FC Petrocub Hîncești

Fotbal Club Petrocub Hîncești, commonly known as Petrocub Hîncești (PET-roe-kub hin-CHESHT), or simply Petrocub, is a Moldovan professional football club from Hîncești. They play in the Super Liga, the top tier of Moldovan football.^[1] Its home ground is the Municipal Stadium in Hîncești.

Petrocub Hîncești

Full name	Fotbal Club Petrocub Hîncești
Nickname(s)	Alb-negrii (The White-Blacks) Leii din Hîncești (The Hîncești Lions)
Founded	27 November 1999; 25 years ago (1999-11-27)
Ground	Municipal Hîncești
Capacity	1,100
President	Mihail Usatîi
Head coach	Eduard Blănuță
League	Super Liga
2023–24	Super Liga, 1st of 8 (champions)
Home colours Away colours
Current season

History

In January 2024, Petrocub Hîncești entered into a partnership with an unnamed investment company, which also saw former Asante Kotoko CEO, Nana Yaw Amponsah, being named as the new President of the club.^[2] On 18 May 2024, after a 4–1 victory over Zimbru Chișinău, Petrocub Hîncești have been declared champions of the Super Liga for the first time in their history.

On 13 August 2024, after winning their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against The New Saints, they advanced to the play-off round. However, they were ultimately defeated by Ludogorets Razgrad, which moved them down to the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, making them only the second Moldovan team to reach the group or league stage of a UEFA club competition.

Club names

1994 – founded as Petroclub-Condor Sărata-Galbenă
1995 – renamed Spicul Sărata-Galbenă
1998 – renamed Petrocub-Spicul Sărata-Galbenă
2000 – renamed Petrocub-Condor Sărata-Galbenă
2001 – renamed FC Hîncești
2005 – renamed Petrocub Sărata-Galbenă
2013 – renamed Rapid-2 Petrocub
2015 – renamed FC Petrocub Hîncești

Emblem

Since, their symbol used to always looks like the Black-White logo, as their 2nd emblem is Salty-Yellow (Noble Knight (Cool shade of blue), Red, and Green. Same as the Black and White logo).

Honours

• Super Liga
  • Winners: 2023–24
• Cupa Moldovei
  • Winners: 2019–20, 2023–24
• Divizia B
  • Winners: 2004–05, 2013–14

Current squad

As of 5 March 2025^[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  MDA Silviu Șmalenea 5 DF  MDA Veaceslav Posmac 6 MF  SEN Boubacar Diallo 7 FW  MDA Dan Spătaru 8 MF  MDA Dumitru Demian 9 FW  MDA Vladimir Ambros (captain) 11 MF  MDA Sergiu Plătică 15 FW  MDA Petru Popescu 17 MF  MDA Cristian Păscăluță 19 MF  MDA Mihai Plătică 20 MF  CMR Donalio Melachio Douanla 21 DF  MDA Maxim Potîrniche 22 FW  MDA Marin Căruntu 23 MF  MDA Mihai Lupan

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 DF  CMR Cedric Ngah 29 DF  MDA Alexandru Gutium 31 GK  MDA Victor Dodon 32 GK  MDA Dumitru Coval 37 MF  MDA Dan Pușcaș 39 MF  MDA Teodor Lungu 44 MF  CMR Jessie Guera Djou 55 DF  GHA Manuel Nana Agyemang 66 DF  MDA Ion Borș 71 MF  MDA Dumitru Bivol 79 MF  MDA Victor Bogaciuc 90 DF  MDA Ion Jardan 99 FW  RUS Artyom Bykovsky (on loan from Spartak Moscow)

European record

As of match played on 19 December 2024

Competition	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	GF	GA	GD	Win%
UEFA Champions League	4	1	2	1	2	2	+0	025.00
UEFA Europa League	9	1	2	6	4	13	−9	011.11
UEFA Conference League	18	3	5	10	12	29	−17	016.67
Total	31	5	9	17	18	44	−26	016.13

Legend: GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	Osijek	1−1	1–2	2–3
2019–20	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	AEK Larnaca	0–1	0–1	0–2
2020–21	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	TSC	0–2	—	—
2021–22	UEFA Europa Conference League	First qualifying round	Sileks	1−0	1−1	2–1
		Second qualifying round	Sivasspor	0–1	0–1	0–2
2022–23	UEFA Europa Conference League	First qualifying round	Floriana	1−0	0−0	1–0
		Second qualifying round	Laçi	0−0	4−1	4−1
		Third qualifying round	Fehérvár	1–2	0–5	1–7
2023–24	UEFA Europa Conference League	Second qualifying round	Maccabi Tel Aviv	0–2	0–3	0−5
2024–25	UEFA Champions League	First qualifying round	Ordabasy	1−0	0−0	1−0
		Second qualifying round	APOEL	1−1	0–1	1−2
	UEFA Europa League	Third qualifying round	The New Saints	1−0	0−0	1−0
		Play-off round	Ludogorets Razgrad	1–2	0–4	1−6
	UEFA Conference League	League phase	Pafos	1–4	—	36th
			Jagiellonia Białystok	—	0–2
			Rapid Wien	0–3	—
			İstanbul Başakşehir	—	1−1
			Real Betis	0–1	—
			Heart of Midlothian	—	2−2

UEFA rankings

As of 17 February 2025, Petrocub Hîncești is ranked 177th in the UEFA club coefficient rankings.

Rank	Team	Points
175	Alanyaspor	8.580
176	Pyunik	8.500
177	Petrocub Hîncești	8.500
178	Spartak Trnava	8.500
179	Linfield	8.500

Source

Recent seasons

Season	League									Cup	Super Cup	Europe		Top scorer (league)	Ref
	Division	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
2013–14	Divizia B (South)	↑ 1st	16	13	0	3	45	12	39	—		—			[4]
2014–15	Divizia A	↑ 2nd	22	13	6	3	55	21	45	Round of 16	—	—		Vladimir Ambros (25)	[5]
2015–16	Divizia Națională	8th	27	6	3	18	21	53	21	Round of 16	—	—		Roman Șumchin (7)	[6]
2016–17	Divizia Națională	6th	30	8	10	12	31	38	34	Semi-finals	—	—			[7]
2017	Divizia Națională	3rd	18	7	5	6	25	16	26	Semi-finals	—	—		Vladimir Ambros (9)	[8]
2018	Divizia Națională	3rd	28	12	9	7	38	28	45	Quarter-finals	—	EL	1Q	Vladimir Ambros (12)	[9]
2019	Divizia Națională	3rd	28	14	8	6	34	21	50	Winners	—	EL	1Q	Vadim Gulceac (6) Dan Taras (6)	[10]
2020–21	Divizia Națională	2nd	36	25	8	3	82	18	83	Semi-finals	—	EL	1Q	Sergiu Plătică (11)	[11]
2021–22	Divizia Națională	2nd	28	20	4	4	62	20	64	Quarter-finals	—	ECL	2Q	Vladimir Ambros (17)	[12]
2022–23	Super Liga	2nd	24	14	6	4	36	17	48	Semi-finals	—	ECL	3Q	Marius Iosipoi (7)	[13]
2023–24	Super Liga	1st	24	15	7	2	59	12	52	Winners	—	ECL	2Q	Vladimir Ambros (10) Mihai Plătică (10)