FC Differdange 03

Summary

Foussballclub Differdange 03 is a football club based in Differdange, Luxembourg.

Differdange 03
Full nameFoussballclub Differdange 03
Founded2003; 21 years ago (2003)
GroundMunicipal Stadium vun der Stad Déifferdeng,
Differdange
Capacity3,800
ChairmanFabrizio Bei
ManagerPedro Resende
LeagueLuxembourg National Division
2022–23Luxembourg National Division, 5th of 16
WebsiteClub website

History edit

Differdange 03 was formed in 2003 as an amalgam of two clubs from the city of Differdange: FA Red Boys Differdange and AS Differdange. When the clubs merged, in time for the 2003–04 season, Red Boys was languishing in the bottom half of the Division of Honour, while AS was in mid-table position in the third tier of Luxembourgian football. The new club took Red Boys league position, and was promoted back into the National Division in the 2005–06 season, when the top division was expanded from twelve clubs to fourteen.

Red Boys Differdange had previously been one of the largest and most successful teams in Luxembourgian football, having won the Luxembourg Cup more times than any other team (15). During the 1920s and 1930s, Red Boys competed with Spora Luxembourg for dominance of Luxembourgian football. Red Boys was the more successful of the two, and won thirteen trophies in as many years between 1923 and 1936. Despite the staunch competition (Spora won 8 trophies in the same period), this record has never been matched.

In the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League Differdange 03 progressed to the 3rd qualifying round of the competition after they eliminated Levadia Tallinn 1–0 on aggregate, one of the club's most famous European victories and one of the most historic victories for a club from Luxembourg has ever had in European Competitions. In the 3rd qualifying round they met Olympiakos Volou and lost 3–0 in both legs, 6–0 on aggregate. However, as Olympiakos Volou was presumably involved in a corruption case, UEFA decided on 11 August 2011 that Differdange would progress to the play-off round and meet Paris Saint-Germain, the furthest a club from Luxembourg has reached in European competitions.

In June 2012, after a poor season in BGL League in which they placed 4th, FCD03 changed coach and Paolo Amodio was exempted. Michel Leflochmoan was appointed as new coach as he is familiar in BGL League: with the F91 Dudelange and with Jeunesse Esch he won multiple championships in Luxembourg.

On 5 and 12 July 2012, FCD03 won against NSÍ Runavík for the first round of qualifying for Europe League with 3–0 and 0–3, with a total of 6 goals in two games. In the second round, FC Differdange 03 faced Belgian club Gent, but were eliminated with an aggregate of 2–4.

On 18 July 2013, they defeated the Dutch club Utrecht in the first leg of 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League for 2–1. Omar Er Rafik scored both goals. And on 25 July 2013 the made a 3–3 draw against Utrecht in the return, eliminating the Dutch club, which is significantly larger than Differdange, in the UEFA Europa League.

Honours edit

As Red Boys Differdange edit

  • National Division
    • Winners (6): 1922–23, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1978–79
    • Runners-up (14): 1910–11*, 1926–27, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1957–58, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2008–09**, 2014–15**, 2016–17
  • Luxembourg Cup
    • Winners (20, record): 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1971–72, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1984–85, 2009–10**, 2010–11**, 2013–14**, 2014–15**, 2022–23**
    • Runners-up (11): 1923–24, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1969–70, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1989–90***, 2012–13**
*as Sporting Club Differdange
**as FC Differdange 03
***as AS Differdange

European competitions edit

As Red Boys Differdange edit

Red Boys Differdange qualified for UEFA European competition ten times.

First round (1): 1979–80
First round (3): 1972–73, 1982–83, 1985–86
First round (6): 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85

Red Boys never progressed past the first tie in any European competition. They won one match in Europe, winning their 1979 UEFA European Cup first leg 2–1 against Omonia Nicosia before losing 6–1 in Cyprus. In the 1984 UEFA Cup, Red Boys managed a surprise goalless draw with Ajax, but were crushed 14–0 in the return, which remains a UEFA Cup record.

As FC Differdange 03 edit

In the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League Differdange progressed to the 3rd qualifying round of the competition after they eliminated Utrecht 5–4 on aggregate. Overall, Differdange's record in European competition reads: Updated 26 July 2013

P W D L GF GA GD
Red Boys Differdange 20 1 1 18 8 103 −95
FC Differdange 03 31 10 4 17 30 49 −19
Competition Matches W D L GF GA
UEFA Champions League 2 1 0 1 3 7
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 6 0 0 6 2 28
UEFA Cup/Europa League 28 6 4 18 23 94
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2 0 0 2 0 5
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R   Slovan Bratislava 0–2 0–3 0–5  
2009–10 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Rijeka 1–0 0–3 1–3  
2010–11 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Spartak Zlatibor Voda 3–3 0–2 3–5  
2011–12 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Levadia 0–0 1–0 1–0  
3Q   Olympiakos Volou 0–3 0–3 0–6 (then qualified due to a scandal involving Olympiacos Volos.)  
PO[1]   Paris Saint-Germain 0–4 0–2 0–6  
2012–13 UEFA Europa League 1Q   NSÍ Runavík 3–0 3–0 6–0  
2Q   Gent 0–1 2–3 2–4  
2013–14 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Laçi 2–1 1–0 3–1  
2Q   Utrecht 2–1 3–3 5–4  
3Q   Tromsø 1–0 0–1 1–1 (3–4 p.)  
2014–15 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Atlantas 1–0 1–3 2–3  
2015–16 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Bala Town 3–1 1–2 4–3  
2Q   Trabzonspor 1–2 0–1 1–3  
2016–17 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Cliftonville 1–1 0–2 1–3  
2017–18 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Zira 1–2 0–2 1–4  
2020–21 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Zrinjski Mostar 0–3  
2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q   Olimpija Ljubljana 1–2 (a.e.t.) 1–1 2–3  
2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League 2Q   Maribor 1–1 3–4 (a.e.t.) 4–5  
Notes
  • ^ Note: Olympiakos Volou disqualified by involvement in match-fixing. UEFA replaced them with Differdange.

Current squad edit

Updated 1 March 2024.[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 MF   LUX Gianni Monteiro Lima
4 MF   LUX Kevin D'Anzico
5 DF   FRA Théo Brusco
6 MF   GNB Manuel Pami
7 FW   LUX Artur Abreu
9 FW   FRA Moussa Suso
10 MF   FRA Guillaume Trani
12 GK   MNE Enis Nurkovic
13 FW   POR Diogo Lamas
14 DF   ARG Juan Bedouret
16 GK   FRA Romain Ruffier
17 MF   LUX Rafael Ribeiro
19 FW   LUX Asim Huskic
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF   CRC Néstor Monge
21 MF   FRA Ludovic Rauch
23 DF   ARG Lucas Pruzzo
24 DF   DOM Christian Schoissengeyr
25 DF   FRA Geoffrey Franzoni
27 FW   POR Arlindo Barbosa
28 FW   POR Jorginho
30 GK   POR Rui Nibra
50 MF   ARG Andres Vaschetto
70 FW   FRA Kenny Nagera
77 DF   LUX Gianluca Bei
88 FW   BRA Ulisses
91 MF   BEL Mario Muzhaqi

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
10 MF   FRA Amine Naïfi (at 1. FC Saarbrücken until 30 June 2024)

Staff edit

  • Head coach:   Pedro Resende
  • Assistant coach:   José Leiras
  • Goalkeeper coach:   Ruben Araújo
  • Fitness trainer:   Romain Katchavenda

Former coaches edit

  •   Dan Theis (20 Nov 2003 – 30 June 2006)
  •   Roland Schaack (1 July 2008 – 30 June 2009)
  •   Dan Theis (1 July 2009 – 10 April 2011)
  •   Maurice Spitoni (caretaker) (10 April 2011 – 30 June 2011)
  •   Paolo Amodio (1 July 2011 – 30 June 2012)
  •   Michel Le Flochmoan (1 July 2012 – 30 June 2014)
  •   Marc Thomé (1 July 2014 – 30 June 2016)
  •   Pascal Carzaniga (1 July 2016 – 2019)

References edit

  1. ^ "Kader". Retrieved 18 July 2023.

External links edit

  • FC Differdange 03 official website Archived 9 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine