The BGL League, the Luxembourg football D1, resumed its rights Wednesday evening after a shutdown of nearly four months due to the health crisis. But the first major balloon-related event on national soil is scheduled for March 30. With Roud Léiwen’s first home game in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. A meeting against Portugal by Cristiano Ronaldo, three days after traveling to Ireland and six days after a friendly against Qatar at Vienna.
A match against the Portuguese which, in the eyes of many, serves as the ideal poster to inaugurate the Luxembourg stadium, the new enclosure located at the Golden Bell that everyone has been waiting for in the country for so long. But will this stadium at 77 million euros be ready on time? No one officially seems to really know. However, a decision is due shortly. He is whispering to himself in the corridors of the FLF, the Luxembourg football federation, that the City of Luxembourg should communicate on the subject next week.
It will be time to find out. Because as a general rule, the FLF must communicate to UEFA, the European federation, two months before each meeting the place where it will take place. And there, it will be practically a month to the day of the arrival of the European champions from Lusitano … But UEFA has, it seems, understood the Luxembourg situation. And then, the “old” Josy-Barthel stadium, the appointed replacement in case he is not ready, is not very far. And his lawn, so decried in the past, has had time to recover.
With or without spectators?
In the game of predictions, the odds of a Luxembourg – Portugal at the Luxembourg stadium have risen quite a bit lately. “Frankly, everything has gone very well. The city has really done its best given the health crisis ”slipped a person close to the file. UEFA technicians made a good visit last week to check that the specifications had been met. No bad surprises. But apparently there are still some “details” to be checked relating to security, the placement of television cameras … Can everything be sorted out in time?
One thing seems, in any case, certain, this meeting against Portugal should be played without spectators. Whether at the Luxembourg stadium or at Josy-Barthel. At present, the Luxembourg state has decreed closed doors in the stadiums. And this until March 14, but we don’t really see how that could change afterwards …
If it’s not Portugal …
We must admit that an opening match against a great nation in an empty stadium, that would do nothing sad. Wouldn’t it be good therefore to wait for the return of good weather for this long-awaited first match, just to find a little better sanitary conditions and perhaps spectators in the aisles? But without absolute certainty. On the side of the FLF, we want to “take possession of the premises” as quickly as possible. It makes sense when you know how long she has been waiting for this new setting.
However, should Portugal arrive too early, the next official home meeting for coach Luc Holtz’s players will see us face… Azerbaijan in September. Which is not very glamorous. On the other hand, in June, a window is available to play friendly matches. With perhaps the possibility of welcoming a renowned opponent who will be in full preparation for a Euro which will start just behind. And that, even if it is said that the very large calibers (like France, Germany, Belgium…) would already be taken.
Unless the honor of the opening match ultimately goes to the other tenant of the premises, the Luxembourg national rugby team. Currently shut down due to the health crisis, the latter had an official home match scheduled against Hungary next May. But he has little chance of holding on. On the other hand, it could be replaced by a friendly match disputed in the same dates …
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