Luxembourgish football given painful reality check

Last week’s results were by no means a positive omen for the top teams in Luxembourg, but the situation didn’t look particularly bleak, either. Narrow losses for Differdange and Racing against Drita and Dila Gori, respectively, were always expected and still left both teams with a chance to recover lost ground and rise to the occasion in the second leg.

Dudelange’s shock defeat in Andorra is a different story, but knowing the quality of the opposition, there was little doubt F91 could potentially overturn the tie at Stade Jos Nosbaum this Thursday.

Instead, the three matches this week combined for the country’s worst start in Europe since 2008, when Dudelange and Racing Union were accompanied by Grevenmacher in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup (the predecessor of the Europa League).

UNA Strassen will now have to salvage some of the country’s lost coefficient points, to prevent some truly devastating consequences. They are facing Scotland's Dundee United next Thursday.

FC Differdange 2-3 Drita

The biggest expectations naturally surrounded the reigning champions, unbeaten at home for over two whole seasons. With a full-house capacity and only a one-goal deficit to overcome, many fans foresaw something memorable unfolding in front of their eyes at the Stade Municipal on Tuesday night.

17 minutes in, and the night was certainly looking to be quite memorable already, but in all the wrong ways: the Kosovars found themselves 2-0 up, thanks to a brace from Arb Manaj. Théo Brusco’s tap-in after a corner eased the burden slightly, but there was hardly any point in the entire tie where FCD had a clear upper hand.

The second leg was a balanced encounter and the improvement from one game to the next under new manager Pedro Silva is tangible. If not for the lacklustre start here, they would have genuinely threatened Drita and might have been able to go through.

From that quick double, though, the game was mostly a lost cause. Samir Hadji equalised from a penalty in the last minute of regulation time, giving his team a few minutes to chase another goal to level the aggregate scores as well, but the insistence on attacking desperately left an opening for the visitors, who delivered the sucker punch in added time, to seal a home-and-away victory.

It could have felt slightly undeserved after an impressive second half from the Luxembourgers, but there is obvious room for improvement. Build-up and chance creation were two areas where FCD looked devoid of ideas, completely cancelled out by Drita’s sensible and organised defending.

The biggest difference between the two teams was the mental readiness with which Differdange’s more experienced opponents carried out their game plans, without any lapses in concentration or moments of hesitation. Pedro Silva’s defence, for all their chemistry and all the time spent together as part of a solid unit, still looked flustered at times – which proved fatal against ruthless foreign opponents.

Unlike the other Luxembourg teams, FCD still have a shot at redemption – they are dropping down two levels to try again in the UEFA Conference League, where they have to win three ties in a row in order to reach the tournament proper. Their first opponents will be The New Saints of Wales, who were beaten 4-3 by Swift Hesperange on aggregate when they last faced a team from the Grand Duchy (in 2023).

RFCUL undone by fine margins again; F91 unable to muster a comeback

The Conference League was another unsuccessful endeavour for Luxembourgish teams. Racing Luxembourg followed up a 2-1 loss at the Stade Achille Hammerel with a stoppage-time 1-0 defeat in Georgia, while Dudelange crumbled late on to lose against Atlétic Escaldes of Andorra.

Racing’s case was a frustrating one. Drawn against one of the toughest possible opponents, Yannick Kakoko’s team stood their ground and fared well against a professional side in the first game, pressing bravely and counter-attacking rapidly. The second leg was more controlled, with RFCUL aiming to gain midfield dominance, but were instead restricted to stubborn defending across the entire game.

The game was ebbing and flowing towards a 0-0 that suited both parties: the Georgians didn’t have to worry about an embarrassing loss, while the Sky Blues could keep hoping they would find the breakthrough at the end and knock their opponents off course. Alas, it never happened, as Racing’s increased pressure in the final minutes resulted in a valuable chance for Dila on the other end, who duly converted and sealed the victory.

Dudelange’s situation was almost the polar opposite. Widely expected to win confidently and march through to the second round, the historic club suffered an embarrassing 2-0 loss away from home against newly-professional Atlétic Escaldes, and were counting on a devoted fan support (and a new striker) as they went about overturning the tie at their own ground.

Half an hour in, it was the guests’ David Segura who opened the scoring to extend his team’s aggregate lead, before Agostinho made it 1-1 shortly after.

Evan Rotundo’s goal from captain Mehdi Kirch’s assist provided some hope for everyone in attendance. It briefly looked like there might be an opening, that there might be some drama and suspense in the last 20 minutes. Immediately after conceding, Atlétic brought on midfielder Emanoel, who scored less than a minute later to restore the two-goal difference.

The last 15 minutes saw F91 slowly limp towards a first-round elimination not experienced since UC Dublin got the better of them through the since-scrapped away-goal rule. Another late goal, a composed finish from the Andorrans after comfortably rounding goalkeeper Eldin Latik, was the final nail in the coffin.

Dudelange are looking at a long, harsh season on the domestic front compared to the previous, trophy-laden era. It now seems undeniable that the resources from those long European runs are waning. What comes now is a period of reflection at board level, to realistically re-adjust expectations in the current Luxembourgish football landscape.

Racing FCUL (much like the fourth international representative, UNA Strassen) are a team on the up. Navigating financial difficulties with great efficiency under Karine Reuter and sporting director Romain Ruffier, the club from the City can now dream bigger. Participating in next season’s edition of the UEFA Conference League is absolutely on the cards – perhaps with an even better performance.