Learn more about our Conference League Round of 16 opponents.

PARTIZAN BELGRADE SEEN OFF

The Moldovan outfit started in the Europa League group stage, with Roberto Bordin's team switching to the Conference League after finishing third in Group E behind Real Sociedad and Manchester United.

They then defeated Partizan Belgrade, who'd finished runners-up to Le Gym in the group stage, in the play-off. Beaten (0-1) in the first leg, they won 3-1 on Thursday thanks notably to a brace from Mouhamed Diop. It means there is a Moldovan club in the last 16 of a European competition for the very first time.

They are also top of the league after the first half of the domestic season. The club, founded in 1997, has already won the national title 20 times.

Europa League

MD1: Omonia Nicosia 0-3 Sheriff Tiraspol
MD2: Sheriff Tiraspol 0-2 Manchester United
MD3: Sheriff Tiraspol 0-2 Real Sociedad
MD4: Real Sociedad 3-0 Sheriff Tiraspol
MD5: Manchester United 3-0 Sheriff Tiraspol
MD6: Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 Omonia Nicosia

Conference League play-off round

1st leg: Sheriff Tiraspol 0-1 Partizan Belgrade
2nd leg: Partizan Belgrade 1-3 Sheriff Tiraspol

THEY BEAT REAL MADRID

For many football fans, Sheriff's name will be synonymous with what happened on 28 September 2021. In the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history, Sheriff won 2-1 against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, propelling the club into the limelight.

SHERIFF DON'T PLAY AT HOME

Sheriff – founded by the eponymous company – play in Tiraspol, lthe capital of Transnistria, an area of geopolitical turmoil since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. An escalation a year ago means UEFA took the decision in June 2022 to move Sheriff's home games: "Given the escalation of the military conflict that has led to the invasion of Ukrainian territory by the Russian army, UEFA's Executive Committee today decided that no UEFA competition games will be played in the region of Transnistria until further notice."

That means that this season, Sheriff have played all their European games at the Zimbru Stadium, a 10,000 capacity venue located in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, some 75km from Tiraspol.

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