Moldova
NATIONALDIVISION
NorthMacedonia
FIRSTFOOTBALLLEAGUE
NorthernIreland
PREMIERSHIP
Poland
EKSTRAKLASA
Romania
LIGAI
Russia
PREMIERLEAGUE
Scotland
PREMIERSHIP
LEAGUE
CHAMPIONS
TOP
SCORER
BESTOF
THEREST
Despitethemid-season
departure of manager
YuriyVernydub, who
wenttofightin Ukraine,
Sheriff Tiraspolwon
theirseventhtitleina row
underhisassistantDmytro
Kara-Mustafa, only
concedingeightgoals.
MoldovanstikerVladimir
Ambrosscored 17 goals
forrunners-upPetrocub,
whilehealsofinishedwith
themostassists- also17.
After stunningRealMadrid
inthe ChampionsLeague,
Sheriff lost on penalties
toBraga in theEuropa
League.InJanuary,
Florestiwereexcluded
fromtheMoldovantop
flightafterbeingfound
guiltyofmatchfixing.
Tenyearsaftertheywere
formedastheresultof
a mergerbetweentwo
clubs,andjustsevenyears
after beingpromotedto
thetopflight,FKShkupi
wontheirfirstleaguetitle,
havingfinished secondin
thepreviouscampaign.
RecruitedfromNigerian
sideRiversUnited
lastsummer,Sunday
Adetunjihittheground
runninginhisfirst season
withShkupi,scoring 20
goalsfor theleague
champions.
Second-tiersideSileks
hadanexceptional
season,winningtheir
ownleaguewith only
onelossallseason, and
reachingtheCup final
wheretheywerebeaten
onpenaltiesbyfirst
divisionoutfitMakedonija.
Cliftonvilletookthe title
racedowntothe wire by
goingunbeatenfortheir
last 1 6 games,withonlya
pointseparatingthemand
Linfieldonthe finalday.
ManagerDavidHealyheld
ontoguide histeamto
a fourthstraighttitle.
GlentoranduoJay
DonnellyandConor
McMenaminproved
themselvesasthe most
prolificstrikepartnership
inthe league,notching 25
and 20 goalsrespectively.
CrusaderswontheCup
indramaticfashion,first
scoringa 90th-minute
equaliserwith an assist
fromgoalkeeperJonny
Tuffey, in theboxfora
corner, thenstealinga
2-1 wininthelastminute
ofextra-time.
Withthreegamestogo,
Rakow Czestochowawere
inpolepositiontowin
theirfirst-everleaguetitle.
Yet adrawandadefeat
allowedLechPoznan,
whohad ledformostof
theseason,backintoseal
theirfirst titlesince 2015.
Rakow’s Spanishstriker
IviLopezproducedthe
bestseasonofhiscareer,
scoring 20 goalsfor
therunners-up,two
morethanLechPoznan’s
SwedishstrikerMikael
IshakandRadomiak
Radom’s KarolAngielski.
Rakow madeupfor
missingoutontheleague
bybeatingLechPoznanin
thePolishCup final,lifting
thetrophy forthesecond
yearina row.Fourteen-
timeleague winnersWisla
Krakow,meanwhile,were
relegated.
FCSBsaw thetitleslip
awayintheirpenultimate
gameofthe season,
conceding a late equaliser
toVoluntaritohandCluj
thetitle.Inthe nextgame,
FCSBbeatCluj3-1 to
finisha singlepoint
behindthem.
Forthesecondseason
ina row,FCSBcaptain
FlorinTanasefinished
asthe league’stopscorer,
scoring 20 goalsfroman
attackingmidfieldposition.
18 -timechampions
Dinamo Bucharestwent
downafter losingto
UniversitateaClujinthe
relegationplay-offs. They
joinGazMetan Mediaand
Academica,whowerehit
withpointsdeductions
forfinancialreasons.
Ina season thatwas
heavilydisruptedbythe
departuresofplayersand
coachesduetoRussia’s
invasionofUkraine,Zenit
remainedconsistent
enoughtolifttheirfourth
consecutive leaguetitle.
Ufa’s 21-year-oldstriker
Gamid Agalarovcaught
theeyebyscoring 19
goalsfor therelegation
strugglers,earninga
call-upfortheRussian
nationalteamandtransfer
linkstoNewcastle United.
Rubin Kazan’sseason
provedabsolutely
disastrousaftertheywere
relegated by a last-minute
defeatonthe finalday
ofthe season.
After missingoutonthe
historicten in a rowlast
season,Celticwentback
ontop aheadof 2021
championsRangers.The
twosides’ head-to-head
record provedkey:twoof
Rangers’three defeats
wereagainst Celtic.
Inhisfirst seasonsince
joiningCelticfromVVV
Venlolastsummer,
GreekforwardGiorgos
Giakoumakisscored
13 goalsin 21 matches,
placinghim levelwith Ross
CountymidfielderRegan
Charles-Cook.
Underformerplayer
Giovan Bronckhorst,who
replacedStevenGerrard
asmanagerinNovember,
Rangersprovedanadept
cupteam.Aswellas
reachingtheEuropa
Leaguefinal,theyalso
lifted theScottishFACup.
54 WORLDSOCCER
EUROSEASONREVIEW
