FC Tiraspol was a Moldovan football club based in Tiraspol, Moldova. They played in the Divizia Naà £ionalÃÂ, the top division in Moldovan football.
Founded in 1992 as Constructorul ChiÃÂinÃÂu, it entered the Moldovan National Division in the 1995âÂÂ96 season, winning its only title in the 1996âÂÂ97 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.
The side was founded in 1992 as Constructorul ChiÃÂinÃÂu, and played in ChiÃÂinÃÂu, the Moldovan capital. It entered the Moldovan National Division in the 1995âÂÂ96 season. Constructorul won their first silverware, the 1996 Moldovan Cup with a 2âÂÂ1 win over Tiligul Tiraspol, and the next season won their only Moldovan National Division title by denying city rivals Zimbru ChiÃÂinÃÂu 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 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate in the first qualifying round. In 2000, Constructorul won their second Cup, by beating Zimbru 1âÂÂ0 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 (1947âÂÂ2000), 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.
Before the 2001âÂÂ02 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 ChiÃÂinÃÂu.
The only major European campaign since leaving ChiÃÂinÃÂu was the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. The club defeated Armenian team Shirak in the first qualifying round (4âÂÂ1 on aggregate) before a 5âÂÂ1 aggregate elimination by Metalurh Donetsk of Ukraine in the next round.
Until 2001, the club was known as Constructorul ChiÃÂinÃÂu, in 2001âÂÂ02 as Constructorul Cioburciu, and FC Tiraspol since 2002.