US Hostert

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 travel just northeast of Luxembourg City to cover the village club US Hostert.

History

We tend to speak of things on a smaller scale when it comes to Luxembourg, but the village of Hostert is small even by Luxembourgish standards, as it is home to just over 400 people. Thus, its football club has truly had to earn its place among the elite, as US Hostert are veterans of the Luxembourgish lower leagues.

For the first two and a half decades following the club's foundation in 1946, Hostert played in the fifth and lowest tier of Luxembourgish football, apart from a single season in the fourth tier in 1954-55 which resulted in relegation. The next time the club were promoted from the fifth tier in 1971, they turned that success into another promotion straight away. From 1973 to 2005, the club bounced between the third and fourth tiers.

That pattern was broken in 2006, as Hostert gained promotion to the second-tier Division of Honour for the first time. They were relegated the next season, but came straight back up from the third tier and finished an impressive 4th in 2009. Two seasons later and the club made an even bigger splash, finishing 3rd and earning the right to participate in the promotion/relegation playoff. It was against Wiltz 71 that Hostert made history, winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw and securing a magical promotion to the top flight.

The magic would be dispelled by a brutal 2011-12 National Division campaign that saw Hostert finish with only 8 points. In 2014-15 they returned but were relegated again, albeit putting together a much more respectable campaign with 23 points and finishing 13th instead of 14th.

Hostert gained promotion via the playoffs again in 2017, winning another grueling tie against Jeunesse Canach on penalties after a 2-2 draw. It was after this promotion that the club finally found stability in the top flight, finishing 8th in 2017-18. They participated in the playoffs again in 2019, this time as the side facing relegation after finishing 12th, but saw off the challenge of Swift Hesperange with a 2-0 win.

The past two seasons have seen no teams relegated from the National Division, but Hostert would have been safe regardless, finishing 11th and 9th. Thus, the team are currently playing in their fourth consecutive top-flight season.

Accomplishments

Hostert have never won a top-level title, and they have never won a Division of Honour title either, with each of the club's promotions coming following 2nd or 3rd placed finishes. Thus, their only trophies come from the lower reaches of the Luxembourgish pyramid.

However, Hostert came close to winning the Coupe du Luxembourg in 2018, reaching the final to complement their best-ever National Division finish of 8th. This time the luck didn't go their way on penalties, as following a 0-0 draw with Racing Luxembourg they lost 4-3 on spot kicks.

Stadium

Hostert play at the tiny Stade Jos Becker, which holds 1,500 people. The main stand is essentially a log cabin with an exposed wall, and the rest of the stadium is for standing. Surrounded by tall trees, the ground makes no secret of the club's lower league history and is sure to delight those looking for a truly local matchday experience.

This Season

With relegation again on the table, Hostert are fighting to keep their precious top-flight status. It is looking increasingly likely that they will have to win that status in a playoff, as they are currently in 14th- the second playoff place- and are five points behind 12th, a place which would guarantee safety. However, given their perfect record in past playoffs, Hostert will certainly not be afraid to play in them again.

Hostert's form has been rather up and down this season, with winning streaks immediately followed by losing streaks. They raided lowly Hamm Benfica for a 6-0 win early in the season, but were destroyed 7-0 by Racing Luxembourg a few weeks later. Currently they are on an awful run of form, as the club have not won a game since early February and picked up just three points in their last 10 matches. They will need to get consistently back in the win column in the last three games if they want to try to avoid the playoffs.

Hostert have relied on a trio of stars to aid their survival hopes this season. French striker Ryad Habbas leads the team with 11 goals, while fellow Frenchman Guillaume Trani has scored 9 and Belgian forward Deniz Muric has bagged 7.

For more information, visit the club's website.