FC Differdange 03 explained

Clubname:Differdange 03
Fullname:Foussballclub Differdange 03
Ground:Municipal Stadium vun der Stad Déifferdeng, Differdange
Capacity:3,800
Chairman:Fabrizio Bei
Manager:Pedro Resende
League:BGL Ligue
Season:2023–24
Position:Luxembourg National Division, 1st of 16 (champion)
Website:https://www.fcd03.lu/home
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Foussballclub Differdange 03 is a professional football club based in Differdange, Luxembourg.

History

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

As Red Boys Differdange

*as Sporting Club Differdange

**as FC Differdange 03

***as AS Differdange

European competitions

As Red Boys Differdange

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

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

PWDLGFGAGD
Red Boys Differdange2011188103−95
FC Differdange 0331104173049−19
CompetitionMatchesWDLGFGA
UEFA Champions League210137
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup6006228
UEFA Cup/Europa League2864182394
UEFA Intertoto Cup200205
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
2007UEFA Intertoto Cup1R Slovan Bratislava0–20–30–5
2009–10UEFA Europa League2Q Rijeka1–00–31–3
2010–11UEFA Europa League2Q Spartak Zlatibor Voda3–30–23–5
2011–12UEFA Europa League2Q Levadia0–01–01–0
3Q Olympiakos Volou0–30–30–6
PO Paris Saint-Germain0–40–20–6
2012–13UEFA Europa League1Q NSÍ Runavík3–03–06–0
2Q Gent0–12–32–4
2013–14UEFA Europa League1Q Laçi2–11–03–1
2Q Utrecht2–13–35–4
3Q Tromsø1–00–11–1 (3–4 p.)
2014–15UEFA Europa League1Q Atlantas1–01–32–3
2015–16UEFA Europa League1Q Bala Town3–11–24–3
2Q Trabzonspor1–20–11–3
2016–17UEFA Europa League1Q Cliftonville1–10–21–3
2017–18UEFA Europa League1Q Zira1–20–21–4
2020–21UEFA Europa League1Q Zrinjski Mostar0–3
2022–23UEFA Europa Conference League1Q Olimpija Ljubljana1–2 1–12–3
2023–24UEFA Europa Conference League2Q Maribor1–13–4 4–5
2024–25UEFA Champions League1Q KÍ0–00−20−2
UEFA Conference League2Q Ordabasy1–03−44−4 (3–4 p.)
Notes

Current squad

Updated 15 August, 2024.[1]

Staff

Former coaches

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kader. 18 July 2023.

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