Koristeći naše kontakte sa kolegama širom sveta, došli smo do sjajnog mladog kolege Bencea, koji prati fudbal u Luksemburgu, a možete ga pratiti na twitteru na nalog @LuxemborugFooty, kroz ovaj intervju saznajte sve o fudbalu u ovoj zemlji!
- Šta nam možete reći o fudbalu u Luksemburgu uopšteno?
Mogu vam reći da se popravlja polako, iako je veliki raspon između kvaliteta nacionalnog tima i liga u samom Luksemburgu. Prve dve lige su polu-profesionalne, što dalje limitira trenere i njihove timove u pripremama utakmica. Najjača liga Luksemburga je šarmantna mala liga, sa iznenađenjima i dramom u svakoj sezoni, koja je trenutno na pauzi.
(Odgovor u originalu: That it’s improving slowly, although there is a massive gap between the national team’s quality and the leagues in the country. The first two divisions are semi-professional which will continue to limit managers and their teams in their preparation for games, of course. The BGL Ligue is a charming little competition though, with surprises and drama in every season, not least at the moment.)
- Kakva je infrastruktura klubova u zemlji?
Najveći broj timova (naročito u višim ligama), imaju relativno moderne, iako male terene, sa prosekom od 3-4 hiljade mesta u najjačoj ligi. Uslovi za trening su veoma razvijeni i na visokom nivou širom zemlje i odlični su za razvoj mladih igrača i taj standard je nešto na šta je fudbalska federacija postavila kao ključnu stvar u prošloj deceniji, tako da možemo reći da je pristojna, ali da se još uvek razvija.
(Odgovor u originalu: The majority of teams (especially in the higher divisions) have relatively modern, although small pitches, with an average 3-4000 capacity in the top tier. The training facilities are usually very modern all across the country, developing youngsters and the standard of football overall have been some of the focal points for the country’s federation in the past decade or so. Thus, it’s adequate but still improving.)
3. Možete li nam reći nešto o ligama i sistemu takmičenja u zemlji?
U Luksemburgu postoji pet divizija ili stepena takmičenja, što je impresivno, obzirom da zemlja ima samo 670.000 stanovnika, 16 timova se nalaze u top dve lige, dok se dalje lige dele na severni i južni deo zemlje. Šampion Luksemburga dobija mesto u kvalifikacijama za Ligu šampiona svake godine, dok drugoplasirani i trećeplasirani tim, kao i osvajač Kupa igraju kvalifikacije za Ligu Konferencija. Poslednja dva tima ispadaju iz lige, dok 13. i 14. tim igraju jedan meč protiv 3. i 4. tima iz Druge lige.
(Odgovor u originalu: There are five full divisions of clubs in a country, which is highly impressive in a land of roughly 670,000 inhabitants – 16 teams make up the top two leagues each, while the field is spread to a northern and a southern section in the competitions below. The Luxembourgish champion gets a Champions League qualifier spot each year, while the second and third placed clubs are accompanied by the domestic cup winner in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. The bottom two teams get relegated from the BGL Ligue, while the 13th and 14th placed teams play one-legged playoffs against the 3rd and 4th placed teams from the second division, respectively.)
- Koji je najveći problem fudbala u Luksemburgu u ovom trenutku?
Manjak prepoznavanja od strane medija. Najpoznatiji mediji u zemlji, RTL uradio je jako dobar posao sa besplatnim prenosima utakmica tokom 2020-te godine i lokdauna i to je ostalo aktuelno do danas. Nažalost, utakmice se ne prenose na televiziji, što doprinosi manjku prihoda klubova, koji se onda oslanjaju na zaradu od ulaznica kao glavnim prihodom kluba, u eri kada svuda u svetu, za TV prava svi plaćaju pravo bogatstvo. Uz to moram da kažem da manjak utakmica na TV-u rezultira tome da postoji manje interesovanja, i veće podrške od strane navijača takođe.
(Odgovor u originalu: Lack of media recognition. The most popular media in the country, RTL did well to introduce free streams during the 2020 lockdown period and it’s a feature that has remained alive since. Unfortunately though, the games don’t get TV coverage, which greatly reduces teams’ incomes, who thus still have to rely on gate receipts as their main source of income, in an era when foreign leagues’ TV rights are being paid fortunes for. Needless to say, the lack of appearance on TV does result in generally less interest and interactive support from the fans, too.)
- Šta nam možeš reći o dva najveća kluba u ligi, istorijski gledano, F91 Dudelage i Jeunesse Esch?
Dudelange dominira ligom još od 90-ih godina, a njihov vrhunac je svakako bilo učešće u Ligi Evrope 2018/19 i 2019/20. Od tada ih nema, ali što se tiče domaće lige, najbolji su tim, sa najvećim šansama za osvajanje lige svake sezone, iako je Fola Esch uspela da im preotme titulu dva puta u poslednje tri sezone. F91 takođe ima i pristojne šanse da se kvalifikuje za neko evro-takmičenje svake sezone, a može se reći da su na nesrećan način propustili grupnu fazu 2022/23.
Sa druge strane Jeunesse Esch je u lošem nizu već dugo vremena. Njihov vrhunac je bio 80-ih i 90-ih, a to je daleko iz njih, a klub je završavao iz njihovog gradskog rivala Fola Escha u svakoj sezoni od 2011/12. Činjenica da se takmiče u društvu najboljih je dovoljan razlog za optimizam za Esch Sur Alzette danas, oni su se stabilizovali kao klub iz sredine tabele prethodnih par godina.
(Odgovor u originalu: Dudelange dominated the league ever since the 1990s and their peak was arguably their consecutive Europa League appearances in 2018/19 and 2019/20. They haven’t looked back since, being the team with the best squad and best chances to win each season, although Fola Esch did well to beat them to the title twice in the past three seasons. F91 also have a decent chance to qualify for Europe in most seasons, and could call themselves a bit unlucky for having missed out in 2022/23.)
Jeunesse Esch on the other hand, have been drifting for a long while now. Their heydays in the 80s and 90s are way behind us now, and the club have finished behind city rivals Fola Esch in every season since 2011/12. Getting a place on the podium is enough reason for opimism for the Esch-sur-Alzette outfit nowadays, who have stabilised themselves in a mid-table position over the last few years.)
- Da li neki drugi tim može da se uključi u borbu za titulu, koji su to timovi?
Liga je uvek otvoreno takmičenje sa dosta iznenađenja i timova koji odigraju iznad mogućnosti, to se baš često dešava. Poslednji od takvih je Swift Heserange, koji je kupljen od strane bogatog lokalnog preduzetnika, uspeo je da se plasira u najviši rang i zauzeo je treće i četvrto mesto u prve dve godine u najjčem rangu. U ovom trenutku, za trofej se bore dva tima, Dudelange je na čelu lige sa 14 pobeda od 15 utakmica (42 boda), dok je Hesper i dalje nepobeđen i nalazi se samo jedan poen iza, zbog dva remija do sada.
(Odgovor u originalu: The league is always an open contest with surprise overachievers popping up all so often. The latest of these are Swift Hesperange, who having been bought by a wealthy local entrepreneur, got promoted and recorded a third and a fourth-place finish in their first two years in the top flight. At the moment, the league is a two-horse race: Dudelange sit on top with an astonishing 14 wins out of 15 (42 points), while Hesper are still unbeaten and are only one point behind, having drawn twice so far.)
- Da li postoji problem sa korupcijom i suđenjem u sportu u Luksemburgu?
Suđenje je oblas gde Fudbalski savez nastavlja da ulaže dosta u čitavoj zemlji i to radi iz dobrog razloga. Lično, vidim značajnu razliku u suđenju u Luksembrugu i u većim ligama. Izostanaka VAR tehnlogije doprinosi donošenju lošijih odluka, ne bih rekao da je suđenje katastrofalno, ali nije ni idealno po mom mišljenju. Sa korupcijom je drugačija situacija, to nije redovna pojava u Luksembrugu. Bilo je sumnjivih slučajeva oko nameštanja rezultata i žreba za kup takmičenje, ali su ta vremena davno prošla, sa novim ljudima na ključnim mestima u klubovima i fudbalskom savezu, pa dugo vremena nije bilo optužbi za korupciju.
(Odgovor u originalu: Refereeing is an area the football association keeps investing in throughout the country, and for good reason. Personally, I see a significant difference between the standard of Luxembourgish refereeing and that in bigger leagues. The lack of VAR naturally increases the number of wrong calls made. I wouldn’t call the refereeing horrible over here, but it isn’t ideal in my opinion.
Corruption is a different case and one that hasn’t been a regular occurrence in Luxembourg. There have been suspected cases of match fixing and rigged cup draws in the past but those times have gone, with new people now on board at the clubs and associations and there hasn’t been any allegations of corruption for a long period of time now.)
- Da li postoji neka zanimljivost vezana za timove iz sredine tabele?
Stanje u sredini tabele se menja brzo iz godine u godinu, a zanimljivo je da ove godine niko u sredini tabele ne može da se oseća bezbednim od ispadanja. Prošle sezone, imali smo istoriji užasan nastup Hamm Benfike (samo 4 boda), dok je Rodange takođe delovao kao tim koji nije spreman da se upusti u takmičenje. Iako i ove godine imamo slične priče, deluje da će bitka za opstanak biti tesna više nego ikad prethodnih godina.
(Odgovor u originalu: The middle pack changes quickly from year to year, and this season, the interesting fact is that none of them can actually feel safe. Last season, we had a historically terrible Hamm Benfica (who finished the season on 4 points), while Rodange never really seemed up to the challenge either. Although there are some clear strugglers this year too, the battle for survival will be tighter than it was in recent years.)
- U borbi za opstanak, ko ima najbolje šanse, a ko će najverovatnije ispasti?
U borbi za opstanak, šokantno se nalazi ekipa koja je prošle godine bila vicešampion, Fola Esch. Dva puta šampioni i jednom drugi u poslednje tri sezone, raspali su se tokom leta, kada je klub zbog finansijskih problema mora da otpusti 12 igrača na kraju sezone, a mnogi od njih su bili ključni igrači tima. To nije moglo lako da se zameni, a kao rezultat toga njihov trener je dobio otkaz tokom jeseni, jer nije imao ni rezultate ni taktiku kako da do njih dođe. Poslednja priča vezana za njih tiče se činjenice da se napadač Luksemburga, 34-godišnji Stefano Bensi odmah po okončanju karijere seo na klupu, sa iskustvom od 0 utakmica kao trener. Njegov asistent je defanzivni vezista Veldin Muharemović, koji je takođe skoro prestao sa igranjem fudbala. Ipak mi nešto govori da je Fola preveliki klub da bi ispao. Razlika između njih i drugih klubova na tabeli nije velika, pa verujem da čudo može da ih spase. Što se tiče toga ko će ispati od poslednjih šest ili čak osam klubova, teško je reći, Ezztela Etterbruck, jedan od ,,majstora za opstanak” iz prethodnih sezona, opet ulazi u problem i ne bih bio iznenađen da nekada uspešan klub ovoga puta napusti društvo najboljih. Drugo mesto za ispadanje moglo bi da se nađe u rukama ili Hostert-a ili Victoria Rosport-a, oba kluba su izgubila ključne igrače tokom leta, a imali su nezgodne prošle sezone, sa nekim veoma tesnim i dramatičnim begovima iz zone za ispadanje prošle sezone.
(Odgovor u originalu: One shocking participant in the relegation dogfight are last year’s runners-up Fola Esch. One the back of two titles and a second place in the last 3 seasons, everything fell apart this summer as the club experienced severe financial difficulties resulting in the need to release no fewer than 12 players from their squad at the end of the season, many of whom had been instrumental for the team. They couldn’t replace them properly, and as a result, their head coach was sacked in the autumn as the team didn’t manage to find their optimal tactics or starting XI to yield results. The latest twist to their story was when Luxembourg international attacker Stefano Bensi, 34, retired immediately to become the club’s new manager with 0 games of experience. His assistant coach is defensive midfielder Veldin Muharemović, who also retired out of nowhere.
Something tells me Fola are too big to fail, though. Their gap to the teams ahead of them isn’t too huge, and I do believe a miracle will keep them in. As for who will go down, that’s a tough question since one could make a claim for any of the bottom six or eight clubs to do so. Etzella Ettelbrück, one of the big escape artists of recent years, seem to be struggling again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this once successful club did drop a division this time. The other relegation place would be in safe hands with either Hostert or Victoria Rosport, who both lost key players in the summer and had a tricky last season with some very narrow and dramatic escapes from the relegation zone last year.)
- Možete li nam reći nešto o najvećim rivalstvima u ligi?
Što se tiče rivalstva, čini mi se da je stanje u zemlji mnogo iza susednih zemalja. Najpoznatiji su gradski derbi mečevi, Petange derbi i Esch sur Alzette derbi i to su mečevi iznad ostalih. Union Titus Petange dočekuje komšijski Rodange 91 u Petagne derbiju, a dešavalo se često u prošlih par godina, jer su oba tima solidni članovi prve lige. Sada je Rodagne u drugoj ligi, tako da će teško doći do međusobnog susreta ove godine. Escher derbi je nešto drugo, to je derbi broj 1 u zemlji i privlači veliko interesovanje oba grupe navijača, koji najčešće obore rekord na tribinama u sezoni kada se dese ove utakmice. Fola je bila bolje plasirana prethodnih godina, ali nisu mogli da izbegnu stalne poraze od Jeunesse ove sezone.
(Odgovor u originalu: In terms of rivalries, I believe the country is way behind its neighbours. City derbies are most prevalent here, with the Pétange derby and the Esch-sur-Alzette derby standing above all in terms of relevance and recognition. Union Titus Pétange host nearby team Rodange 91 at the Pétange derby, and it was a frequent occurrence in the past few years as both clubs were solid members of the first division. Now that Rodange is relegated though, there’s only a slight probability of one such game this year.
The Escher derby is something else, though. It is lauded as the number 1 derby in the country and it attracts huge interest from both sets of fans, who usually break the year’s attendance record in those fixtures. Fola used to have the upper hand in recent years, but they couldn’t avoid a resounding beating from Jeunesse this season.)
- Da li neki tim ima vatrene navijače i ko ima najveću i najbolju podršku u ligi?
Gostujući navijači se pojavljuju u jako malom broju, ali ima timova koji ne smeju da se žale. Iako dva kluba iz Eschera imaju najveću bazu navijača u Luksemburgu, najbolju atmosferu na stadionu ipak imaju Differdange i Mondorf. Često možete da videti njihove organizovane ultra grupe u manjem broju, ali sa velikim entuzijazmom i kretivnim navijanjem.
(Odgovor u originalu: Travelling fans turn up at a low rate at away games, but there are some teams who can’t complain. Although the two Escher teams might have the greatest general popularity among football fans from Luxembourg, the pitchside atmosphere favours Differdange and Mondorf the most. You can often see their organised ultra group in small numbers, but with great enthusiasm and creative displays.)
- Po tvom mišljenju, ko su najbolji golman, defanzivac, vezni igrač i napadač u ligi?
Ako liga ima neku slabost na nekoj poziciji, to je definitivno pozicija golmana. Ima talentovanih mladih golmana, kao što su 22-godišnji Lucas Fox, ili iskusni Ralph Schon, koji ima i zavidan broj nastupa za reprezentaciju, ali najzanimljiviji i najtalentovaniji igrači su ipak napadači. Golman na kog treba da obratite pažnju je 20-godišnji golman Niedercorna – Eldin Latik.
U odbrani, Niedercorn je upravo zvanično prodao Floriana Bohnerta francuskom Ligue 2 klubu SC Bastia, što znači da ga ne mogu nominovati ovde, ali to pokazuje put koji liga može pružiti u Nemačku ili Francusku. Krilni bekovi Dudelangea Mehdi Kirch i Sylvio Ouassiero su pouzdani i u odbrani i u napadu i izuzetni na nivou Luksemburga. 21-godišnji alžirski mladi internacionalac Joakim Kada je štoper u Racing Union Luxembourgu i predodređen je za veliku karijeru. Dostojni spominjanja su i mladi par centralnih bekova Differdangea, Luksemburžanin Kevin d’Anzico i Francuz Theo Brusco.
Imamo sreću da imamo neke stvarne kreativne majstore u veznom redu. Trka prošle sezone za naslov najboljeg strelca bila je, zapravo, između dva ofanzivna vezna igrača – Dominik Stolz iz Hespera i Dejvida Sinanija iz Dudelangea. Sinani je dobio svoj prvi internacionalni nastup sa 29 godina da bi konačno igrao sa svojim bratom Danelom, koji igra svoj klupski fudbal u Norviču. Diogo Pimentel je još jedan talentovan igrač, koji je prošlu sezonu proveo na pozajmici u Danskoj, a kada se vratio u Fola Esch, jer nije uspeo da pronađe drugi klub u prelaznom roku. Clément Couturier iz Hespera je igrač koji je nekada bio visoko cenjen kao mladi talent u Francuskoj i iako mu se potencijal nije ostvario, on je jedan od najkonzistentnijih igrača u ligi sa proigravanjem i tehničkim kvalitetom koja premašuje mnoge druge.
What. A. Hit! 💥
A moment Dudelange number 10 Dominik Stolz will never forget at the San Siro 👏#UEL @F91Diddeleng pic.twitter.com/A7OS7ywgOL
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) December 6, 2018
U napadu, jedno ime odmah pada na pamet: Rayan Philippe. Hesper ga je dobio besplatno iz Dijona pre prošle sezone, i on je u neverovatnoj formi. Trenutni najbolji strelac Evrope sa 18 golova u 15 utakmica, on takođe učestvuje u igri sa dodavanjima i redovno daje asistencije. Njegov partner u napadu obično je iskusno krilo Maurice Deville, koji se vratio kući nakon internacionalne karijere, u drugoligaškim i trećeligaškim klubovima Nemačke. Differdange ima da odlična strelca, Betino Cabrala i Erico De Castroa, dok Racig takođe ima dva veoma opasna oružja u svom napadu, to su Andreas Busch i luksemburgški reprezentativac Edvin Muratović.
(Odgovor u originalu: If the league has a weakness in any of those positions, it has to be goalkeeper. There are talented youngsters, like 22-year old international Lucas Fox, or the experienced Ralph Schon, who also has a number of caps for the national team, but the league’s most exciting and talented players tend to be outfielders. 20-year old Niedercorn goalkeeper Eldin Latik is one to watch.
In defence, Niedercorn have just made their sale of Florian Bohnert to French Ligue 2 side SC Bastia official, which means I cannot nominate him here, but it does show the pathway the league can provide to Germany or France. Dudelange’s wing-backs Mehdi Kirch and Sylvio Ouassiero are reliable both in defence and attack and are outstanding at Luxembourgish level. 21-year old Algerian youth international Joakim Kada is a centre-back at Racing Union Luxembourg, and is destined for greatness. Another honourable mentions are Differdange’s young centre-back pairing, Luxembourger Kevin d’Anzico and Frenchman Theo Brusco.
We are blessed with some true creative maestros in midfield, luckily. Last season’s race for the top scorer title was, in fact, between two attacking midfielders – Dominik Stolz from Hesper and Dejvid Sinani from Dudelange. Sinani got his first international cap at the age of 29 to finally play alongside his brother Danel, who plays his club football in Norwich. Diogo Pimentel is another talented player, who spent last season on loan in Denmark, and upon his arrival to Fola Esch, couldn’t find himself another club in the transfer window. Clément Couturier from Hesper, meanwhile, is a player who was highly regarded as a youth talent in France years ago, and although his potential might have been unfulfilled, he is one of the most consistent players in the league with a passing range and technical quality surpassing many others’.
In attack, one name springs to mind immediately: Rayan Philippe. Hesper got him on a free from Dijon before last season, and he’s in red hot form. Top scorer of Europe so far with his 18 goals across 15 games, he also takes part in the link-up game and gets assists consistently. His attack partner is usually experienced winger Maurice Deville, who returned home after a journeyman career at various second- and third-division clubs in Germany. Differdange have two lethal finishers in Bertino Cabral and Érico de Castro, while Racing also have two highly dangerous weapons on their books in attack, namely Andreas Buch and and Luxembourg international Edvin Muratović.)
- Na koje mlade igreče treba obratiti pažnju?
Najtalentovaniji mladići iz Luksemburga iskorišćavaju priliku da nastave svoje karijere u obližnjem Metzu u Francuskoj ili Trieru u Nemačkoj. Ovo znači da se selekcija mladih reprezentativaca uglavnom sastoji od igrača koji igraju u inostranstvu. Dvojac napadača Venecije Issa Bah i James Rodrigues imaju potencijal da se probiju na sam vrh, a Bah je već imao minutažu u Seriji A prošle sezone. Talenat iz Mönchengladbacha Yvandro Borges Sanches je već stalni član seniorske reprezentacije, uprkos tome što ima samo 18 godina. Mladi vezni igrač Kölna, Mathias Olesen, takođe je dobar izbor, igrao je u Bundesligi i Ligi konferencije ove sezone pre nego što je povredom bio prinuđen da prekine sezonu. 18-godišnji Rayan Berberi iz Standard Liègea takođe se ističe na utakmicama mlade selekcije i takođe bi mogao postati profesionalni igrač seniorskog tima u bliskoj budućnosti.
(Odgovor u originalu: Most talented Luxembourgish youngsters pounce on the opportunity to continue their careers at nearby Metz in France or Trier in Germany. This means, the youth national team is mostly comprised of players playing abroad. Venezia strike duo Issa Bah and James Rodrigues both have the potential to go to the very top, and Bah has already got Serie A minutes last season. Mönchengladbach talent Yvandro Borges Sanches is already a mainstay at the senior national team despite being only 18 years old. Köln’s young midfielder, Mathias Olesen is also a good shout, he has played in the Bundesliga and the Europa Conference League this season before suffering a cruel injury. 18-year old Rayan Berberi from Standard Liѐge also tends to be outstanding at youth national team games, and could also become a professional senior player in the near future.)
- Šta očekuješ od reprezentacije u budućnosti i kakva je sada situacija za nacionalnom selekcijom?
Stvari izgledaju sjajno, tim je završio drugi u grupi Lige nacija sa samo jednim porazom u šest utakmica. Takođe smo imali realnu šansu da porazimo Tursku u poslednjem meču i preteknemo ih za promociju, da nije bilo kasnog izjednačenja da bi bilo 3-3. Naša grupa za kvalifikacije za Evropsko prvenstvo izgleda dovoljno izazovno sa Portugalom kao jasnim favoritom. Bosna i Hercegovina, Slovačka, Island i Lihtenštajn su timovi koji treba da se pobede. Realistično, ako se prisetimo naše kampanje u Ligi nacija, ima svako razloga da verujemo da možemo da pobedimo Island i Slovačku, dok će Bosna biti argumentativno veći izazov. Takođe se nadamo da ćemo se kvalifikovati putem Lige nacija, jer je to nedavno bio put za manje nacije da se plasiraju na veća takmičenja, kao što je to slučaj sa Severnom Makedonijom 2020.
(Odgovor u originalu: Things are looking bright, the team finished second in their Nations League group with only one loss over the six games. We also had a realistic chance of beating Türkiye in the last fixture to leapfrog them to promotion, if only it hadn’t been for a late equaliser to make it 3-3. Our Euro qualifying group looks challenging enough with Portugal clear favourites. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovakia, Iceland and Liechtenstein are the teams to beat. Realistically, if we look at our Nations League campaign, there’s every reason to believe we can beat Iceland and Slovakia, while Bosnia will be arguably more of a challenge. We are also hoping in a qualification route via the NL as it has been a pathway for the smaller nations to major tournaments recently, take North Macedonia in 2020 for example.)
- Ko su najbolji igrači Luksemburga koji igraju van domaće lige po tebi?
Kada pričamo o najpouzdanijim igračima, tu svakako moramo da uključimo Leandra Barreira iz Mainza, koji konstantno igra u Bundesligi i predvodi nacionalni tim. Gerson Rodrigues daje golove u najvažnijim trenucima za nacionalni tim, ali inače ima mirniju klupsku karijeru, trenutno je na pozajmici u Al Wehda u Saudijskoj Arabiji iz Dynamo Kyiv-a. Danel Sinani iz Norviča naravno je još jedan igrač koji treba istaknuti, jer je pokazao svoju snagu prošle sezone, kada je sa bivšim timom Huddersfield Town gotovo stigao do promocije, ulazeći u plej-of. Sébastien Thill je prvi Luksemburac koji je dao gol u Ligi šampiona UEFA, i siguran sam da veliki broj ljudi još uvek pamti njegov gol iz poslednjeg minuta za Sheriff protiv Real Madrida u grupnoj fazi. Mica Pinto, levi bek Sparte Rotterdam je takođe udarna snaga za klub i zemlju, često se ističe kao izuzetan igrač za Spartu tokom jeseni.
(Odgovor u originalu: The most reliable performers have to include Leandro Barreiro from Mainz, who plays consistently in the Bundesliga and is a leader for the national team. Gerson Rodrigues scores in the most important moments for the national team, but is otherwise having a quiet club career, currently at Al Wehda in Saudi Arabia on loan from Dynamo Kyiv. Danel Sinani of Norwich is of course another player to highlight, as he showed his strength last season, when he nearly got promoted with his former team Huddersfield Town, getting into the playoffs. Sébastien Thill is the first Luxembourger to score in the UEFA Champions League, and I am sure a high number of people still remember his last-minute winner for Sheriff against Real Madrid in the group stage. Sparta Rotterdam left-back Mica Pinto is also a force for club & country, being a standout performer for Sparta many times during the autumn.)
- Za kraj, možeš li nam reći nešto o sebi?
Moje ime je Bence, star 18 godina iz Mađarske. Zaljubljen sam u fudbal od kada se sećam sebe i uvek sam bio zainteresovan za priče o Davidu protiv Golijata, manjim ligama i nacijama itd. Nisam odmah počeo da pišem o fudbalu Luksemburga, već sam pažljivo posmatrao igru zemlje nekoliko godina dok se to i nije realizovalo. Od tada se fokusiram na ovu temu, i uspeo sam da redovno razvijam svoj nalog na Tviteru u poslednje dve i po godine. Ukoliko vas zanima moj drugi rad, možete pronaći moje članke na RTL Danas posle svakog kola lige. Hvala na prilici i sve najbolje vama, momci!
(Odgovor u originalu: My name is Bence, an 18-year old contributor from Hungary, I’ve been in love with football for as long as I can remember, and always had an interest in underdog stories, smaller leagues and nations etc. I didn’t start blogging about Luxembourgish football right away, as I had closely observed the country’s game for several years until it materialised. I have been focusing on the topic ever since, and have managed to grow the account on Twitter steadily in the past two and a half years. If you are interested in my other works, you can find my articles on RTL Today after every gameweek in the league. Thank you for the opportunity and all the best to you, guys!)
