We left the Red Lions with a remarkable performance in the qualifying group stage for the World Cup in Qatar. The small Luxembourg had managed to garner 9 points in a particularly tough group, with Portugal and Serbia at the top of the bill.

Since then, two friendly matches against Northern Ireland and Bosnia but above all incredible adventures for some players of the selection, between those who had to flee Ukraine at war or the defender Maxime Chanot who almost lost an eye after a shock on the lawn of the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica.

This Friday, May 20, the coach Luc Holz unveiled the group that will embark on the Nations Leaguewhere the Grand Duchy is in Group 1 of League C with the Turkeythe Faroe Islands and the Lithuania. It is precisely on Saturday June 4 in Vilnius that the Red Lions make their debut in the competition: “We are entering a whole new competition with, what we have never had before, four very close matches. For many players, it’s the end of the season. With completely different situations for players. On a bunch of players who are already stopped. And another pack of players who will still play games of great importance until the end.“

In effect, Daniel Sinani will play with his English club Huddersfield a match of the utmost importance on May 29, in the superb grounds of Wembley, in this case a play-off which could offer him a place in the Premier League. And it will be necessary to be plumb a few days later to face Lithuania.

“These matches, we all have to be at 100%, continues Luc Holtz. If there is one that grows only in Lithuania or the Faroe Islands, where there is already a synthetic pitch – that’s completely different – not to mention the mentality displayed by these teams, if we are only at 95%, we do not take points.“

“… ABROAD […] TO NOTE THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIONAL TEAM”

Luc Holtz says that Luxembourg is now expected and sometimes even feared. Since the coach took over, the Red Lions have made considerable progress, their players are now in international clubs and the team has proven to be competitive against big nations, such as against France on that day in September. 2017 when Luxembourg brought back the point from Toulouse’s draw.

“I sometimes get messages when we’re abroad, welcomes the coach. Note the evolution of our national team, especially in terms of the game produced. If I take the statistics of the matches we played against Bosnia or against Northern Ireland in March, we can go into the history books, we will not find Luxembourg having possession of the ball greater than the opponent and this was the case in the two matches in March. With more corn situations. All that is all well and good, but it will also require efficiency.“

The next meetings of the Luxembourg team:

Saturday 4 June: Lithuania/Luxembourg
Tuesday 7 June: Faroe Islands/Luxembourg
Saturday 11 June: Luxembourg/Turkey
Tuesday 14 June: Luxembourg/Faroe Islands