The barrage games are the most beautiful week of the football year

The 35th ‘ In the game between US Reisdorf and Claravallis Clerf in Erpeldingen when the man next to me hectically got his cell phone out of his pocket to accept a call. After a few minutes of small talk, he came up with the game and the following loving description of the previous events fell: « It is 0: 0 – grand game. It’s a real treat. »

And while the unknown’s statement on my right was bursting with sarcasm, I was grinning next to him. In fact, I was looking forward to this game for a year. Because the encounter between Reisdorf and Clerf is not just any football game, but part of the undisputed highlight of Luxembourg football: the relegation week.

But why do football lovers like me the days until the start of this one week at the end of May? The answer is quickly found – the recipe for success is as simple as it is brilliant: within ten days there are twelve final games. 90 minutes on a neutral place decide whether the teams crown their season with the ascent or the descent just jump off the shovel.

If a team does not make it in 90 minutes, it goes into the extension or the nerve -wracking penalty shootout. This is how emerging underdogs meet time -honored, stumbling traditional clubs, village clubs from the north to southern small towns. David against Goliath in tranquil Luxembourg – David against David, so to speak. Surprises included.

A single shot is enough

So I lingered with a smile next to the man who had just looked at the duel of the undermined teams sarcastically – knowing that sooner or later the game would captivate him. And so came the 82nd ‘. Joe Krieg conquered the ball in midfield, ran a few meters and took heart from 35 meters. An absolute dream goal. It remained the only goal of the day that Clerf gave the climb from the lowest league and ripped rice in the valley of the tears. And by the way, elicited a loud laugh next to me.

It is exactly the scenes that make this week unforgettable. A single moment – a brilliant shot – was enough to write club history. This story will tell his grandchildren to war and the fans of Claravallis Clerf will let him raise one time or another. The Barrage Week showed its best side in Erpeldingen. And it should go on as well – regardless of the league affiliation.

A wonderful story lined up and revealed the beauty of amateur sports. For example, there would be Celine Mengen, who had just sealed the promotion to the second division with the second women’s team of SC Ell in the penalty shootout. She gave the best that she wanted to celebrate today, but the following day still had to write her last high school diploma in mathematics. A clack for the young captain.

Reflexes and pyrotechnics

Meanwhile, Ken Stockreiser was finally able to win a barrage game as a club legend of his Alliance Äischdall at the tender age of 34 – after 15 years and four attempts. It was similar to Jo Reuland from Union Mertert-Wasserbillig. The 36-year-old veteran celebrated the ascent with his club in the thick rain in Consdorf and was hardly able to grasp his luck after the final whistle. Because six months ago the club was still in front of a pile of broken glass, but with a new presidium made the restart, which nobody really believed.

There would be the goalkeeper Yassine Gourari, who secured his FC Atert Bissen with his incredible reflexes and later ignited pyrotechnics as if he did this weekly. Likewise, AS Wincrange was able to moor in Mertzig and almost twelve months after you had descended in the relegation in the same place against Koerich.

But where triumphs were celebrated, football wrote just as heartbreaking stories. The young savages of Harlange-Tarchamps only narrowly failed after a magnificent struggle and will certainly start a further attack in two years next season after two relegations.

And then there was Ralph, who, in his last game as a goalkeeper for FC Wiltz, wanted to use the opportunity to save the messed up season in front of 2,500 viewers in Ettelbrück. Despite muscle complaints, he dragged himself into the penalty shootout just to pull the shorter against Canach. Every neutral viewer would have granted him. If you then see how he comforted Chris Philipp’s destroyed on the ground, did not get the tears in the eyes, it could no longer be helped. Pure emotions – even without a happy ending.

So it is hardly surprising that the relegation week among connoisseurs of the subject is called « the most beautiful week of the year ». Because while the football of the upper leagues did not radiate flair or excitement and the lower leagues have long since become the refuge for the authentic football experience, the barrage days compensated for a lot.

And this before record scenes. Because the games visited no less than 14,092 spectators. With SC Ell, who was allowed to play the game between Eischdall and Harlingen, more people were present with 1,632 spectators than the community has inhabitants. Thanks to the organization of the clubs such as Ell, Mertzig or Erpeldingen, the relegation week 2025 became the football festival, which everyone loves so much.

Admittedly, playful « delicacies » were rarely there. However, these were mostly compensated for by passion, dedication and authenticity – between pyrotechnics, sausages and fishing channels. It is the fabric made from which the dreams of the football lovers are made away from the commerce. So I can hardly wait for the next week of barrage to start. After all, there are only 355 days left.