The Road Leads to Luxembourg

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Spring 2015

"Gordon, you're a great guy. You really are. People can't help rooting for you, hoping you'll succeed. And I honestly think that, somewhere in there, you really do have what it takes. But you have to decide what it is you want, and pursue it. Otherwise, someday you'll look back at your life and all you'll have is 'what might have been.'"

Someday, I hope I won't remember every word Ella said to me that night. I hope I'll forget the taste of the pasta I ate that night, or the color of the top she wore, sitting across the table from me, telling me why she couldn't see me any more.

That was a little over a year ago. I haven't had enough time to forget, not yet.

My name is Gordon Sullivan. I'm 27 years old; I'll turn 28 on 1 December. I'm originally from Coventry, but I'm really not from anywhere anymore. I don't really have an occupation, either. I was a fairly good footballer a few years ago, good enough to play semi-pro, but not good enough to make a decent living.

I'm better at being a student than anything else. That's what brought me to the USA. I was a graduate student in history at the University of Michigan, and for a while it appeared that I might have finally found my calling. I took my comprehensive exams and did well. That's when I decided I didn't really want to be a Ph.D. in history after all.

Ella was my girlfriend at the time. I didn't expect her to understand when I told her I didn't have any enthusiasm for continuing my degree, and I suppose I wasn't surprised when she ended the relationship a week or so later. At the end of the month, I left my apartment in Ann Arbor, sold as much of my stuff as I could, gave away the rest, and left for Luxembourg.

That's right. Luxembourg.

About five years ago, I rented a room in north London from a lovely Luxembourger couple called the Bechtolds. At one point, I came very close to wandering over there and trying to find a spot in a football club there. Now I don't remember why I didn't. After Ella broke up with me and I decided to leave the USA, I rang up the Bechtolds and told them I was thinking about moving to Luxembourg. They put me in touch with friends in the capital who might be willing to rent me a room. They were agreeable, so off I went.

I've found a job in a book shop. It's pleasant work, and I like Marc and Louisa Müller, the owners, a lot. Their son is just a little older than I am, and he lives with his wife and their baby daughter in the town of Rosport. Luc--that's his name--is a big supporter of the local football club. One afternoon not long after I arrived, Marc took me to meet Luc at one of the Rosport matches.

That's when a thought came into my mind that I haven't been able to shake.

Why couldn't I manage a football club here?

The quality of Luxembourger football is, I'd say, quite variable. I'd guess the highest league, the National Division, is roughly as good as League Two in England. Rosport just got promoted to this league for 2015/16. The second league is called the Promotion Division, and the players there might be fine with a County Leagues side. Below that are leagues with players of varying ability, including some who would be out of their class in a pub league.

In my spare time, I began studying for my coaching badges. Like I said, I'm a good student, and I've had no problems getting my National A license. I'm applying for jobs now, so we'll see what happens next.

I'm as excited about this as anything I've tried in a long time. But, as I know only too well, that doesn't mean it's going to last.

But, if it does, maybe it will chase away the memories of that night back in Ann Arbor.

Note: This game is based on an edited database from claasen.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

24 September 2015

I was completely up-front with Marc about my decision to look for a job in football. When I told him about my plans, he smiled, nodding slowly.

"I watched you that day at the football match. You were in your element. Yes, you love books, but I believe you love football more," he told me. He gave me his blessing, and he promised me I could work at the book shop until I found a job. The Kreckes, the couple who have been renting me a room (for much less than the going rate, I might add) also told me I could stay with them as long as it took.

I wonder if Marc or the Kreckes would have made me those promises if they'd known how long it might take?

The Luxembourger league programmes began in July, and by then I had applied for several jobs. According to the press, I was considered a "leading candidate" for the position with Green Boys 77 Harlange-Tarchamps, where I confess I'd applied simply because I liked the club's name. I was linked with the Alliance Aischdal post as well. Neither club ever contacted me for an interview, so I have no idea if I was actually being considered or not.

Summer turned to autumn, and I'd still heard nothing. In my darker moments, I considered going back to England and throwing myself upon my parents' mercy. I came close to doing just that several times, but I like it here. The life I'd carved out in Luxembourg was simple, but it was satisfying, and something told me to stick it out a little longer.

One afternoon, about two weeks ago, I spent my break from my labors at the bookshop surfing the Internet, as I often did. A news item caught my eye:

"Osweiler takes Rumelange post"

The name rang a bell with me, and it took a moment for me to remember where I'd seen it before.

Claude Osweiler is a fairly well-known name in Luxembourg football circles. For the past two decades, he'd established a reputation as a talented, though peripatetic, boss; he'd had the top job at Erpeldange, Koppchen, Una Strassen, and Grevenmacher, where he'd also been the Directorof Football. For the last three years, Osweiler had been manager at Rosport. That's where I knew him from.

I hadn't thought about applying for a job in the National Division. I figured only the smaller clubs would take a chance on a young, unknown English bloke...even if I knew some German and French, and had made myself fluent in Letzburgesch. I had nothing to lose, however, so I answered the Rosport board's advert and waited to see what would happen.

A month went by. I heard nothing from Rosport, so I figured they'd looked at my application, had a good laugh, and disregarded it. Then, last Sunday, a message appeared in my inbox. The Rosport chairman, Anton Corral, wanted to interview me for the position.

That night, the Kreckes insisted on taking me to dinner. I reminded them I hadn't received a job offer; this was simply an interview. They would have none of that, however.

"We're sure this will work out for you, Gordon. I have a very good feelingabout this," Mr. Krecke assured me.

I spent a good portion of the next morning on the phone with Luc Müller. He knew quite a bit about the ins and outs of the Rosport club, and he shared all of it with me.

The interview was scheduled for this morning. I borrowed Mr. Krecke's car and drove 30 miles or so to Rosport, which is a very small town on the River Sauer, which forms the border with Germany. Mr. Corral greeted me warmly, and we settled down to business.

Rosport are sitting 10th of 14 teams in the National Division table, with 7 points from 7 matches. Mr. Corral wanted me to keep the club out of the relegation zone, which meant staying 11th or better. I told him I could do that...it won't be easy, but what else could I say?

We had a slight disagreement concerning the club's finances, however. The club is spending €650 on wages, and Mr. Corral tossed out the idea of cutting it even more.

I took a deep breath and told him I couldn't see myself being able to manage the club under those conditions. Hopefully, that wouldn't be a deal-breaker.

The rest of the interview went well. We shook hands, and Mr. Corral promised to let me know something soon.

The next day, I got the news. For €1,800 a week, I was offered the position of manager at FC Victoria Rosport!

I wasted no time accepting the offer. Mr. Corral, who insisted I call him Anton from now on, informed me I'd be expected to be on the sideline for the club's next match...in three days.

"Your assistant, Daniel Theis, is a good man. He can help you out," Anton said. We don't, however, have a regular physio, or any scouts. Anton assured me we could remedy those deficiencies.

The conversation wound down, and I thanked Anton once again. I said my goodbyes, and as I was about to hang up, I heard the chairman's voice.

"One more thing, Gordon..."

"Yes?"

"Good luck."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

25 September 2015

When I returned from my trip to Rosport, my landlords, Gus and Anna Krecke, insisted on taking me to dinner again. Marc and Louisa joined us, and we had a fine time. I cut the celebration short, however, because I had to get up early and go to work the next day.

Rosport play at Um Camping, a tidy little grounds that holds about 1,500. It's a pleasant setting for a football match, with the hills and the river Sauer in the background, and the facilities are OK for a club at our level. That is to say they're rather sparse. When I arrived at the grounds, I was greeted by my assistant, Daniel Theis, and the club captain, an affable fellow called Artur Poloshenko. We were soon joined by a larger man who otherwise looked quite a bit like Artur, and I wasn't surprised when he was introduced to me as Oleg Poloshenko.

"You're obviously brothers," I said to them.

"We are twins."

Fraternal twins, obviously; Oleg is a good nine inches taller than Artur, who has a more compact, muscular build. They are both central midfielders, and Oleg is the vice captain.

Much of the rest of the day was devoted to meeting the players. Afterwards, Daniel and I sat down with the other member of our current staff, Claude Joubert, the Head of Youth Development, and talked about the state of the squad.

The best goalkeeper is Joe Frisling, at 21 the youngest member of the starting eleven. Like a number of the players, Joe had been brought in when Rosport were promoted to the National Division.

Well-traveled Portuguese veteran Luís Borges Correia is the first choice at right back. Luís came from US Sandweiler when that club had to cut its wage bill. Jeff Feller wanted out of Käerjéng when they were relegated to the Promotion Division, and like Luís, came to Um Camping. He'll start at left back. Paulo Gomes and a local lad with Bosnian roots, Dario Duric, are the best choices at center half. A young player called Noah Bach will provide good cover on the back line.

I really liked meeting Adilson Soares Cassamá, better known simply as Adilson. He is a Guinea-Bissau international who has played in Portugal, Spain, and China, in addition to his homeland and Luxembourg. There's a quiet dignity about him that immediately gained my respect. He'll be a good choice at DM, where I can also play Artur Poloshenko. Pit Hilbert gives us a touch of class in the middle of the park. I'll often pair him with tough, versatile Gustav Schulz, a veteran of the German leagues who's been in Luxembourg since 2010. Artur Poloshenko is also useful in the central midfield.

Wide man Dan Colette is the most talented player in the squad. He is the only full Luxembourg international in our team, with 32 caps. He can play on either wing, and I'll usually play him on the left. Oleg Poloshenko will feature on the right side.

Makhtar Ndour, another product of Sandweiler's fire sale, is our best front man. He's from Senegal, another veteran with experience in the Portuguese leagues. Christian D'Urso will play when I use two strikers, or when Ndour needs a break.

[jdoyle9293]

Grass roots Luxembourg football, that's where it is at. Looking forward to this, mate.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Grass roots Luxembourg football, that's where it is at. Looking forward to this, mate.

Thanks, mate. It's good to be writing here again. Thanks for following along.

26 September 2015

I'm not so naïve that I assumed I'd step right in and immediately command the respect of the Rosport players. There are nine men in the team who are my age or older. They are proud footballers, who are playing at the highest level of their national league. A few have played for their country.

I wasn't expecting a direct challenge on my first day of training.

A reporter from the Rosport Football Free Press, Tim Augusto, asked me if I thought I'd have a problem handling a player called Patrick Ney. To be honest, the name barely rang a bell. He's a midfielder, 19 years old, not registered for the first team.

Today at training, I had just finished leading a drill and was about to send the players to another task when a ball came whizzing at me. Had someone not shouted, I wouldn't have seen it before it hit me. As it was, I barely had time to get a leg up and trap it with my thigh. It wasn't elegant, but I preserved some credibility.

I had no idea who had struck the ball at first. I watched as one of the players asked a lanky lad with light brown hair, "What was that for?"

He answered loudly enough for me to hear.

"I'm sure he had a few come at him harder than that when he was with Arsenal." He smirked as he said it.

A young midfielder, Yannick Dahlke, innocently took the bait. "Gaffer didn't play for Arsenal, did he?"

"That's my point." That was Patrick Ney.

I kept an eye on Ney for the rest of the session. He loafed through most of the drills. He wore his training kit unprofessionally. Artur Poloshenko noticed his slacking, approached him, and said something to him.

Ney pushed Artur's hand from his shoulder, turned his back on him, and walked away.

When I dismissed the squad, I told Patrick to meet me in my office before he left.

Ney took his time. He entered my office with his mobile in his hand. "You wanted to see me?"

"Put your phone away, Patrick." He did so.

"You were unprofessional today in training," I began. "When you put on a Rosport shirt, you will be expected to conduct yourself a particular way. You fell short of that standard today."

He didn't respond. I went on.

"Patrick, Artur Poloshenko is your captain. When he speaks to you, you listen. Do not, ever, turn your back on him. Do not, ever, lay your hand on him, or any of your other teammates.

"That's all."

Ney smirked. "Yes, gaffer," he replied, with an extra, sarcastic emphasis on the second word. As he turned to leave the office, he nearly collided with Adilson Soares Cassamá.

I won't repeat what Patrick said to Adilson. Had Adilson not been a mature man, had he less control over his emotions, there would have been a physical confrontation. I wouldn't bet against Adilson in a fight.

I straightened up from my desk. "Ney, get back in my office now." Adilson took a deep breath, mastering his rage. Ney wisely avoided making contact with him as he stepped back through the office door.

"I will not tolerate you speaking that way to your teammate." There was something about Ney's posture I didn't care for.

"Your former teammate. Patrick, you're released from this club."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

27 September 2015

I wasn't surprised to receive a phone call from the chairman, Anton Corral, this morning. I wondered if I had acted too rashly when I sacked Patrick Ney without consulting the board. Well, I was about to find out.

I told Anton I released Ney for his unprofessionalism and for insulting Adilson.

"I understand Ney had been insubordinate to you at training as well," Anton added. He'd obviously heard what had happened.

"Yes. I called him to my office to discuss his behavior at training. That's when he encountered Adilson."

"I see." There was a fairly long pause, which made me nervous.

"I support your actions regarding Ney. I would have done the same thing." I released the breath I hadn't been aware I'd been holding.

"It's important that the players recognize your authority, Gordon. I would suspect you won't be challenged in that manner again."

As fortune would have it, my first match in charge of FC Victoria Rosport was away to Rumelange--the club Claude Osweiler had left Rosport to manage. Rumelange were sixth in the league, and we needed a point to remain in 10th, since Hamm Benfica won yesterday.

The town of Rumelange is about an hour from Rosport, but the ride there on the coach seemed much longer. I had time to think about a tactical switch I had been pondering.

We don't have the talent to beat our opponents with flashy, electrifying offensive football. Our best bet is to stay solid in the back, absorb some pressure, and hit on the counter when we have an opportunity. Both Artur Poloshenko and Adilson are natural defensive midfielders, and I want them both on the pitch. By the time we arrived at Stade Municipal, I'd decided to make the change. Gustav Schulz would play in front of the holding midfielders in the middle of the park.

Osweiler is said to be the highest-paid manager in Luxembourg, and from the looks of the suit he wore today, I believe it. I wore a tracksuit today; I'd feel like I was putting on airs if I tried a more formal look right now.

The two sides sized each other up for 35 minutes, before we capitalized on a lucky break. José Inácio fluffed a back pass into the path of Makhtar Ndour, who side-footed it past Charly Schinker. We took the 1-0 advantage into the break, and I carefully praised the players for their efforts, warning them that Rumelange was apt to come out for the second half with their guns blazing.

I was right. They attacked with more intensity, and eight minutes into the second half Inácio redeemed himself by pushing Nicola Pupovac's corner beyond the reach of a diving Joe Frising.

Rumelange kept the pressure on and, to our credit, we stood toe to toe with them. Adilson drew a yellow card, so I replaced him with Pit Hilbert and switched to a 4-1-2-2-1 shape.

By the 70th minute, I'd used all three of my substitutions, and I was eventually sorry I'd done that. About five minutes from time, Jeff Feller went down as if he'd been hit by a car, grabbing at his hip. I could tell right away it was bad, and we played the rest of the way with ten men. Frising saved the only dangerous chance Rumelange could muster, and we left the pitch with a 1-1 draw and the point that kept us in 10th place.

Feller will be out of action for at least six months, which means he might return for the last three or four matches of the season. Noah Bach will take his place in the eleven until he's back.

The Kreckes will let me stay with them until I find a place closer to the club. There aren't a lot of options in Rosport. There aren't a thousand people in the town. I'd like to live where the team plays, though.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. We're two points above the relegation zone, and I have to make sure we stay there. Otherwise, I'll be back at the book shop...if I'm lucky.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Note: Last night, I encountered a problem with the database I was using. The winter transfer window ended up being one day long!

I agreed to terms with a free agent on 28 December, with the transfer to go through on 31 December, when the transfer window should have opened again. He joined the club, as he should have done. Two weeks later, I was negotiating with a player who was on an amateur contract with a smaller club. He should have been able to join us right away, but that wasn't an option in the negotiations. I went ahead and closed the deal, hoping for the best, only to discover he wouldn't be joining Rosport until 1 July. I went back and looked at my inbox, and sure enough, I'd missed a message that said the transfer window closed on 31 December!

Managing in Luxembourg and writing about it are too much fun to quit. I located another Luxembourg database and took a look at it. It features fewer teams, which was a bit of a disappointment, but it uses rules that more closely mirror the "official" rules. (I've learned a lot about Luxembourger football in the past few days.)

I'm going to continue the story, using this database, which will require some editing of my previous posts. I'm still managing Rosport, but this time they're in the National Division, the highest league in Luxembourg.

I'll edit this post to make it part of the story once I've caught up. I'm sorry for the weirdness, and I hope those of you who are reading will still find the story enjoyable.

GB

[neilhoskins77]

Bobby, it's great to see you back in this corner of the Forums. I've had a short and limited experience with Luxembourg managing their age group International side to start off a story. It was a very interesting part of the game, and I hope you enjoy your save there as much as I did with mine. Best of luck, I'll certainly be reading along.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Thanks, Neil. It's good to be back. A very friendly group hangs out here, and you don't see that everywhere.

I remember your stint as the Luxembourg youth manager. It's one of the reasons I thought about a Luxembourg save myself.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and I hope you'll enjoy the story. Perhaps Gordon will get a shot at the Luxembourg national team one day, too!

(For anyone who's reading: There's new material in posts #5 and 6 now.)

[edtheguy]

I'm sorry you had issues with the database, but I love the way you handled it. Too many people just give up when something like that happens - but when you're the author all it takes is a little creativity! Who knows, it might even make for a better story... Keep up the good work!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I'm sorry you had issues with the database, but I love the way you handled it. Too many people just give up when something like that happens - but when you're the author all it takes is a little creativity! Who knows, it might even make for a better story... Keep up the good work!

Thank you, ed. I enjoy having a story to write, but it had been a while since I'd had one "stick." I have a habit of starting a thread and writing a few posts, only to discover it hasn't grabbed my attention. I need to break that habit, but at any rate, I think I've found a story (and a save) I'm enjoying enough to maintain. I'm enjoying managing in Luxembourg, and I have a few ideas about how the off-the-pitch story might develop, too.

Since there are no more posts with material from the "old" game, I'll continue the story from here.

24 October 2015

I didn't feel comfortable imposing upon the kindness of the Kreckes any longer, so I found myself a place to live. My apartment is in the town of Echternach, only about ten minutes from Rosport on the N10. Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg, which appeals to my love of history. It was built around an abbey that was founded in 798 A.D. My apartment is two blocks from the central square.

While I'm making more money than I ever have--by far--I'm not foolish enough to think I'm set for life. Football managers get sacked, especially when their teams are down the table. I was tempted to buy a new car, because I've never owned one, but I ended up settling on a decent used BMW.

It was my turn to take the Kreckes and Müllers to dinner the other night, to thank them for their generosity while I was getting sorted out. I think Marc will miss having me around the book shop, because his other employees aren't football fans. I promised him I would stop by whenever I'm in Luxembourg City.

On the 4th, I made my home debut as Rosport manager. Our opponent was RFC Union Lëtzebuerg, one of the capital's big clubs. They're better known as Racing and they have an illustrious history, but this season has been rough for them. You wouldn't know it from their match against us, however. They hit us for two goals just before the half, and we had nothing in response. We only put one shot on target, and it's hard to win when you don't do better than that.

Something cool happened before our next league match. Joe Frising, our goalkeeper, was called up to the Luxembourg Under 21 team! Luxembourg are in Group 7 for the European Championship qualifying round. Joe was between the posts for an 0-2 defeat to Latvia and an 0-1 setback to Israel, but those matches were a lot closer than the ones they lost to Germany(!) and Ukraine. Luxembourg have been eliminated, but if Joe continues to play well during the remaining group matches, he might have a shot at a full cap before long.

I had another first the next week. Our match away to Differdange was televised on the Luxembourger network. Differdange are one of the big clubs in Luxembourg, and they took the match to us from the beginning. We didn't buckle, however, even after Paulo Gomes went down with an ankle injury. Thank goodness for Gustav Schulz's versatility; I moved him to center half and brought a midfielder called Alen Agovic into the match.

We conceded a goal on 72, but Dan Collette pulled us level with an unusual goal. Joe Frising hit a long goal kick that Collette headed forward. He ran onto the ball and hit what looked like a cross toward the far post from 40 yards out. Makhtar Ndour was in the general area, but I don't think Makhtarcould have gotten to it on a motorcycle. Luckily for us, it arced toward the goal, wrong-footed Julien Weber in the Differdange goal, kissed the crossbar, and went in!

We couldn't hold on to the point, however. They have a striker, Antonio Luisi, who is Frising's Luxembourg teammate. He scored in stoppage time to beat us, a real goal-scorer's goal, and his 10th of the season. Honestly, Differdange deserved to win. They were better than us all day long.

In my new apartment that night, I decided some things needed to change. The team had been playing 4-4-2 before I arrived, and I happen to like that formation, too. The players seemed content to switch back, especially striker Christian D'Urso, who would now be getting another run of games in the first team. We'll give it a shot tomorrow against Grevenmacher.

I'd almost forgotten to mention we hired a scout and a physio. The scout, Lex Milak, told me about a German forward called Kevin Feiersinger who was looking for a club. I brought him in on trial, and we all like what we've seen. I've offered him a contract, so now it's up to him.

The physio, Marc Ramdedovic, had good news for me, too. Jeff Feller went to a specialist for his hip injury, and it turns out he might be back much, much sooner than expected! There's a chance Jeff will be back in training by the New Year. Noah Bach has been OK as Jeff's replacement, but I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of a full season without Jeff back there. Paulo Gomes' ankle will keep him out of action for three weeks, so we're very, very thin on the back line going into tomorrow's match.

There's a lot going on, and things still feel rushed and hectic. I'm hoping that feeling passes in time.

[chesterfan2]

Liking this Bobby, there is something very alluring about these edited databases isn't there, and I'm looking forward to more of this.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Liking this Bobby, there is something very alluring about these edited databases isn't there, and I'm looking forward to more of this.

Thanks, chesterfan2. You're right about the draw of a good edited database. I enjoy managing in the lower leagues of countries like England and Scotland, and I'll try a small Italian team one day. And the chance to play in Luxembourg, or other smaller countries FM doesn't offer "out of the box," makes the game that much more engaging. Kudos to everyone who has the time and talent to create these databases for all of us to enjoy.

Sunday, 8 November 2015

Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. That's the attitude I took when I brought two new staff members to Um Camping. I think the chairman, Anton Corral, was going to give it to me good until I told him that both men have other jobs and are taking a total of €28 per week from the club. They're both proving to be a good investment.

Chris Rémy is our new coach. His ability to coach the art of defense fills in what had been a gap on our staff, since Daniel Theis is an offensive specialist. Our new scout is Jean Wagner, a familiar name to anyone who knows Luxembourg football. He had a long career with Jeunesse Esch and Differdange, and won six Luxembourg caps. I think we're incredibly lucky to have him, and he already found us a new player I'll tell you about in a moment.

Anton knows the value of a euro, and he was only too happy to cut his youth development costs by sacking Claude Joubert and bringing in Laurent Thomé on a fraction of the salaryClaude was being paid.The fact that Laurent seems to be a lot better at the job is a double bonus.

Chris was with me on the bench as goals from Dan Collette and Makhtar Ndour saw off Grevenmacher at Un Camping, 2-1, two weeks ago. Laurent joined us in time for our 2-0 victory away to Uma Strassen on the 1st. Dan netted another one, and Makhtar's shot pinballed off a defender and in--although, unfortunately for Makhtar, it was ruled an own goal.

I gave Joël Plumer the start in goal. He'd been patiently waiting for a chance, and with Joe Frising now the first choice 'keeper for Luxembourg U21, it was good to get Joël some playing time before it became an absolute necessity. He responded with a clean sheet, so I'll be perfectly comfortable putting him back in there again.

The 4-4-2 seemed to be working well, and we found ourselves up to seventh in the table. Then, today against Etzella Ettelbruck, the wheels came completely off.

First, the injury bug bit us again, TWICE. Luís Borges Correia became the third starting defender to go down. Fortunately, he strained his knee ligaments instead of tearing them, but he'll still be out for almost three months. Oleg Poloshenko twisted an ankle and won't be playing for two weeks.

Etzella Ettelbruck took full advantage of our disarray. Frédéric Thill scored within five minutes of Correia's departure. Then Adilson, who's had a habit of committing costly fouls lately, did it again, and Cataldo Cozza fired in a free kick. To add insult to injury, Aníbal Henriquez, in for Correia, tripped a Eztella player, and they scored when we defended another free kick badly.

We beat ourselves due to our lack of discipline, and I won't put up with that. I let the team know it, too.

Two steps forward, one big step back.

On a higher note, I brought in a German striker, Kevin Feiersinger, for a trial. Jean Wagner recommended him highly, and after watching him in training, I immediately offered him a contract. He accepted it, and he'll be in uniform for our Luxembourg Cup tie at home to Mertzig next week. (We can't register him for the league until 1 January).

Kevin has loads of pace, something most of our players do not have.

[tenthreeleader]

Love the idea of going small, Bobby. Just out of curiosity, how many rounds does the Luxembourg Cup have, anyway?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Love the idea of going small, Bobby. Just out of curiosity, how many rounds does the Luxembourg Cup have, anyway?

Thanks, 10-3. It's good to have you following along. It's possible to go smaller than Luxembourg, but not a lot smaller.

The Luxembourg Cup has six preliminary rounds, a Quarter Final, a Semi Final, and a Final. The first three rounds involve teams that are too small to be in the database, so the earliest a team might actually play a match would be the Fourth Round. Rosport will enter the competition in the Fifth Round, one of 32 teams remaining in the competition.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Monday, 16 November 2015

Cup ties can be very tricky things.

Small clubs often view them as opportunities to be giant killers, taking advantage of a bigger team's tendency to play their youngsters and reserves while they save their first teamers for league play. In the Fifth Round of the Luxembourg Cup, Rosport were the big club, fending off the challenge of an amateur club called Sporting Mertzig.

One thing I like about the Luxembourg league is the fact that our schedule never becomes too congested. There are 26 matches in the National Division programme, and there's only one challenge cup. We won't end up playing 50 matches in a season, like I did back in England. There was, therefore, no reason for me not to field a strong side in the Cup match. We were playing at home, and I wanted to give the supporters a good show. Plus, with three first team defenders unavailable and our goalkeeper, Joe Frising, away on international duty, I'd have to rotate the squad by necessity.

We lined up with Noah Bach, Dario Duric, Adilson, and Gustav Schulz across the back, from left to right. Only Duric was a first teamer in his natural position. Joël Plumer was between the posts. I felt good about that, considering his performance against Una Strassen. New man Kevin Feiersinger made his debut at striker, partnering Christian D'Urso.

Mertzig might be minnows, but they can still bite, and at the half we were down 0-1. I let Daniel Theis speak to the team, and he made our desire to see a different team in the second half very clear. Playing with more verve and tenacity, we equalized just before the hour mark, Feiersinger volleying home Dan Collette's byline cross.

"Not again," I shouted a few minutes later, as Collette pulled up lame and signaled for a sub. "Not again." It turned out to be a minor muscle tweak. We couldn't afford to lose another player, especially not our best one.

We had a golden opportunity to win it on 74, when we drew a penalty. We don't have anyone in the team who is money from the spot. Adilson took this one and the keeper saved fairly easily.

At full time, it was still 1-1. At the end of another half hour, it was still 1-1. On to penalties.

I let D'Urso take the first one, and Luc Jans dove and pushed it away. Poor Christian hasn't scored for us yet, and I know it's wearing on him. Fortunately for us, Plumer was huge in goal, making two saves and allowing Gustav Schulz the opportunity to win it for us. Gus made no mistake, and after a long, long evening of football, we're on to the next round.

The lads are exhausted, and that's to Mertzig's credit for making them work hard. I'm not encouraged by the result; we shouldn't have had that much trouble with them, even with a patchwork back four.

On the other hand, Kevin Feiersinger looks like he'll be a good one. He took his goal well, and his pace caused Mertzig problems all night. He took a penalty in the shootout, and scored it like a boss.

And, even better--it looks like Jeff Feller will be back to training in two or three weeks! The specialist he saw for his hip must be a wizard.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

7 December 2015

There's a long winter break here in Luxembourg, so we won't have another match until the third week in February. I'm going to talk to Daniel Theis about how clubs handle the lay-off--do they play friendlies, train, or what?

We're heading into the break on a very positive vibe, which began at halftime of our match at home to Hamm Benfica on 22 November. We'd played poorly in the first half and went into the break down 0-2. Hamm Benfica play 4-3-3, and our injury-depleted back line struggled to contain their attackers. Noah Bach was having a particularly rough day, so I brought him off for Belmin Stegmann, who had been playing well for our reserves and deserved a chance to see what he can do with the first team.

We pulled a goal back on 53, when Hamm Benfica allowed Adilson a free header from Dan Collette's corner. The Guinea-Bissau international lashed the ball across the face of goal and in at the far post. The momentum swung even more in our favor when HB right back Paulo Arantes was sent off with a second yellow card. Four minutes later, Adilson beat Pit Theis with another screaming header, courtesy of a perfectly-aimed Gustav Schulz cross.

The match ended there, but coming from two goals down to achieve a draw pleased everyone in our changing room.

I was especially happy with the play of our debutants, Stegmann and a young midfielder called Jeff Schnell. Like Belmin, Jeff was impressive with the reserves, and with Pit Hilbert still gassed from the Cup match, I gave him a chance to see what he could do. Schnell was composed and creative in the midfield, completing 52 of 61 passes.

Today we traveled to Strassen for a Luxembourg Cup contest. We faced Una Strassen on their grounds a month ago, and won 2-0. Today's result was exactly the same, but it was achieved more easily, truth be told. Christian D'Urso finally got his first goal for us, and Schulz scored the other. Paulo Gomes returned to the lineup with a solid game at center back, and Jeff Feller played 45 minutes without incident. It was great to have both those defenders back on the pitch.

I gave Jeff Schnell another start and he did absolutely nothing to make me think he shouldn't keep playing. His professionalism impresses me, for one thing. Having three or four central midfielders I can trust gives me more tactical flexibility. I'm going to put Belmin Stegmann in the match-day squad on a regular basis, too. He can play all over the place. I like having a lad like that on my bench.

My life off the pitch is settling into a comfortable, if unexciting, routine. Many of the players are close to my age, but I don't socialize with them. I think it's best if I keep some distance, to preserve the manager-player relationship. I get together with Marc Ramdedovic, the physio, more than anyone else. He's not married, for one thing, and neither of us is exactly a wild man. Marc's girlfriend, Emily, is a nurse at a hospital in Luxembourg City, so they can't see each other as often as they'd like. He lives in Echternach like I do, and we'd drive to training together if I didn't stay so late most of the time.

I'll go back to England and visit my family over Christmas, but otherwise I'll be spending the holidays here. "Home" and "Luxembourg" are becoming more and more the same lately, and I could imagine myself staying here for a while.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Monday, 11 January 2016

It turns out that Luxembourger clubs stay busy during the winter break. There aren't any matches, even friendlies, but training goes on as usual. It's a good opportunity for a team to gel, to gain greater familiarity with their tactics, and to prepare for the second half of the league programme.

We went into the break eighth in the league, with 15 points from 14 matches. Two other clubs, Grevenmacher and Mondorf, are also on 15, but we have the edge in goal differential; we're -3, and they are -7 and -8, respectively. Rather ominously, we're only 2 points clear of the relegation playoff, but we're safe from automatic relegation by 8 points now.

I decided to surprise my parents by paying for them to vacation in Luxembourg over Christmas and New Years'. They're both teachers, and they haven't had much opportunity to travel on the continent, so it was a real treat for them. I introduced them to the Kreckes and the Müllers, and everyone got along splendidly. They also got to meet some of the players and staff.

Perhaps I should say "former staff," too. Daniel Theis's association with Victoria Rosport FC has come to an end.

I had a feeling that would happen, after he refused to talk about a contract for 2016/17. He said he didn't believe the players in our club were of a high enough quality for him to stay here. At that point, I honestly stopped caring if he stayed or not. Apparently, he's willing to overlook the perceived quality of a club's players if they are willing to make him the manager. This week, he took the job at FC Erpeldange 72, who are top of the Promotion League. Erpeldange's players aren't any better than ours. They are nine points clear in the promotion race, so there's a good chance Daniel and I could be matching wits as opposing managers next season. That is, of course, assuming they go up, and we stay up...which is still a questionable assumption.

The opening of the transfer window on 1 January brought two new players to our club. We negotiated their transfers during December, but I have a thing about not mentioning a deal until it's a done deal.

Lots of Luxembourger fans know Löic Mouny. He's from France, but he spent a decade with Dudelange before moving to Racing in 2012, where he spent a few months as a player-coach. Löic then spent a little bit of time outside football before returning this season with Rodange, in the Promotion Division. He bossed the league there (7.65 rating), and when he expressed a desire to return to the National Division, Rodange didn't stand in his way. In fact, they were willing to give him to us for free!

Löic is 34 now, but he's retained much of his athleticism, and his feel for the game and his technical ability are first-rate. He will play a lot at left back, which has been Jeff Feller's spot. Jeff is also comfortable in the middle of the defense and in the midfield, so there will be plenty of opportunity to use both players. Löic brings even more professionalism to the squad, and he'll make a fine tutor for younger players.

We also added more defensive depth by signing a 23-year-old Belgian, Alexandre Vanderlin, from Etzella Ettelbruck. We liked what we saw of him when we played against him earlier in the year. It turned out to be one of only four appearances he made for their first team. Alexandre is tall (6'1"), pacey, and willing to put a foot in. He will, at the very least, be part of a center back rotation.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Monday, 1 February

The transfer window closed yesterday. We didn't bring any more new players in, but three lads left the club to pursue other opportunities. None of them figured in my first team plans, and wouldn't likely have broken in at any time, either.

Ricardo Krogh Gerson is a 27-year-old wide man who won't be getting any better. He has decent pace, but he wasn't going to play in front of Dan Collette, and at Koeppchen, he'll get the opportunity for first team football.

Center back Manuel Siebenaler made a substitute appearance for us in a Cup match, but that's all. He's not a bad footballer, just not at the standard of Dario Duric or Paulo Gomes or, now, Alexandre Vanderlin. He'll feature regularly with Bersdorf-Condorf, and I'm happy for him.

Between us, I can't imagine why Mamer wants to play Marc Chanot €90 a week! The only player we're paying that much is Collette, and he's a star. Chanot, a striker, didn't play a minute for our first team. Again, I wish him well, but I hope none of our players learn how much he's making, or they'll want a transfer to Mamer.

The closest we came to adding a player was a brief flirtation with a winger from Hostert called Wang Juncai. I would have liked to add him to the team, and Wang leaked a "come and get me" plea to the media. Hostert wanted €60,000 for him, and I wouldn't have paid that if the board would let me. Sorry, Juncai.

Our first match upon our return sees us away to Fola Esch-Alzette. The gap between us and a club like Fola Esch is still pretty sizable. They sold a player named Emmanuel Françoise to Tours FC for €195,000. Françoise got in three matches for Fola Esch.

Then, there's Differdange. Remember Antonio Luisi, who scored a game-winning goal against us in October? Differdange sold him to Genk, in Belgium, for €675,000. They made another half million euro or so from the sale of another player.

That's small change for a big English club, but the gap between the financial power of clubs like Fola Esch and Differdange and clubs like, say, Rosport is immense. Our giants aren't Chelsea or Manchester City, but they'll be awfully hard to slay, nonetheless.

Enough complaining. We've got three more weeks to prepare to take on a giant, after all.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Monday, 29 February 2016

We kicked off the second half of the season with as tough a challenge as the National Division could offer: matches against the top two teams in the league, Fola Esch and Dudelange. The only thing making our task a bit easier was the fact we'd get to face Dudelange at Um Camping, rather than on their grounds.

I can already tell that one of the challenges I'll face now is keeping a group of players with fairly equal ability happy by giving them sufficient starts. Now, I can conceivably rotate players in almost every position without sacrificing much quality.

Stade Émile Mayrisch, in Esch-sur-Alzette, is Fola Esch's stadium. It's one of the larger and nicer facilities in Luxembourg. When we arrived there, Noah Bach gaped at the video board that dominated one corner of the stand.

"The goal's the same size as it is at home," Oleg Poloshenko reminded him.

I chose a familiar back four of Jeff Feller, Paulo Gomes, Dario Duric, and Luís Borges Correia in front of 'keeper Joe Frising. Dan Collette, Pit Hilbert, Jeff Schnell, and Oleg Poloshenko manned the midfield, and Kevin Feiersinger partnered Christian D'Urso in front.

Today was the debut of my new assistant manager, Paul Strasser. This is Paul's first job in management, and he's eager, talented, and--to the board's delight--he's working for €45 euro a week. Daniel Theis's weekly pay would cover Paul's for almost six months, and Daniel isn't 20 times as good as Paul is. Even more important, Paul is happy to be here.

Paul and I knew Fola Esch would attack us from the opening whistle, and they did, outshooting us 20-6. We didn't challenge their goalkeeper all day, which didn't make for very good viewing on Luxembourg TV. But we kept the ball 56% of the time, and when the whistle blew at full time, we'd held on for an 0-0 draw. Frising made seven saves, including some tough ones, as befits a Luxembourg international.

Yesterday, Dudelange came to Um Camping, sitting on top of the league. Alexandre Vanderlin and Löic Mouny took their places on the back line, with Feller moving to left wing and Collette shifting to the right. Adilson was in the midfield, with Makhtar Ndour replacing D'Urso.

The match began much like the last one, but on the stroke of halftime Dan Collette attempted a through pass to a streaking Ndour that rolled past both him and the Dudelange keeper for a fluke goal. It counted, however, and to the delight of a big home crowd and the surprise of another national TV audience, we were in front.

On 57, Collette lofted a free kick from the left touchline which found Kevin Feiersinger in the area. He pushed the ball over to Vanderlin, and just like that, our advantage was doubled! Dudelange pulled one back a few minutes later, but Dudelange did a poor job of defending another set piece, and Paulo Gomes slotted home to give us a 3-1 victory.

None of the goals was a work of art, but they count the same as a laser strike from 25 yards out.

Vanderlin's debut could not have gone much better: 21 interceptions, 14 of 16 headers won, and a goal. Schnell, too, was a force both in possession and in defense, with 13 interceptions of his own, nine tackles, and 53 completed passes.

We remain eighth in the league, but with the satisfaction of having faced the league's two top teams and coming away with four points. Are we ready to pose a serious challenge, or was this simply a wonderful case of catching lightning in a bottle?

[EvilDave]

Looks like you've got Rosport going well Bobby, and I'm loving the detail here. You're clearly invested in Luxembourg, and that comes through in a fine story. Keep it up!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Looks like you've got Rosport going well Bobby, and I'm loving the detail here. You're clearly invested in Luxembourg, and that comes through in a fine story. Keep it up!

Thanks very much, EvilDave. I am enjoying my Luxembourg experience, and writing about it has been lots of fun, too. The Dudelange match was an unexpected thrill, which gives me hope that one day, Rosport will contend for a championship.

I like Gordon as a character, and I have some ideas for him that I hope I can work into the story, as the action on the pitch plays its way out. Thanks for following and commenting...please keep doing both, everyone!

6 March 2016

Youth intake day is a lot of fun. It's a little like a lottery, I suppose, in that you never know what numbers might come up. The quality of the youth setup at Um Camping is decent for Luxembourg, and this year it produced some players who are good enough to dream.

The best of the youngsters is a central midfielder called Diogo Ramalho. A sizeable number of Luxembourgers are immigrants from Portugal, or are descended from Portuguese stock; Ramalho was born in the city of Amadoro and moved from Portugal with his family as a toddler. His touch on the ball is exceptional for a boy who's yet to turn 16. He seems almost slow, but he can run all day, and in the right role could blossom into a National Division star.

Other youth graduates who impressed me and my staff include goalkeeper Patrick Flick, defenders Nuno Redondo and Eric Hahm, and midfielders Andy Klapp and André Silva. Patrick Strasser advised I offer youth contracts to the whole lot. We'll see how many of them will stick. I watched them draw, 1-1, with the present U19s, who are holding their own in their league, so that's a good sign.

I'm happy to say that all the members of my current back room staff will be staying with the club for another season. I haven't received a contract for next year myself, but I'm hoping that will happen soon. I like Rosport and want to stay for a while.

Hopefully, the board won't make their decision tonight, because the 2-1 defeat we suffered away to US Mondorf-les-Bains was not our finest moment. We displayed some pluck in pulling a goal back after going down two--Christian D'Urso doing the honors--but we shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. Yet another reckless foul, this one from Alexandre Vanderlin, gave Mondorf a free kick, and veteran Fahrudin Kuduzovic sliced it home to complete his brace.

Kuduzovic earns five times as much as his next best-compensated teammate, so I suppose he needs to earn that fat pay envelope.

OK, that last comment was perhaps a bit snarky. I'm not in the best of moods, taking a step back after two nice steps forward. And, what's more, Vanderlin tweaked his ankle, and might not play again for another month. Yes, we've got more depth back there than we had before, but Alexandre was playing well so far, and I was looking forward to seeing how well he did once he bedded in completely.

I'll drown my sorrows in a nice, steaming bowl of Bouneschlupp and a bottle or two of Diekirch, and I'll be fine in the morning.

P.S. Bouneschlupp is bean soup, with onions, potatoes, and ham. It's a traditional Luxembourgish dish, and it's really good on a chilly winter night.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

27 March 2016

The managers of football clubs are almost always in precarious positions. If I hadn't known that already, I would have learned it this season.

There are 14 clubs in the highest division of Luxembourg football. Six of them have sacked their managers since the season began. The latest to receive his marching orders was Claude Osweiler, sacked for poor performance from a Rumelange club that considered itself a playoff contender, but has instead battled to stay clear of the relegation places.

Osweiler is a known commodity with a good overall record, however, so he didn't stay unemployed long. Another under-achieving club, Jeunesse Esch, hired him...but with a salary about one fourth what he was making at Rumelange. Now you understand why I'm not rushing out and buying expensive things, even though I did receive welcome news a couple weeks ago.

The board offered to extend my contract for another year, at the same salary--€1,800/month--that I'm earning now. I was eager to accept it. They're pleased with the fact that, at least for now, we're above the drop, and I'm keeping the wage bill under control. I didn't feel right asking for a raise. I don't think I deserve one for managing a team that's ninth in the league.

We've played twice in the league this month, taking a single point from those matches. We drew with Progrès. 0-0, at Um Camping on the 13th, and were thrashed, 0-3, away to Wiltz. Two of Wiltz' goals were scored from the penalty spot, the result of a lack of discipline I can't accept. The players who gave away the penalties, Luís Borges Correia and Paulo Gomes, were dropped from the side for our next match, the Luxembourg Cup Quarter Final. In Paulo's case, I couldn't have included him anyway, as the yellow card he drew earned him a one-game suspension.

We weren't any better yesterday against Grevenmacher, so we're out of the Cup now. Christian D'Urso's tap-in was the highlight of a sloppy 1-3 defeat to a club that had just sacked its manager.

Seven games remain in the league programme, and here's how the relevant portion of the table looks:

POS CLUB                  PLD  WON  DRN  LST  FOR   AG  GD   PTS
8  Etzella Ettelbruck     19    6    6    7   20   22  -2    24
9  Rosport                19    5    5    9   21   26  -5    20
10  Rumelange              19    4    8    7   26   31  -5    20
11  Grevenmacher           19    5    5    9   16   25  -9    20
----------------------------------------------------------------
12  Hamm Benfica           19    5    5    9   30   42 -12    20
----------------------------------------------------------------
13  Racing                 19    4    1   14   16   34 -18    13
14  Una Strassen           19    1    3   15    7   35 -28     7

As you can see, all that's keeping us out of the relegation playoff is our goal differential. We're seven points clear of automatic relegation, so I feel good about our chances to avoid that fate. I'd get sacked if we fall that far, and I'd deserve it.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

15 April 2016

I am living proof of the fact that not all footballers are successful with women. I don’t claim to have been a star by any means, but my skill on the pitch still greatly exceeded any talent I have for attracting women or maintaining relationships with them.

You might remember Ella, the woman who broke up with me before I left for Luxembourg. She’s still the last woman I dated. I’ve come up with several reasons why this is the case. My dedication to my new job and the long hours it requires is the best of these, but it’s still not good enough. The truth is, I’m not terribly confident with women, and it’s easier to find reasons not to find someone than it is to try to figure out how to go about it.

I’ve noticed a change in my attitude over the last few weeks, though. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we’re playing better—more on that in a bit. Maybe I’m tired of going back to my apartment alone every night. Maybe I think about this too much.

Last week, I went back to Luxembourg City for Marc and Louisa Müller’s anniversary party. It was very kind of them to invite me, since I hadn’t seen much of them since I stopped working at the book shop last October. Marc and Louisa introduced me to a woman called Caroline Edwards, who teaches at an English school in Luxembourg. I remember seeing her in the book shop a time or two. We talked that night, and I decided to take a chance and ask her if she wanted to have tea or coffee with me sometime. She said yes, and we made plans to get together this afternoon at a little café not far from the book shop.

At the party, I noticed that Caroline was more interested in the fact I’d done graduate work in history than in the fact that I manage a football team. She teaches English in the secondary school where she works and it’s very clear she loves books and reading, rather than simply teaching about them. I’m a reader, too, and always have been—except lately, when I haven’t felt like I had time—so we had something to talk about over tea.

It turns out Caroline likes football, too. I haven’t had a chance to talk about the subject on a non-professional basis for a while, and it was fun. For one thing, she asked the kinds of questions reporters don’t ask.

“Are you enjoying managing Rosport?” She smiled and took a sip of tea while she waited for my answer.

“Yes, usually.”

“Good! Why not always? Is it your league position, your coaches, the chairman, the players?”

I paused before I answered. “Sure, I’d like to be top of the league, but we’re higher than we were when I arrived, and it looks like we’re going to stay up. Our staff works well together. We’re all on the same page.”

This was definitely true, now that Daniel Theis had left. I had been sensing for a while that he thought he was a little too big to be my assistant. My new assistant, Paul Strasser, was more of a team player.

“The chairman just offered me a new contract, so we’re good,” I continued with a smile. “The players are the best part of the job. They’re very coachable, they work hard. They’re buying in.”

Caroline beamed. She’s got a very pretty smile, one that starts with her eyes and goes from there. “I know what you mean. I love books, but I love my students more.

“When you think about where you’ll be in a few years, do you think it will be in Rosport?”

Another great question.

“I’ve never stopped to think where I’d be in a few years,” I admitted. “I’ve never had a job that seemed to have that kind of future.”

“Not even when you were playing?”

“I wasn’t that good. I was never more than a semi-pro, so I always had to have other work. I knew I wasn’t good enough to make a real living at football.”

She nodded. “But managing is something you can see yourself doing for years and years?”

“Definitely.”

“And with Rosport?”

I paused again. “Right now, yes. I can see that. I want to help Rosport become a big club, by Luxembourg standards. Their fans are good fans, and they deserve to see that happen. Trophies, maybe even Europe. “

“It’s a little like England, isn’t it? A few clubs with lots of money, relatively speaking, who win the league every year, while the others fight for the spots behind them?”

“That’s the way of things. Here, it’s Dudelange, Differdange, Fola Esch. They’re top of the table again this year, like usual.”

“Would you rather build Rosport into the kind of club that challenges them, or impress a big club enough that they hire you?”

“You ask the right questions, Caroline.” We both smiled.

“Right now I want to take Rosport as high as I can. That might not be possible, without the money, you know, but I want to take a shot at it.”

“So you were being honest to the press when you said you want to stay a while, the day you signed your new contract.” Her eyes twinkled a little when she said it.

“You read the article?” I smiled back.

“Sure I did. I like to read, remember?”

Caroline had one more question for me. “Would you ever think of leaving Luxembourg? To go back to England, or somewhere else?”

“Right now, Luxembourg is where I want to be. Who knows, in time?

“The other day, I caught myself imagining myself managing Luxembourg. Is that crazy?”

Caroline smiled. “No, it’s not.”

It was a little easier to dream now, since we’d bounced back from our loss to Grevenmacher in the Cup with two victories, 1-0 at home to Rumelange and 2-0 away to Racing. Kevin Feiersinger netted in both matches, taking both goals well. Sure, both clubs we beat are struggling, but those are the matches we should be winning, if we’re better than a relegation candidate ourselves.

The other player who is giving me every reason to keep putting him on the team sheet is Jeff Schnell, whose average rating is good enough to place him among the league’s best if he’d played enough matches to qualify. Schnell is turning out to be a force in the middle of the park, creative and composed, the kind of player a good team usually has to build around.

Caroline and I are going to see each other again, too.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

15 May 2016

The final four weeks of the National Division season brought relief and frustration in equal measures.

Most experts believe 30 points are enough to ensure a National Division side’s survival. After beating Grevenmacher 1-0 via Luís Borges Correia’s tap-in, we were on 29 points with three matches to go. You could probably hear my sigh of relief across Luxembourg; even though the job wasn’t finished, it looked do-able. Even Paulo Gomes’s red card, rightfully given for a clumsy two-footed challenge, didn’t dampen my enthusiasm much. We owed Grevenmacher for beating us in the Cup, and it felt good to beat them with quite a bit at stake.

Next up was hapless Una Strassen. In 24 matches, they had recorded exactly one win and three draws, scoring a measly nine goals. A decent crowd came out to Um Camping to see if we could take care of business, and we did, but barely. We won, 1-0, when Jeff Schnell scored a penalty deep in stoppage time. Against the weakest team in the league, this wasn’t an acceptable outcome, even if it did guarantee our place in the National Division for 2016/17.

That day, Dudelange beat Wiltz, 2-1, and clinched the National Division championship. Dudelange have won the championship 22 times, and manager Michel Leflochmoan has lifted the trophy seven times himself. I can’t help thinking I’d like to be in that position one day, looking back at a career filled with championships and memories of matches in European competition.

I’d like to say we went out with a bang, winning our last two matches and climbing farther up the table. That’s not what happened, as we were flat and uninspired in an 0-3 thrashing at home to Etzella Ettelbruck and an 0-1 defeat away to Fola Esch and Claude Osweiler.

Racing will be joining Una Strassen in the Promotion Division next season. Jeunesse Canach and Erpeldange have won promotion to the National Division, while Rumelange and Käerjéng will meet in the Promotion Playoff to decide which of them will play top flight football next year. Yes, Erpeldange’s promotion means I’ll be managing against my former assistant, Daniel Theis, next season. Forgive me if I want to win those matches in particular style.

Caroline and I have seen each other twice more now. I told her how busy I would be with the end of the season, and she’s been equally busy as the school term nears its end. Things seem to be going well, and hopefully we’ll get to spend more time together this summer, when both of us have a vacation.

Mine begins in a week, but the summer transfer window opens at almost the same time, so I won't be able to focus too much on a relationship...if that's what this is becoming. I guess I'll find out.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

25 May 2016

The National Division campaign was over, and the table looked like this:

[font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000] 
[font=courier new]POS  TEAM                 PLD  WON  DRN  LST  FOR   AG   GD  PTS
 1  Dudelange             26   21    2    3   55   13   42   65
 2  FC Differdange 03     26   16    7    3   45   20   25   55
 3  Fola Esch             26   16    5    5   48   23   25   53
---------------------------------------------------------------
 4  Etzella Ettelbruck    26   11    8    7   31   23    8   41
 5  Jeunesse Esch         26   10   10    6   33   25    8   40
 6  Progrès               26   10    9    7   26   25    1   39
 7  Wiltz                 26   11    4   11   40   42   -2   37
 8  Mondorf               26    9    6   11   20   28   -8   33
 9  Rosport               26    9    5   12   26   31   -5   32
10  RM Hamm Benfica       26    8    6   12   44   56  -12   30
11  Grevenmacher          26    6    7   13   22   38  -16   25
12  Rumelange             26    5    9   12   33   43  -10   24
----------------------------------------------------------------
13  Racing                26    7    3   16   30   45  -15   24
14  Una Strassen          26    1    3   22    9   50  -41    6
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That Dudelange side was one of the better ones in the history of the league. They took the title in a walk, breaking the Luxembourg record for points in a season and scoring 42 more goals than they conceded. The three teams who qualified for Europe were, clearly, the class of the league.

On the other end of the scale, Una Strassen endured a frightful season they’re all hoping to forget soon. Sébastien Allieri, who became their manager late in the season, is a good guy and I hope he’ll keep his head up and bring his squad back up next year.

We, and most of the rest of the league, were grouped tightly together. A few goals here or there, and we’d be several places higher than we ended up. Still, I’m not terribly disappointed with how it all turned out. We stayed up and I got a new contract. One step at a time.

Last Sunday, I drove into Luxembourg City to pick up Caroline and take her to Stade Josy Barthel for the Luxembourg Cup Final. We watched a thrilling Final, which Fola Esch won over Dudelange, 3-2, on a goal in extra time by French winger Julien Hornuss. It was a drizzly day, but the match was good enough to make me forget the weather, and the company was even better.

As Caroline and I watched Fola Esch manager Jeff Strasser lift the cup, his face beaming with pride, she looked over at me and smiled.

“You’re imagining what that feels like, aren’t you?”

“How did you guess?”

I was pleased to read in the next morning’s Luxembourg Football Gazette that Rosport had been picked as the “Overachiever” of the Cup competition. It felt good to be noticed. In a sense, the club had been viewed as overachievers since I arrived. Yet I’m not sure that designation was completely fair to our players. They hadn’t been a great side, but they were a tough one, and by the end of the season were clearly a cut above the teams that had been relegated.

I met with the players one last time, challenging them to return to training and fight hard for a mid-table finish next time around. To a man, they accepted the challenge, and the mood around Stade du Camping was buoyant and positive as the team parted ways for a three-week holiday.

That day, I received the news that my entire back room staff had accepted their contracts for 2016/17. I feel good about my staff, especially assistant manager Paul Strasser,and I’m delighted we’re staying together for another season.

Today we signed a new kit sponsorship deal that will be worth €29,000. Last year’s was only a little over €18,000, so that’s another sign that things are looking up.

The transfer window opens today. I have a little bit of business to do concerning that, and then Caroline and I are taking a short trip to Germany. She’s being a good sport about going with me to football grounds; the fact that she enjoys the game is a big plus here.

I’m in a good place right now, any way you look at it.

[JayR2003]

Loving the story. I have never actually looked at Luxembourg soccer, and I love learning on the go as much as the soccer.

One quick (and albeit trivial) question. Who did Una Strassen manage to get their one win against?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Loving the story. I have never actually looked at Luxembourg soccer, and I love learning on the go as much as the soccer.

One quick (and albeit trivial) question. Who did Una Strassen manage to get their one win against?

Thanks, JayR. I'm enjoying the opportunity to delve into Luxembourg's soccer culture, too. In some ways, it's very different from that of a large footballing nation like Germany or England, but in other ways, it's much the same. Differdange, Dudelange, and Fola Esch are the "super teams" in Luxembourg, the ones who win trophies and who set the standard to which other clubs aspire.

Una Strassen's moment of glory came on 25 October away to Mondorf, when they earned a 1-0 result. Three weeks later, they saw off minnows Berdenia Berbourg, 2-0, in the Fifth Round of the Luxembourg Cup. That was their final victory of the season.

I enjoy questions like that, so thanks for asking...and thanks for following along.

I'll be back with a new "chapter" in the story soon.

[edtheguy]

A very solid first season, hopefully it's a good foundation to build from. I'm also enjoying the Luxembourg experience, and am looking forward to more - both on and off the pitch!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

A very solid first season, hopefully it's a good foundation to build from. I'm also enjoying the Luxembourg experience, and am looking forward to more - both on and off the pitch!

Thanks very much, edtheguy. I haven't had much time for my story recently--I'm a husband and father of three, and it's Christmastime--but I'll be returning soon. Luxembourg is certainly a fun place to manage, more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

I have an idea for another story, too...so I'll have plenty of Football Manager and writing to enjoy on the cold winter nights to come.

[Wiggle26]

Really like your story, especially to read one that takes part in Luxembourg.

Especially funny for me as I spent a 4 day bachelor-party in Mallorca with the likes of Dan Collette, Eric Hoffmann and a couple of other luxembourgish football players:)