Zimbru Ahead of the Match Against Noah: Former Pyunik and Ararat Players, the Son of a Brazil Star and 17 Foreigners

Noah will face Moldovan side Zimbru Chișinău today. The Moldovan club is significantly inferior to the Armenian team in terms of financial resources and overall squad quality, but it still has several well-known and interesting players.

Zimbru’s squad is valued at €4.36 million. By comparison, Noah’s squad is worth €12.65 million — almost three times as much. The Moldovan club also has 17 foreign players in its squad.

Former Armenian Premier League Players

Zimbru have two players who are already familiar to followers of Armenian football.

The 23-year-old Brazilian defender Marcelo spent one and a half seasons with Yerevan-based Ararat. He is now one of the regular starters for the Moldovan club.

Another familiar name is 33-year-old midfielder Eugeniu Cociuc, who represented Pyunik for three and a half seasons. He is particularly remembered for his impressive performances in European competitions. Cociuc also plays an important role at Zimbru and is the team captain.

Son of a Former Brazil Star

Zimbru’s squad also includes Matteo Amoroso, the son of renowned Brazilian striker Márcio Amoroso.

The elder Amoroso made 19 appearances for the Brazilian national team and scored nine goals. At club level, he played in Brazil, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece and Japan.

Matteo was born in Brazil but grew up and developed as a footballer in Italy, where his father spent a significant part of his career. The young forward has been highly productive for the Moldovan club and is one of the team’s most notable players.

Representatives of Panama and Curaçao

Two other Zimbru players represent national teams that participated in the 2026 World Cup.

They are Panamanian defender Kevin Berkele and Curaçao international Rayvien Rosario. However, neither player was included in his national team’s squad for the tournament.

One of Moldova’s Leading Internationals

Among Zimbru’s Moldovan players, Victor Stînă is perhaps the most notable. He has made 30 appearances for the Moldova national team and scored four goals.

Despite the significant difference between the market values of the two squads, Zimbru have experienced players, national-team representatives and foreign footballers who are familiar with the Armenian championship. Noah should therefore avoid underestimating the Moldovan side ahead of their meeting.