Three games in the last eight days meant all National Division clubs were under immense scrutiny and pressure to deliver. The lack of trainings impacted the results and also the mood in the dressing room. Consequences followed…
David Vandenbroeck became the second manager to depart a BGL Ligue team this season, when Wiltz 71 announced the departure of the coach by mutual consent. The Belgian ended his playing career in the Ardennes in 2021, before becoming the manager of the club soon after.
Shortly before the third anniversary of his tenure, though, he is now a free agent, after Wiltz started the season in dismal form, often looking like a dysfunctional team without the required motivation and desire despite a strong roster.
After the seventh successive loss in the league (at the hands of 10-men Union Titus Pétange), sporting director Michaël Schenk decided it was time for a change, and relieved the manager and his assistant, Guy Libambu, of their duties, which they accepted.
Despite being one of the longest-serving bosses in the division, Vandenbroeck’s departure was imminent, and the following game (against Swift Hesper) was given to U23 manager Nesad Omerašević with a three-day notice. It proved to be a smooth transition for the caretaker, who managed to secure a clean sheet against the fiercest attacking force in the country, with the help of brilliant goalkeeper Ralph Schon.
Wiltz’s tight and organised defence proved as a perfect platform for their counter-attacking football built on explosive and skilful wingers, and a midfield adept at making the line-breaking passes required for this style of play. It presented the Northerners with many clear opportunities, although the 0-0 draw is still a heroic feat regardless of what could have been.
The draw also means that Omerašević will stay unbeaten in the BGL Ligue for a long time, as the identity of Vandenbroeck’s permanent replacement has already been revealed: former Marisca Mersch manager Mikhail Zaritsky will be taking the reins from this week onward, and will hope to reproduce some of the highs he has achieved at his previous club, notably reaching a cup final with a then-second-division team, and a historic promotion.
Chairman intervention leads to Herinckx resignation
Rodange’s manager, Frédéric Herinckx, has also announced his resignation after a respectable start to 2024/25 off the back of a successful promotion push last term.
Bidding farewell after a hard-fought 3-2 win against struggling Mondercange, it is clear Herinckx’s decision was not primarily influenced by results. According to him, he received clear instructions from the chairman regarding the upcoming match that was judged to be overstepping board jurisdictions. Herinckx felt that the board held too much influence over specific personnel and tactical decisions, leading him to leave immediately.
His replacement is not yet known, although the Rodange hierarchy has more than two weeks to prepare until the league restarts on 19 October following the international break. In the meantime, the team will face amateurs Jeunesse Schieren in the domestic cup, which is expected to be a relatively easy tie even with a temporary head coach in charge.
Rodange have accumulated eight points in nine games so far, placing them just outside the relegation play-off zone. Their next league game will be away at fellow bottom-half side Jeunesse Esch.
Fola Esch record historically disastrous week
In the eight days encapsulating three matchdays, Fola scored a single goal and conceded a shocking 14, making them the worst team to cope with the recent added workload.
A 6-1 defeat in Dudelange is excusable and will likely not put them at a disadvantage compared to their relegation rivals, but the twp 0-4 losses on either side of it – to Mondorf and Hostert respectively – will be exceptionally painful to swallow for Stefano Bensi’s men.
Talismanic goalkeeper Emanuel Cabral’s recent unavailability certainly left its mark on the team that often relied one-man jobs in defence to earn valuable points against some of the most toothless attacks in the division, let alone the actually threatening ones.
Their recent abysmal showings are not quite unprecedented in the previous 2.5 years since their financial downfall began, but there are more and more questions surrounding the club’s future after annually edging closer and closer to hitting unforeseen lows in the history of the oldest club of the country (established in 1906).
Mondercange’s 0-point start offers some comfort to Fola fans, whose team have already acquired a win and are only a single point off Wiltz in 14th – however, with Zaritsky now in charge of Wiltz, their fortunes are bound to change and they will almost certainly end up somewhere closer to the mid-table position they are supposed to be in.
If the Eschers believe they are capable of escaping the bottom two, they must come up with something extra that can see them see off at least another team besides Mondercange. Right now, with a 4-26 goal difference over nine matches, the situation looks concerning at both ends.
We have seen things in the realm of miracles happen in this league before – think of Jeunesse’s magical remontada and Schifflange’s surprising loss of ground last year, or Fola’s own perennial escape shows – but will it be third time unlucky for Fola? It feels like they have been riding their luck for a little longer than they could afford it. On the other hand, they have always proved too big to fail, without exception. Something’s gotta give
