Yuriy Vernydub: Sheriff Tiraspol manager 'not afraid' as he leaves Europa League side to fight in Ukraine
Six months ago Yuriy Vernydub was celebrating wildly at the Bernabeu. His Sheriff Tiraspol team had just produced one of the great Champions League shocks, beating Real Madrid 2-1.It was a seismic result for the Moldovan league winners, who come from Transnistria, a breakaway republic under heavy Russian influence. A triumph against the 13-time European champions was barely believable for a side who came through four rounds of qualifying to reach the group stage and did so on an annual budget of around £5m.
