Igor Țîgîrlaș

Igor Țîgîrlaș
	Tîgîrlaș with Ventspils in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	24 February 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Chișinău, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	FC Stăuceni
Youth career
2000–2002	Sheriff Tiraspol
2002–2004	Shakhtar Donetsk
Senior career*
Years	Team
2002–2004	Shakhtar Donetsk
2002–2004	→ Shakhtar-2 Donetsk
2003–2004	→ Shakhtar-3 Donetsk
2005	Arsenal Kharkiv
2005–2007	Kharkiv
2007	→ Zimbru Chișinău (loan)
2007–2009	Ventspils
2010–2011	Metalurh Zaporizhya
2011	→ Chornomorets Odesa (loan)
2011–2012	Chornomorets Odesa
2012	→ Ventspils (loan)
2012	Gomel
2013	Astana
2014–2015	Elektrotyazhmash Kharkiv
2015–2017	Zaria Bălți
2018	Zimbru Chișinău
2019	Poli Timișoara
2019	Zimbru Chișinău
2020–2022	Bălți
2022–	FC Stăuceni
International career‡
2003–2006	Moldova U21
2007–2017	Moldova
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 May 2022; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2017

Igor Țîgîrlaș (born 24 February 1984) is a Moldovan football midfielder.^[1] He has also played for the Moldova national football team.^[2]

Career

Igor Țîgîrlaș started his football career at the Youth Football School in Chișinău. His first coaches were Nikolay Esin and Anatolii Nesmeyanov. At 16 years old he was invited to the Moldova U-17 team, which participated at "Football Federation of Moldova Cup". Having scored 2 goals and making 2 assists in three matches, and showing excellent performance, after the tournament he was invited by the Moldovan Champions - Sheriff Tiraspol.

Țîgîrlaș played 2 years for Sheriff's second team and in so doing drew the attention of Shakhtar Donetsk. He signed the contract with Ukrainian giant, and at the same time secured himself a starter spot on the Moldova U-21 team, for whom he played more than 20 matches.

In 2005 Țîgîrlaș spent first part of the year in Arsenal Kharkiv and then he was transferred to another Ukrainian team – FC Kharkiv, where, thanks to his universalism (Țîgîrlaș is able to play on the right or left flank, forward or offense), he has been one of important players of the team. After Vladimir Bessonov was named new head coach of FC Kharkiv, the club parted with Țîgîrlaș and most of the other foreign players.

In the Spring of 2007, Igor Țîgîrlaș came to Zimbru Chişinău on loan from FC Kharkiv. He played 10 matches in the Moldovan championship, scored 1 goal and made 9 assists. In the Moldova Cup final, Zimbru won against Nistru, and Țîgîrlaș won the first trophy of his career. Despite playing at Zimbru for only 3 months, at the end of the year, he was included in the symbolic "Zimbru 2006/07 Ideal Team". ».^[3]

Igor Țîgîrlaș was to win two more trophies in 2007. In the Summer, the Latvian champions, FK Ventspils, bought his transfer from FC Kharkiv. With FK Ventspils, Țîgîrlaș won both the Latvian championship and the Latvian Cup. He also played in the Baltic League final. He helped FK Ventspils to catch up with then leaders, Liepājas Metalurgs, despite 14 points handicap, and scored a crucial goal in a head-to-head match between the teams.

In 2009, his goal against BATE Borisov helped Ventspils to reach the Play-off Round of the UEFA Champions League and eventually play in UEFA Europa League group stage after losing to FC Zurich, against whom Țîgîrlaș also scored.

In February 2010, he joined Metalurh Zaporizhya in Ukraine. On 26 February 2011, it was announced that Țîgîrlaș joined Chornomorets on a 6-month loan from FC Metalurh Zaporizhya, with the right to purchase at the end of the season.^[4] This right was exercised in June, 2011, and Țîgîrlaș joined Chornomorets on a permanent basis.

Before the start of the 2012 season Igor was loaned to the Latvian Higher League club FK Ventspils.^[5] In June 2012 his contract with Chornomorets ended.^[6]

In February 2013, Țîgîrlaș signed for Kazakhstan Premier League club FC Astana.^[7]

Champions League

In the same 2007 year Țîgîrlaș debuted in UEFA Champions League, where he played 4 matches. In the 1st qualifying round FK Ventspils won against Wales champions - TNK, in the 2nd round Latvian team was eliminated by "Red Bull-Salzburg" (Austria). In 2008/2009 season FK Ventspils was close to 3rd qualifying round of Champions League but lost to SK Brann.

Moldova National team

Until 2006 Igor Țîgîrlaș was key player of Moldova U-21 team, for which he played 21 matches. In 2007 Țîgîrlaș was invited for the first time to National team of Moldova.