Promising signs for Luxembourg

It could not have been a worse start. Luxembourg's first game in any final tournament last Wednesday was a UEFA European Under-17 Championship group-stage record 7-1 defeat by Spain. But the hosts improved for their next two matches, against Hungary and Russia, and although these were lost their performances and the fact a total of more than 7,000 spectators came to watch, offers real hope that football in the Grand Duchy may finally be on the up.

Spanish KO
The opening-day defeat was particularly hard for Ronny Bonvini's team. "Most of my players couldn't handle the weight of this game," said the coach. Expectations about this generation were indeed high, as they were the first to have come through the ranks at the Luxembourg Football Federation academy in Mondercange.

Hungary worried
So when they came to face Hungary two days later, Bonvini declared: "I expect my players to raise their heads." And how. For the first half, they were a match for their talented opponents, but in the ten minutes after the break Krisztián Németh stepped up a gear to score twice and kill the game. Happy with the spirit shown, however, Bonvini remained hopeful about the concluding fixture.

Russia made to work
Although another reverse followed, the display against Russia was the most accomplished by Luxembourg in this tournament, only conceding once late in each half. "We suffered against a well-organised side," said Russia coach Igor Kolyvanov. "Igor Gorbatenko saved our game." It was Gorbatenko's superb volley that turned the tie in Russia's favour, though Luxembourg salvaged more pride.

Improvement
Of course, with one goal scored and 13 shipped, Bonvini is not satisfied. "I won't let my players congratulate themselves because they've received some compliments," he said. "Being satisfied with what you have is already going backwards. The final result is not good." The future is better, however. "My players have learned a lot and improved during the week."

Key duo
Two that stood out were midfielders Gilles Bettmer and Miralem Pjanic, surely destined for the full national squad and already with foreign clubs - Bettmer is at SC Freiburg, Pjanic plays for FC Metz. In the last two games they held the midfield admirably and senior coach Guy Hellers cannot have helped but be impressed.

Better future?
But there is a long way to go, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign typically ended with 12 defeats in 12 matches. The national school at Mondercange, inaugurated in 2002, should continue to bring forth talent. "We want to return to the standard we had ten years ago," said federation president Paul Philipp, harking back to the EURO '96™ qualifiers where Luxembourg gained ten points.

Healthy crowds
The enthusiasm surrounding the U17 'Roude Léiw' (Red Lions) is already a victory for Philipp. "Such an audience, notably for the first game [nearly 4,000], was unexpected," he said. Maybe such crowds will soon not be considered noteworthy.