CS Fola Esch

Fola Esch

Full name	Cercle Sportif Fola Esch
Founded	1906
Ground	Stade Émile Mayrisch, Esch-sur-Alzette (capacity: 3,900)
Chairman	Gerard Lopez
Manager	Jeff Strasser
Coach	Cyril Serredszum
League	Luxembourg National Division
2007-8	Division of Honour, 2nd
Home colours Away colours

Sporting Circle Fola Esch (French: Cercle Sportif Fola Esch), usually abbreviated to Fola Esch or simply Fola, is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. They play their home games at Stade Émile Mayrisch, in the south of the city, which they share with their sister athletics club CA Fola Esch.

History

Founded in 1906 by a British professor, Fola was the first football club in Luxembourg. During its heyday, it was the best club in the country, winning four National Division championships and two Luxembourg Cups between 1918 and 1924. Fola won another championship in 1930 and the Luxembourg Cup in 1955, but has since lost its place in Luxembourg's top flight.

Fola stubbornly rejected a merger with its larger neighbours, Jeunesse Esch, during the wave of consolidation in the 1990s. In 2004–05, Fola was relegated to the third tier of Luxembourgian football, but were promoted the following season. In 2006–07, they finished third, qualifying for a promotion play-off, which they lost to FC Victoria Rosport. In August 2007, Fola pulled off a transfer coup by signing former Morocco midfielder Mustapha Hadji.

In 2008, the club managed to secure second place in the championship, granting them promotion to the Fortis League (the top league in the country).^[1]

in May 2013, CS Fola Esch wins the championship in the BGL Ligue at the 25th playday with a historical result of 5-1 againts the enemy Jeunesse Esch. A victory that the club as waited 86 years from the last title. Stefano Bensi is one of the Fola's best players, he scored 20 goals this season. Fola will participate at the preliminary round of the Champions League 2013/14

Name History

• 1906: Club founded as Football and Lawn Tennis Club Esch
• 1907: Adopts current colours of red and white stripes
• 1910: Absorbs FC Nerva, becoming Cercle Sportif Fola Esch
• 1918: Wins first championship title
• 1924: Wins the Double
• 1930: Wins last championship title
• 1935: Moves to current stadium, Stade Émile Mayrisch
• 1973: First participation in European competition (season 1973–74)

Honours

• National Division

Winners (6): 1917–18, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1929–30, 2012-13

Runners-up (7): 1916–17, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1928–29, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1954–55

• Luxembourg Cup

Winners (3): 1922–23, 1923–24, 1954–55

Runners-up (1): 1972–73

European Competition

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1973–74	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	First round	Beroe	0–7	1–4	1–11
2011–12	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	IF Elfsborg	1–1	0–4	1–5
2013–14	UEFA Champions League	Second qualifying round		–	–	–

As of 29 April 2013^[2]

Rank	Country	Team	Points
431		FK Pelister	1.050
432		USV Eschen/Mauren	0.950
433		JK Sillamäe Kalev	0.941
434		CS Fola Esch	0.925
435		Lisburn Distillery FC	0.866
436		FC Shirak	0.850
437		UE Santa Coloma	0.850

Current squad 2012-2013

^[3] Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.   Position Player 1 GK Thomas Hym 2 GK Pit Theis 3 DF Jérémie Peiffer 4 DF David Veiga 5 DF Tom Schnell 8 MF Sébastien Renouard 9 FW Julien Hornuss 11 MF Sébastien Mazurier 13 FW Alen Milak 14 DF Asim Alomerović 15 DF Billy Bernard

No.   Position Player 21 MF Laurent Jans 22 GK Pit Theis 23 MF Tom Laterza 25 MF Ronny 28 DF Julien Klein 29 FW Rachid Boulahfari 33 GK Samir Hadji 87 DF Jakob Dallevedove 27 DF Stefano Bensi 29 GK Ahmed Rani

Former coaches

• Michael Lofy (July 2008–March 09)
• Pascal Welter (caretaker) (April 2009–Oct 09)
• Hippolyte Dangbeto (caretaker) (2009)
• Philippe Guérard (Oct 2009–Oct 10)
• Jeff Strasser (Nov 2010–1?)
• Cyril Serredszum (Dec 2010–June 12)

Former players

• Stéphane Boury
• Sébastien Rémy
• Jerry Geisbusch
• Nuno Goncalves
• Sergio Silva Costa
• Jeff Strasser
• Eloy Campos
• Ahmed El Aouad
• Mustapha Hadji
• Admar Moacyr
• Carlos Ferreira
• Helder Gonçalves
• Baoubady Toyisson

External links

• CS Fola homepage