FC Luxembourg City announced it would commemorate Azaria, a young player who tragically died in an accident on 6 August, with a minute of silence and a lasting memorial.
On 7 August, FC Luxembourg City announced the passing of their youth squad's player, 16-year-old Azaria, after being struck by a train a day earlier.
Instead of the usual joy at reuniting after the summer break and sharing holiday stories, the young players arrived on the pitch with sombre faces. The club is now doing everything it can to ensure they are not left to cope alone during this difficult time.
Many of the young players had not yet fully grasped that one of their teammates would never return. Those who wish to do so are being offered support to process what has happened. For the first training session, the club sought help from professionals experienced in handling such situations.
Board member Paul Lopes explained that while the team has professional coaches, cases like this are thankfully rare, so they immediately contacted the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) via the emergency number 112 to arrange psychological support.
The volunteers from the Psychological Support Group (GSP), who are trained for missions like this, were entrusted with speaking to the young players. Lopes said they were the experts and knew exactly how to handle such a situation. He suggested holding the session on the pitch, where the players feel most at ease, but ultimately left the decision to the professionals to find the best approach.
On Sunday, FC Luxembourg City will play in Wiltz, where the team plans to hold a minute's silence in memory of Azaria. For their third match, which will be played in Luxembourg City, they are still considering how best to pay tribute to him on that day.
Beyond the pitch, they also intend to create a place where club members can come to mourn their friend, a project that will take a little more time to realise.
According Lopes, Azaria was always eager for training, full of joy, and had high hopes of one day making it into the first team. Lopes concluded by stating that football was Azaria's greatest passion and the club his greatest love.
