Four new teams in BGL Ligue 2025/26

Mamer 32

The Reds have only spent a single season in the top flight since their foundation in 1932, having ended the 2006/07 season rock bottom with only nine points after achieving the historic feat.
 
This year, their promotion was never in doubt as they dominated the field from the start despite their modest budget and pre-season expectations. Starting the season with 12 goals scored in their first four games opened up the possibility of creating something historic, and Mamer never really looked back. They led the table following 17 different matchdays across the season, including the first, and crucially, the last one.
 
Mickaël Jager is an established goal-getter at this level, always finishing near the top of the scoring charts, but the Frenchman managed to outscore his previous tallies of 23, 25 and 19 goals in the previous three seasons by racking up a dazzling 36 goal contributions in 29 appearances (29 goals, seven assists).
 
While the left-footed striker is already 36 years old and his contract is expiring in the summer, he has expressed a desire to explore the BGL Ligue once more, having featured in the competition for five years as a Strassen player in the previous decade (with a lot less eye-catching numbers).
 
But Jager’s productivity was almost perfectly matched by his loyal assist provider, Igor Teles Santos, himself a former top-flight player at Progrès Niederkorn, Racing Luxembourg and RM Hamm Benfica. Teles produced a whopping 21 assists to accompany his nine goals, making it exactly one goal contribution per game – having one such asset on a team will all but guarantee promotion, but having two meant Mamer never stepped off the gas for a second.
 
The club has lofty ambitions upon their return to the spotlight, and have been busy on the transfer market to strengthen the side accordingly. Four arrivals have already been announced: Quentin Zilli and Deniz Muric are arriving from US Mondorf and Jeunesse Esch respectively, while Lorenzo Rapaille joins from Ehrenpromotion side Etzella Ettelbruck. Hugo Vialette has been signed from Belgian outfit Habay-la-Neuve to boost the backline.

UN Käerjéng

We didn’t have to wait long for the Bascharage club to return to the first division, as they immediately bounced back up following their relegation at the hands of Rodange in last year’s relegation play-off.
 
UNK retained the core of that team and maintained a more than capable squad at this level, elevated by the coaching appointment of former Mondorf boss Manuel Correia. They quickly established themselves as the ones to beat after storming into an early lead by matchday six, later returning there for four further weeks during the season.
 
They ended up facing stiff competition from Atert Bissen once Mamer emerged as runaway leaders, but booked the final automatic promotion spot with a crucial three-game winning run at the end of the season to follow up a humiliating 4-0 loss at the hands of their direct rivals.
 
Käerjéng’s playing squad has only been strengthened so far, with no departures but several arrivals: Yannis Dublin returns to Luxembourg after completing his university studies in neighbouring Germany, Robin Moutschen arrives from the Belgian regional leagues, while Ivan Albanese will stay with the senior team following a successful loan spell at Kehlen.
 
However, manager Correia will not be part of the club’s BGL Ligue adventures, as the successful coach has to undergo surgery imminently. This will likely result in a several-month break from all football-related activities. Whether or not his replacement will be a temporary one has not been published by the board. If they stick with the right candidate, though, survival can be a realistic goal for 2025/26.

Atert Bissen

The Yellow and Blacks’ ambitious and lofty project has finally reached its crescendo as Bissen made it to the National Division for the first time ever in their 80-year history, earning back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons.
 
Despite being new in Ehrenpromotion, Atert were always going to be a force to be reckoned with, as they tore the amateur leagues apart, winning the third-division title with 24 wins, six draws and zero losses, scoring over four goals per game. With such a record, they were immediately predicted to finish in the top half once again.
 
They made the step up even more smoothly than expected following the signings of players with top-tier experience, such as Brandon Soares Rosa and Lamine Fall, to solidify the defence and support their lethal attacking machine.
 
The strike partnership between Fine Bop and Daniel da Mota reached a new level: the two of them ended the season with a total of 42 goal contributions (Bop: 17 goals, three assists; Mota: seven goals, 15 assists), with a perfect distribution of roles up front.
 
Just how long they will be able to sustain their red-hot form remains to be seen, as they are both over the age of 35. Bop last played in the BGL Ligue in 2020, and has been hugely prolific in the lower divisions every single year since, showing that he has definitely outgrown the Ehrenpromotion and is ready for a last push for a miracle with this team. Luxembourg legend da Mota ditched first-division football and an opportunity in Italy to return to Bissen, and has completely revitalised himself at the age of 39 as one of the most creative and technically gifted players in the league.
 
Goalkeeper Yassine Gourari has been voted as the best in the division, and his contract has successfully been extended by a further five years upon promotion – a huge coup considering he is still only 24, and could be a hot prospect for clubs from abroad in a matter of time.
 
In truth, this team has long been assembled to be able to cope with top-flight football, and the squad seems entirely ready to do just that. They had a rougher route to promotion than last year, needing a play-off and eventually securing a tight 1-0 victory over Bettembourg to secure their place in the elite, but if they still have the budget to keep strengthening the core of the roster, they can continue causing some upsets.

Jeunesse Canach

One of the unlikeliest promotion stories of recent times in Luxembourg culminated in a nervy penalty shootout win in Ettelbruck, as Canach ended up outclassing Wiltz 71 despite having a far inferior squad in terms of value and experience.
 
Canach ended the regular season ten points behind fellow play-off participants Atert Bissen, and only two points ahead of the rest of the pack, essentially earning their chance of promotion for being the “best of the rest.” Their efforts were powered by the incredible scoring form of Admir Dešević, who ended the year with a stellar 22 goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances – one of only two players in the league to rack up 10+ contributions in both categories (the other being Adriel Guimaraes from Bissen with 11 and 10).
 
Captain Valentin Roulez has long been one of the most reliable options amongst lower-league goalkeepers, and at the age of 28, he has finally been awarded the second chance he has been craving since his first taste of BGL Ligue football as a youngster on Hostert’s books.
 
Much like last year’s champions, Bettembourg, this squad doesn’t give the impression of one built specifically for the top tier. Canach’s promotion charge was basically fuelled by being the most consistent of the mid-table teams, and grabbing the last available play-off spot partly thanks to Marisca Mersch’s 5-0 defeat on the final day.
 
They never occupied a position higher than fourth in the entire season, but manager Nélson Fragoso did extremely well to keep the group focused in the most crucial points of the season to stay in the race even when hopes of a podium finish were far gone.
 
Fourth place usually doesn’t come with promotion in a country where there is a considerable gap between the top two leagues, and the outlook was similar this time around. Wiltz were rich in seasoned veterans with vast experience under their belts (Luxembourg internationals Ralph Schon and Chris Philipps, BGL Ligue stars Benjamin Romeyns, Nawfel Saïdi or Gustavo) and seemed better equipped for the clash, too, arriving in a decent form for their standards.
 
In the end, Mikhail Zaritsky’s team were forced to chase the game once Dešević took the lead in the 89th minute. A last-gasp equaliser delayed the Northerners’ misery, but the penalty shootout made Canach dreams come true: Schon failed to save a single attempt, while departing Romeyns skied his, deciding the outcome single-handedly.
 
Wiltz are set to lose several key players over the summer, while the coaching staff has already announced their departure. At Canach, the situation could hardly be more different. Fragoso was planning on exploring his options and would have stood a fairly good chance of getting an offer from the league above, but can now recalibrate his plans as he prepares for Canach’s first season in the elite in nine years.