Serghei Cleșcenco Explained

Serghei Cleșcenco
Birth Date:	1972 5, df=yes
Birth Place:	Criuleni, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
Currentclub:	Moldova (head coach)
Position:	Forward
Years1:	1990
Years2:	1990–1992
Years3:	1992–1996
Years4:	1996–1997
Years5:	1997–1998
Years6:	1998
Years7:	1998–1999
Years8:	1999–2001
Years9:	2001–2003
Years10:	2003
Years11:	2003–2004
Years12:	2004–2005
Years13:	2005–2006
Years14:	2007–2008
Clubs1:	Spartak Oryol
Clubs2:	Nistru Chișinău
Clubs3:	Zimbru Chișinău
Clubs4:	Go Ahead Eagles
Clubs5:	Zimbru Chișinău
Clubs6:	Zenit St. Petersburg
Clubs7:	Zimbru Chișinău
Clubs8:	Maccabi Haifa
Clubs9:	Hapoel Tel Aviv
Clubs10:	Chernomorets Novorossiysk
Clubs11:	Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv
Clubs12:	Zimbru Chișinău
Clubs13:	Sibir Novosibirsk
Clubs14:	Metallurg-Kuzbass Novokuznetsk
Caps1:	14
Goals1:	1
Caps2:	23
Goals2:	1
Caps3:	131
Goals3:	40
Caps4:	62
Goals4:	9
Caps5:	20
Goals5:	25
Caps6:	6
Goals6:	0
Caps7:	8
Goals7:	0
Caps8:	102
Goals8:	42
Caps9:	62
Goals9:	22
Caps10:	6
Goals10:	0
Caps11:	14
Goals11:	1
Caps12:	18
Goals12:	1
Caps13:	44
Goals13:	8
Caps14:	33
Goals14:	1
Totalcaps:	543
Totalgoals:	151
Nationalyears1:	1991–2006^[1]
Nationalteam1:	Moldova
Nationalcaps1:	69
Nationalgoals1:	11
Manageryears1:	2008–2010
Managerclubs1:	Moldova U17
Manageryears2:	2010–2011
Managerclubs2:	Moldova U19
Manageryears3:	2011–2012
Managerclubs3:	Milsami Orhei
Manageryears4:	2012
Managerclubs4:	Milsami Orhei (assistant)
Manageryears5:	2013
Managerclubs5:	Zimbru Chișinău (executive assistant)
Manageryears6:	2013
Managerclubs6:	Zimbru Chișinău
Manageryears7:	2013–2015
Managerclubs7:	Zimbru Chișinău (executive assistant)
Manageryears8:	2015–2017
Managerclubs8:	União Leiria (assistant)
Manageryears9:	2017
Managerclubs9:	União Leiria (caretaker)
Manageryears10:	2017
Managerclubs10:	Rostov (assistant)
Manageryears11:	2019–2020
Managerclubs11:	Moldova U21
Manageryears12:	2019–2021
Managerclubs12:	Moldova (assistant)
Manageryears13:	2021
Managerclubs13:	Moldova U21 (caretaker)
Manageryears14:	2021–
Managerclubs14:	Moldova

Serghei Cleșcenco (in Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan pronounced as /kleʃˈtʃeŋko/; born 20 May 1972) is a Moldovan football coach and a former player. He is the manager of the Moldova national team, for which he held the records for most goals and most appearances as a player.

He holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season by a foreigner in Israel. He is a former manager of Zimbru Chișinău, where he also spent large parts of his playing career.

Playing career

After a successful period with Zimbru Chișinău, Cleșcenco was taken on trial by English club Watford in early 1998. He impressed, but work permit issues, along with Zimbru Chișinău asking for too much money prevented the deal from going through.^[2]

In 1999, Cleșcenco joined Maccabi Haifa. It was one of the most successful starts ever for a foreigner in Israel as he bagged 22 goals in his first season topping the record set by Polish striker Andrzej Kubica for most goals scored by a foreigner in Israel in a single season. After another strong season in Haifa, he moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. He scored one of the goals as they memorably knocked out Chelsea.^[3]

Aged 19, Cleșcenco made his international debut as a substitution in Moldova's first official match, a 2–4 loss against Georgia in 1991. In a 2006 friendly against Lithuania he scored his 11th and last goal for the national team, remaining Moldova's top goalscorer until 2023. In the same year, he made his 69th and last appearance for Moldova against Bosnia and Herzegovina in UEFA Euro 2008 qualification, which was another record at the time.^[1]

Managerial career

Cleșcenco started his managerial career in 2008 at Moldova under-16 and under-17 teams. He led the Moldova under-19 team to 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship elite qualification.^[4]

Between 2019 and 2021, Cleșcenco was an assistant coach to Engin Fırat and Roberto Bordin at Moldova's national team. He became the head coach on 3 December 2021. He debuted in a match against Kazakhstan in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League relegation play-outs. The Moldovans lost at penalties and were relegated to 2022–23 UEFA Nations League D. Moldova placed second in its group, being tied to points with Latvia, but had a lower goal difference, failing to achieve promotion.

In UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Moldova obtained a historic shock 3–2 comeback win over Poland. Moldova acquired ten points in a group of five, and also were undefeated at home throughout the qualification. However, the Moldovans did not achieve qualification.

Personal life

Cleșcenco's son, Nicky Cleșcenco, is also a footballer who has appeared for the Moldova national team.^[5]

International goals

Scores and results list Moldova's goal tally first.^[6]

!scope=col
Date	scope=col	Venue	scope=col	Opponent	scope=col	Score	scope=col	Result	scope=col	Competition
	1 September 1994			1–0	2–1	Friendly
	1 September 1994			2–0		Friendly
	16 November 1994			1–1	1–4	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
	7 June 1995	Stadionul Republican, Chișinău		2–1	2–3	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
	10 November 1996			1–2	1–2	1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier
	20 August 1998			1–0	1–0	Friendly
	18 August 1999			1–1	1–1	Friendly
	26 April 2000			1–0	1–0	Friendly
	1 September 2001	Stadionul Republican, Chișinău		1–0	2–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
	5 September 2001			1–0	2–4	2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
	16 August 2006	Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău		3–2	3–2	Friendly