Historically unsuccessful: Avenir Beggen makes it in « The New York Times »
No other team has shaped the Champions League (formerly European Cup of the national champions) as Real Madrid. The Spanish record champion already played 500 games in the most important European club competition.
The sports section (« The Athletic ») of the « New York Times » On the occasion of the anniversary, took a look at the history books in which Luxembourg surprisingly appears. Although Leandro Barreiro (Benfica) only used one player from the Grand Duchy in the Champions League this season, Luxembourg plays a leading role in the history of the competition – although no glorious.
According to « The Athletic », Stade Dudelingen still keeps the record for the highest defeat after the first and second leg. In the 1965/1966 season, the association lost 0: 8 and 0:10. Avenir Beggen takes second place. In 1984 the duels ended with Gothenburg 0: 8 and 0: 9. « It is not surprising that Beggen is the club that has played the most games without scoring in this competition, » says the article. The gloomy balance is eight games, eight defeats and a goal difference of 0:44.
Beggens balance
10th and September 24, 1969: 0: 5 and 0: 3 against AC Milan
September 15 and 29, 1982: 0: 5 and 0: 8 against Rapid Vienna
September 19 and October 3, 1984: 0: 8 and 0: 9 against Gothenburg
September 17 and October 1, 1986: Two times 0: 3 against Austra Vienna
But the Luxembourg clubs not only appear in negative statistics. Without taking into account the qualification, eight different teams from the Grand Duchy have participated in the premier class. Russia, Scotland, Iceland, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Hungary have so far sent as many teams into the race. Countries such as Portugal, Greece or Turkey, on the other hand, come to fewer different participants.
So far, 76 games have played Luxembourg clubs in the premier class – that is enough for 28th place in international comparison. 47 have played only two games. One of them: the Red Boys Differdingen, who were there in 1979.
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While the national champions used to be automatically qualified, the mode was gradually changed in the 1990s. Beggen was allowed to take part in the preliminary round at least in 1993, after which the Luxembourg clubs always failed in qualification. Against this background – and in view of the fact that Avenir is currently fighting against relegation in honor promotion – the question asked in the article can currently be easily answered.
