Extreme Football Tourism: LUXEMBOURG: FC Marisca Mersch (1989-)

Sunday 20 August 2023

LUXEMBOURG: FC Marisca Mersch (1989-)

Terrain Schintgespesch, Mersch (FC Marisca Mersch)

Luxembourg, canton: Mersch

20 VIII 2023 / FC Marisca Mersch - FC Wiltz 71 1-1 / National Division (= LUX level 1)

Timeline

1908 / Foundation of football club FC Marisca Mersch. Most probably, the club started its life at a ground at Rue des Prés.
1940 / After Germany’s invasion of Luxembourg, occupation authorities pursued an aggressive Germanisation campaign, involving – amongst other things – all football clubs having to take on a fully German name. As such, FC Marisca Mersch was renamed Fussballklub (FK) Mersch.
1944 / Following the liberation of Luxembourg by the Allies, the old club name FC Marisca Mersch is reinstated.
1989 / A new main pitch is created for FC Marisca Mersch on an open field near the village centre, Terrain Schintgespesch – no more than a stone’s throw away from the old ground. Terrain Rue des Prés is retained for lower team football and training sessions.
2013 / FC Marisca Mersch wins the title in Division 1 Série 1, 3 points ahead of FC Blue Boys Muhlenbach-Sandžak, thus acceding to Promotion d’Honneur for the first time in 50 years. The stay at this level does not last long, though, with relegation following straightaway in 2014.
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, broken off in March 2020 due to the COVID lockdown, FC Marisca Mersch is declared winner of Division 1 Série 1 – not unfairly, given that the club managed to build up an 8-point lead over closest followers FC Atert Bissen. As such, the club is placed in Promotion d’Honneur for the new season.
2023 / Finishing runners-up in Promotion d’Honneur behind FC Schifflange 95, FC Marisca Mersch, coached by Mickail Zaritski, accedes to the top flight of Luxembourg’s football pyramid for the first time ever. Moreover, the club also reaches the final of the nationwide cup following defeats of CS Sanem, FC Syra Mensdorf, FC Luxembourg City, FC Wiltz 71, and US Mondorf-les-Bains. In the final, played at Stade du Luxembourg, the club loses 4-2 against FC Differdange 03, with Mersch’s goals being scored by Joel Rodrigues da Cruz and Frédéric Thill.