2 draw, which will likely make things a lot more difficult for them.
Finally, Milsami Orhei rounds out the Moldovan representatives for next season. The side who finished fourth starts their European campaign in Q1 of the UECL. They have commenced at that stage in each of the last three seasons, twice progressing to Q2. Yet, they seldom went further. As this is their seventh continental showing in the last nine years, they will look to get back to Q3, something they have done twice in the past.
Season Ambitions
Moldova starts the year in 30th spot, 2.125 points behind Romania for 29th place. They do have several countries within touching distance of them, including a couple below them. However, for Moldova, the aim should be to continue on an upward trajectory.
Realistically, Moldova should be pushing for 29th place, which allows both Conference League sides to enter Q2. Looking at the teams they have in Europe, and where they start, Moldovan football fans have reason to believe their country can push further up the rankings.
What a Successful Season Would Be for Moldovan Football
Only one club from Moldova has ever competed in a group stage. Of course, that is Sheriff, who has done so on seven occasions. This year presents a massive opportunity for that to change, as Petrocub is in the Champions League. Moreover, it is not unfathomable that Moldova ends up with multiple league phase spots.
So, a successful season is having at least one team in the league phase, with Petrocub and Sheriff being the two with the biggest chance of achieving that. Do that, and it will surely be a record-breaking year for Moldova’s coefficient. If Zimbru and Milsami also chip in with some points, then it will be a very good year for Moldova.
What to Expect From Moldova in 2024/25
The best way to put it is this: it will either be a very good year in Europe for Moldovan football, or a very bad one. While there is a middle ground, it feels like that is unlikely.
This will probably be the best chance the country will have to end up with two teams in a league phase. Sheriff will likely go back to dominating the domestic league after this, so if Petrocub fails to at least make the UECL proper, that is a huge chance gone.
However, there is reason to believe that the country could have a very big year seeing each club’s starting position. The chance of them having at least one team playing European football in the fall is rather high. Two teams feels quite possible as well.
Add in the fact that the country’s four biggest contributors to the coefficient are all in Europe, and that creates the recipe for something special. Finishing 29th will still be difficult for them, but do not count Moldova out in this regard. They can definitely snatch that spot away from the likes of Romania and Bulgaria. If Moldova does so, they certainly will have earned it. Will it happen? Probably not, but do not count them out.