FC Wiltz 71

RTL Today has for some reason decided to assign the new intern (me) the task of outlining the accomplishments of every club playing in Luxembourg's top football league. It is a journey that will take us through 16 clubs and to every corner of this little country.

Today we reach our northernmost club, FC Wiltz 71.

History

Wiltz 71 was formed through a merger in 1971 between local clubs US Niederwiltz and Gold a Ro'd Wiltz, neither of which had any top-flight experience. 10 years after the merger, the club was promoted to the National Division for the first time. They finished a solid 7th in their first season at top level, but were relegated three seasons later in 1985.

Wiltz have generally been a "yo-yo" club for most of their history, as they have suffered many relegations from the National Division only to return within a few seasons. Their longest top-flight spell came between 1995 and 2001, during which they achieved a record high finish of 5th in 1997. A six-season spell between 2003 and 2008 saw them reach 5th again in 2006.

Wiltz's current spell in the National Division began under interesting circumstances, as they were one of the two teams promoted from the Division of Honour after the 2019-20 season was cut short due to Covid-19. No teams were relegated from the National Division that season, however, meaning the league expanded from 14 to 16 teams. The club secured an impressive 7th-placed finish as a promoted club last season, potentially setting the table for another successful spell in the league.

Accomplishments

As a result of their constant bouncing between leagues, Wiltz have amassed a significant collection of second-tier trophies. They have finished as champions of the Division of Honour four times, most recently in 2010.

Wiltz's best performance in the Coupe du Luxembourg came in 2001, a season in which they were relegated from the National Division but still managed to make the cup final. In one of the more entertaining cup finals in Luxembourgish history, Wiltz lost 5-3 to Etzella Ettelbruck, thus denying them a first-ever national trophy.

Stadium

Wiltz played at the Stade Géitz near the centre of town from 1971 to 2015, when the club decided to relocate to a new stadium in the nearby village of Weidingen, known as the Stade am Pëtz.

The new ground is unmistakably a modern construction, as the main stand is topped by a smooth wooden veneer. Owing to its location in northern Luxembourg, the stadium is surrounded by beautiful forest scenery as well as a tall hill. The Pëtz can house 3,000 people in total.

This Season

After their strong finish last season, Wiltz are fighting to avoid being dragged into a relegation playoff this time around. They started the season decently, but slipped into the bottom half of the table by September and have been in or around the relegation playoff places since.

Wiltz finally snapped a seven-game winless run with a huge victory over Rodange 91 on Sunday, which moved them above Hostert and four points away from total safety. With a game against rock bottom Hamm Benfica next, Wiltz will feel they already have another three points in the bag, but even with a win there they will need to take a least a point from either leaders F91 Dudelange or 5th-placed Progrés Niederkorn if they want to have a chance to avoid taking part in a deathmatch at the end of the season.

Wiltz have been led by the goalscoring heroics of soon-to-retire Bosnian striker Sanel Ibrahimović (no relation to Zlatan), who has tallied 10 goals this season. Belgian striker Mathieu Cornet has 7 goals and Bosnian attacking midfielder Edis Osmanović has 6 goals in support.

One last interesting tidbit about Wiltz is that they claim to wear the "greenest jersey in the world" in that their kits are made from coffee grounds and recycled plastic bottles. You can read more about the club's environmental efforts here.

For more information, visit the club's website.