Jeunesse Esch
Encyclopedia
Jeunesse Esch is a football
club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette
, in south-western Luxembourg
.
with France
. "La frontière" was dropped to give the club its current name in 1918, which it retained until World War II
, where the Nazi
regime implemented the German
name SV Schwarz-Weiß 07 Esch and the club had to play in the Gauliga Moselland, finishing runners-up in the 1943-44 season. After the liberation of Luxembourg, the name reverted to AS la Jeunesse d'Esch.
Historically, Jeunesse Esch has been the most successful side in Luxembourgian football. They have won the National Division
on 28 occasions: first in 1921, and most recently in 2010. This is a national record, unless Racing FC Union Luxembourg's many predecessor clubs are counted together (they won a total of 28, divided between six incarnations). Jeunesse has also won the Luxembourg Cup
on twelve occasions, second behind the fourteen won by FA Red Boys Differdange
(now a part of FC Differdange 03
). In total, they have completed the coveted Double on eight occasions.
They first entered the European Cup
in 1958, but like most of Luxembourg's clubs, have failed to pass the preliminary rounds of the competition. Their most famous result came in the early stages of the 1973 competition when they held then-UEFA Cup
holders Liverpool
to a 1-1 draw at Anfield
.
and FC Etzella Ettelbruck
, of the past few years. However, the club had a disastrous 2006-07 season
, in which the club finished ninth, and only just avoided a relegation play-off.
European competition thirty times.
Jeunesse Esch is the only club from Luxembourg to have reached the second round of the European Cup
, and it has achieved that feat on two occasions, both under the leadership of George Berry in the early years of the competition:
Overall, Jeunesse's record in European competition reads:
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people...
, in south-western Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
History
The club was founded in 1907 as Jeunesse la Frontière d'Esch in reference to the proximity of their stadium to the borderBorder
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. "La frontière" was dropped to give the club its current name in 1918, which it retained until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
regime implemented the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name SV Schwarz-Weiß 07 Esch and the club had to play in the Gauliga Moselland, finishing runners-up in the 1943-44 season. After the liberation of Luxembourg, the name reverted to AS la Jeunesse d'Esch.
Historically, Jeunesse Esch has been the most successful side in Luxembourgian football. They have won the National Division
Luxembourg National Division
The National Division is the highest football league in Luxembourg. Until 2011, it is to be known as the BGL Ligue, after the Luxembourg Football Federation managed to seal a sponsorship deal with Fortis. Before 2006, it contained twelve teams, but it expanded to fourteen for the 2006-07 season,...
on 28 occasions: first in 1921, and most recently in 2010. This is a national record, unless Racing FC Union Luxembourg's many predecessor clubs are counted together (they won a total of 28, divided between six incarnations). Jeunesse has also won the Luxembourg Cup
Luxembourg Cup
The Luxembourg Cup is the national knockout cup competition in Luxembourgian football. It was first held in 1922, and has been held annually since, with the exception of the four seasons during the German occupation during Second World War.-Winners:...
on twelve occasions, second behind the fourteen won by FA Red Boys Differdange
FA Red Boys Differdange
Football Association Red Boys Differdange was a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. It is now a part of FC Differdange 03.-History:...
(now a part of FC Differdange 03
FC Differdange 03
Football Club Differdange 03 is a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western 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...
). In total, they have completed the coveted Double on eight occasions.
They first entered the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1958, but like most of Luxembourg's clubs, have failed to pass the preliminary rounds of the competition. Their most famous result came in the early stages of the 1973 competition when they held then-UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
holders Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
to a 1-1 draw at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
.
Today
Jeunesse have continued their success into recent times, being one of the top three Luxembourgian clubs, along with F91 DudelangeF91 Dudelange
F91 Dudelange is a football club, based in Dudelange, in southern Luxembourg.Dudelange's team colors are red and yellow vertically-striped shirts, with red shorts and socks.-History:...
and FC Etzella Ettelbruck
FC Etzella Ettelbruck
Football Club Etzella Ettelbruck, abbreviated to either FC Etzella or Etzella Ettelbruck, is a football club, based in Ettelbruck, in north-eastern Luxembourg.-History:...
, of the past few years. However, the club had a disastrous 2006-07 season
Luxembourg National Division 2006-07
The 2006-07 season of Luxembourg's National Division ran from 5 August 2006 to 30 May 2007. F91 Dudelange continued their domination of the National Division by winning their third league title in a row; Dudelange also won the Luxembourg Cup to complete the Double.-Teams:The National Division was...
, in which the club finished ninth, and only just avoided a relegation play-off.
Honours
- National DivisionLuxembourg National DivisionThe National Division is the highest football league in Luxembourg. Until 2011, it is to be known as the BGL Ligue, after the Luxembourg Football Federation managed to seal a sponsorship deal with Fortis. Before 2006, it contained twelve teams, but it expanded to fourteen for the 2006-07 season,...
- Winners (28): 1920-21, 1936-37, 1950-51, 1953-54, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1962-63, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1969-70, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2009-10
- Runners-up (12): 1914-15, 1935-36, 1937-38, 1952-53, 1956-57, 1960-61, 1968-69, 1977-78, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1990-91, 2005-06
- Luxembourg CupLuxembourg CupThe Luxembourg Cup is the national knockout cup competition in Luxembourgian football. It was first held in 1922, and has been held annually since, with the exception of the four seasons during the German occupation during Second World War.-Winners:...
- Winners (12): 1934-35, 1936-37, 1945-46, 1953-54, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1980-81, 1987-88, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00
- Runners-up (11): 1921-22, 1926-27, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1970-71, 1974-75, 1984-85, 1990-91, 1994-95, 1995-96, 2005-06
European Competition
Jeunesse Esch has qualified for UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
European competition thirty times.
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- Qualifying round (4): 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2004-05
- First round (15): 1958-59, 1960-61, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1988-89
- Second round (2): 1959-60, 1963-64
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- Qualifying round (2): 1995-96, 1998-99
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
- Qualifying round (3): 1995-96, 1996-97, 2000-01
- First round (4): 1969-70, 1978-79, 1986-87, 1989-90
Jeunesse Esch is the only club from Luxembourg to have reached the second round of the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, and it has achieved that feat on two occasions, both under the leadership of George Berry in the early years of the competition:
- In 1959-60European Cup 1959-60The 1959–60 European Cup was the fifth season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in the final, a record score for the European Cup final...
, Jeunesse were drawn against ŁKS Łódź, champions of PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In an incredible first leg, Jeunesse put five past the Poles without reply, practically guaranteeing their place in the second round regardless of the return leg (in the event, Łódź won 2-1, but only after Jeunesse had gone ahead). In the next round, Jeunesse faced somewhat harder opponents: Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, champions of Europe four times in a row. The first match, in the BernabéuSantiago Bernabéu StadiumThe Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
, was no contest, as Real Madrid trounced Jeunesse 7-0, with PuskásFerenc PuskásFerenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
scoring a hat-trick. Despite their comfortable victory, Real Madrid took no chances in the second leg and fielded a full-strength team, including Puskás, Di StéfanoAlfredo Di StéfanoAlfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
, and GentoFrancisco GentoFrancisco "Paco" Gento López is a former Spanish football player.-Biography:He débuted in the Primera División with Racing Santander in the 1952–53 season...
. The array of stars did nothing to over-awe the Luxembourgers on their home patch; Jeunesse scored twice within fifteen minutes, and made a good account of themselves, put succumbed to lose 5-2, 12-2 on aggregate. Real went on to win the European Cup for a fifth straight season, beating Eintracht FrankfurtEintracht FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
7-3 in a memorable final. - In the first round of the European Cup in 1963-64European Cup 1963-64The 1963-64 season of the European Cup club football tournamentsaw Internazionale win the title with a 3-1 victory over Real Madrid. It was the second consecutive season that an Italian team had won the Championship....
, Jeunesse was given a relatively easy tie against FC HakaFC HakaHaka is a Finnish football club, based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.- History :...
. Although they had avoided the biggest sides in the competition, Jeunesse was facing the dominant FinnishFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
side, and Jeunesse was thrashed 4-1 in ValkeakoskiValkeakoskiValkeakoski is a town and municipality in Finland.Valkeakoski is located south of Tampere and north of Helsinki in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of...
. In the return, Jeunesse mounted a come-back, but were winning by only 2-0 after 84 minutes. Suddenly, two goals in as few minutes put the Luxembourgian side through. The second round pitted Jeunesse against the YugoslavSocialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
champions, Partizan BelgradeFK PartizanFudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
for a place in the quarter-finals. Jeunesse won the first match 2-1, thanks to another late goal. However, the tie was turned on its head by four goals by Vladimir Kovačević, and Partizan won 6-2, and 7-4 on aggregate. 1963-64 turned out to be the annus mirabilisAnnus mirabilisAnnus mirabilis is a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" . It was used originally to refer to the year 1666, but is today also used to refer to different years with events of major importance...
of Luxembourgian football, as the national teamLuxembourg national football teamThe Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
almost reached the semi-finals of the European Championship.
Overall, Jeunesse's record in European competition reads:
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS la Jeunesse d'Esch | 67 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 53 | 216 | -163 |