CS Fola Esch explained

Clubname:Fola Esch
Fullname:Cercle sportif Fola Esch
Founded:1906
Ground:Stade Émile Mayrisch
Capacity:7,826
Chairman:Maurice Reidweiler
Manager:Stefano Bensi
League:BGL Ligue
Season:2023–24
Position:14th of 16
Website:https://www.csfola.lu/home
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Sporting Circle Fola Esch (French: Cercle sportif Fola Esch), usually abbreviated to Fola Esch or simply Fola, is a professional football club based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. They play their home games at Stade Émile Mayrisch, in the south of the city, which they share with their sister athletics club CA Fola Esch.

History

Founded in 1906 by the English language teacher Jean Roeder, Fola was the first football club in Luxembourg. During its heyday, it was the best club in the country, winning four National Division championships and two Luxembourg Cups between 1918 and 1924. Fola won another championship in 1930 and the Luxembourg Cup in 1955, but had since this time lost its place in Luxembourg's top flight.

Fola stubbornly rejected a merger with its larger neighbours, Jeunesse Esch, during the wave of consolidation in the 1990s. In 2004–05, Fola were relegated to the third tier of Luxembourgish football, but were promoted the following season. In 2006–07 they finished third, qualifying for a promotion play-off, which they lost to Victoria Rosport. In August 2007, Fola pulled off a transfer coup by signing former Morocco midfielder Mustapha Hadji.

In 2008, the club managed to secure second place in the championship, granting them promotion to the Fortis League (National Division, the top league in the country, renamed BGL League in March 2009 due to the financial crisis).[1]

In May 2013, CS Fola Esch won the championship in the BGL Ligue with a historic 5–1 win against their rivals, Jeunesse Esch in the 25th match of the season. The club had a gap of 83 years since their last championship. Stefano Bensi scored 20 goals during this season.

Fola participated in the second qualifying round of the Champions League 2013–14, but lost to Dinamo Zagreb 0–5 in the first leg (at home) and 0–1 in the second leg (away). In 2015, Fola won the championship again, after finishing second in 2014. In 2016 they again finished second with an equal number of points with the champions, F91 Dudelange.

In 2016 CS Fola Esch, celebrated their 110th birthday, and also became a member of the exclusive Club of Pioneers, as the oldest football club of Luxembourg.

History

Honours

National Division

Luxembourg Cup

European competition

See also: UEFA coefficient. [2]

RankCountryTeam
317FK Mladost Podgorica3.550
318NK Široki Brijeg3.550
319FC Irtysh Pavlodar3.550
320CS Fola Esch3.475
321FC Differdange 033.475
322PFC Slavia Sofia3.425
CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
UEFA Champions League7025319
UEFA Europa League1935111734
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup2002111
UEFA Europa Conference League7403911
Total3577213075

Matches

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1973–74UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1R Beroe Stara Zagora0–71–41–11
2011–12UEFA Europa League1Q Elfsborg1–10–41–5
2013–14UEFA Champions League2Q Dinamo Zagreb0–50–10–6
2014–15UEFA Europa League1Q Göteborg0–20–00–2
2015–16UEFA Champions League2Q Dinamo Zagreb0–31–11–4
2016–17UEFA Europa League1Q Aberdeen1–01–32–3
2017–18UEFA Europa League1Q Milsami Orhei2–11–13–2
2Q Inter Baku4–10–14–2
3Q Östersund1–20–11–3
2018–19UEFA Europa League1Q Prishtina0–00–00–0 (5–4p)
2Q Genk1–40–51–9
2019–20UEFA Europa League1Q Chikhura Sachkhere1–21–22–4
2020–21UEFA Champions League1Q Sheriff Tiraspol0–2
UEFA Europa League2Q Ararat-Armenia3–4 (aet)
2021–22UEFA Champions League1Q Lincoln Red Imps2–20–52–7
UEFA Europa Conference League2Q Shahktyor Soligorsk1–02–13–1
3Q Linfield2–12–14–2
PO Kairat1–41–32–7
2022–23UEFA Europa Conference League1Q Tre Fiori0–11–31–4

Current squad

[3] (on loan from F91 Dudelange) (on loan from Wiltz 71)

Former coaches

Manager Appointed Dismissed
Henri Bossi 1 July 198830 June 1989
Henri Bossi 23 September 199330 June 1994
Pascal Welter 19 February 2000 5 November 2002
Philippe Guérard 10 November 2005 25 March 2006
Michael Lofy 1 July 2008 23 March 2009
Pascal Welter 13 April 2009 16 October 2009
Philippe Guérard26 October 2009 31 October 2010
2 November 2010 22 December 2010
22 December 2010 30 January 2012
1 July 2012 26 September 2017
27 September 2017 4 February 2018
5 February 2018 16 August 2018
16 August 2018[4] 18 May 2020[5]
18 May 2020[6] present

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesl/lux08.html Luxembourg 2007/08
  2. Web site: UEFA coefficients. UEFA.com. UEFA.
  3. Web site: CS Fola Esch – Roster . CS Fola Esch Roster . 1 October 2023 .
  4. Web site: Official Communication . CS Fola Esch . 16 August 2018.
  5. Web site: Offiziell: Strasser wird Hesperinger Trainer . Luxembourger Wort . 19 May 2020 . 20 May 2020 . de . Official: Strasser becomes Hesperinger trainer.
  6. Web site: OSébastien Grandjean prend les commandes du Fola . Luxembourger Wort . 18 May 2020 . 20 May 2020 . fr . Sébastien Grandjean takes control of Fola.