Strong finale but no Europe for Progrès

The race for Europe was the most intriguing heading into the final stretch: UNA Strassen had already confirmed a European spot behind runaway champions FC Differdange, but two further spots were up for grabs, contested between F91 Dudelange, Racing FC Union and Progrès Niederkorn.

With the opponents of F91 and Niederkorn having nothing to play for, it was the Sky Blues who had the toughest task at hand to reap the rewards of a season of overachievement. The Wasps, however, were behind them on the table ahead of the last matchday, meaning the team from the City merely had to match their result in order to retain their top-four spot.

At the end of the day, the afternoon brought little suspense at the top. By the half-hour mark, Dudelange and Niederkorn were both in the lead, while Racing struggled to carve open Rodange, whose top-flight status was potentially on the line. News of the results must have filtered through to Stade Jos Haupert over the course of the second half: by the time RFCUL did eventually break the deadlock, Progrès had already stormed into a 6-2 lead against an already-relegated, rock-bottom FC Mondercange (later adding a seventh), who failed to put up a fight all day.

F91 also started slow, but built on their dominant display in the second half, improving their accuracy in front of goal and registering four different scorers (Evan Rotundo twice; Filip Bojić, Samir Hadji, Enzo Lima) in a 5-0 rout against playoff-bound Bettembourg by the final whistle.

All that was left to do was for Racing to keep their advantage and reserve a Conference League place. They succeeded in doing so, doubling their lead in added time thanks to a Yann Mabella brace. The cherry on top was UNA Strassen catching out a heavily-rotated FC Differdange, and for Hesperange and Mondorf (sixth and seventh respectively) to collect three points each, to ensure nothing changed in a tight top-half race.

UEFA Champions League: FC Differdange 03

UEFA Conference League: UNA Strassen, F91 Dudelange, Racing FC Union Luxembourg

Wiltz squander shot at redemption

As Rodange narrowly lost to Racing, their situation in the division was perilous. Situated one point above the relegation playoff places, the newly-promoted team knew they had to win their final match as Wiltz 71, just behind them, were playing Hostert, who were already safe from relegation and could rotate freely with planning for next season in mind.

Mehdi El Alaoui’s team were saved in the end, partly by the circumstances surrounding their rivals’ encounter. US Hostert were surprisingly counting on their top scorer Kenan Avdusinović again, despite his future at the club seemingly unfathomable. The winger is reportedly close to joining Niederkorn, and in the midst of negotiations, missed the last few games, significantly weakening his team.

On his return, he once again showed why he garners so much interest across the league’s heavyweights, when he equalised early in the second half following Yanis Raddas’ opener. The Northerners found the lead again less than ten minutes later, when seasoned Luxembourg international Chris Philipps rose to the occasion – a win would mean certain survival.

Both games were going exactly how Mikhail Zaritsky and his coaching team had expected, with Wiltz overtaking Rodange. And then, fate struck again: a Wiltz side notorious for letting leads slip away in the most important occasions, suffered again. Another late equaliser, from young French striker Diogo Fernandes, meant the two teams were joint-twelfth, level on points. Rodange’s superior goal difference resigned Wiltz to an all-or-nothing one-off relegation play-off against Jeunesse Canach.

The Ardennes outfit can only blame themselves for their fate. Holding a six-point advantage over Rodange going into the winter break, their defending has been erratic since the restart (32 goals conceded in 15 games, the third-worst behind Fola Esch and Mondercange). They will still be favourites in the Canach tie with a far superior squad and budget, but their aging core seems to be showing signs of decline.

However their playoff turns out, a rebuild will be almost inevitable. Defence stalwart Kévin Malget retires from semi-professional football and continues in the lower leagues, while prolific striker Benjamin Romeyns has already agreed a move to Strassen. In the event of a relegation, more departures are expected. Goalkeeper Ralph Schon has already retired from international football to focus more on club duties, but now faces stiff competition from inside the club from Lillo Guarneri and Youn Czekanowicz.

Zaritsky’s future might also be depending on the last game. If the worst-case scenario happens, his position in the club would likely be deemed untenable. The club has a long summer ahead – but first, they have to navigate a last, unwanted obstacle.

Relegation play-offs:

Bettembourg vs Atert Bissen: 29 May, 19:00, Dribbel (Bascharage)

Wiltz 71 vs Jeunesse Canach: 1 June, 19:00, Stade du Centre Sportif Deich (Ettelbruck)

Matheus bags Golden Boot

Journeyman striker Matheus finished as the division’s top scorer. The Brazilian was an integral part of UNA Strassen’s attack, netting 23 times (two penalties) in 30 appearances. Second-placed Mabella finished a single goal behind, reducing his deficit in the final day via an emphatic brace against Rodange.

Matheus arrived in Luxembourg in the summer from Maltese side Floriana, and hit the ground running, scoring three times in his first three appearances on the domestic stage. His form never really faltered, and he ends the season as one of the most prolific marksmen from his homeland, propelling his team to their second consecutive year in Europe (for the first time in club history).

The 31-year-old is expected to be staying at the club, but has reportedly attracted interest from abroad. Strassen’s attack already looks stacked ahead of 2025/26, even after Bruno Correia Mendes’ sale to Rodange: besides Nicolas Perez, Charles Azong and Zachary Hadji (who has offers from professional clubs abroad), Stefano Bensi’s team have already confirmed the signing of Benjamin Romeyns, leaving little space for new additions.

While Azong is expected to leave and Perez is not getting any younger at the age of 34, Hadji and Matheus could prove crucial in laying the foundations of a new, perennial title-contender team in Strassen. Therefore, it is crucial for the club to manage their situations well and do their utmost to retain at least one of their two main assets up front.

Mabella will also probably explore his options after another prolific season in the Grand Duchy. As the Congolese international saw his opportunities dry up in Germany and Belgium after a previous fruitful spell at Racing, he decided to go back to the venue of his biggest successes, and spearheaded the young team’s run for the title. While their spring form dwindled, Mabella was indispensable for his side and continued to prove a regular goal threat alongside fellow new signing Okpo Mazié.

Mazié was reportedly close to leaving in the winter, having received an offer from a Bundesliga club, but Mabella now seems like a hot prospect, too. If he does decide to leave, his future most likely will be spent in neighbouring countries’ lower divisions. RFCUL’s European ambitions might prove strong enough to convince him to settle down in the capital this time around, though.

The podium was completed by Samir Hadji, whose inclusion is no surprise: at 35, he continues to be the focal point of F91’s attack, shaking off all competition over the years. Oege-Sietse van Lingen, Kai Merk, Herman Moussaki, Mohcine Hassan and Marc Thomas have all seen their pathway to the starting lineup blocked at some point in the last three years, due to the everlasting class of veteran Hadji.

Two other names who featured high on the scoring charts were Kenan Avdusinović, who reached his 17-goal tally in only 23 games (due to injuries and personal reasons) for a Hostert side largely occupying mid-table positions and eventually finishing in the bottom half; and Jorginho, who left Differdange in the winter after 11 goals in 13 games, the best goal-per-game metric of anyone with at least five matches in the division this year. He continues to perform for Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan too, with 11 goal involvements in 12 games so far.