sport news Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation off the ... trends now

sport news Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation off the ... trends now
sport news Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation off the ... trends now

sport news Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation off the ... trends now

The saying goes that there are no easy games in football. Those that subscribe to the well-worn theory clearly never had the privilege of facing Luxembourg.

For years, this tiny landlocked nation, lodged in central Europe between France and Germany, would prop up European qualifying group after European qualifying group. Until 2008, you could count the number of points they'd picked up in their 104 World Cup outings on both hands.

That number was eight, one short of the tally of goals they shipped during their heaviest ever defeats. On three separate occasions, the Red Lions have been thumped 9-0. Two of those humiliations came courtesy of England. Bobby Charlton and Co provided the first in Luxembourg in 1960. At Wembley, in 1982, Luther Blissett grabbed a hat-trick.

Alan Shearer also helped himself to a treble the last time the two teams met at Wembley in 1999. The Three Lions only mustered six on that occasion. Still, easy enough.

Paul Philipp, standing in the Luxembourg technical area that day, thought as much, too.

Luxembourg were part timers when they were thrashed by England in Euro 2000 qualifying

Luxembourg were part timers when they were thrashed by England in Euro 2000 qualifying

'It was no problem for England. It was an easy game. It was 5-0 at half-time!,' he tells Sportsmail.

'At that moment when I was in charge, we were at the end of a cycle. When we faced England, we had one or two that played professionally. I knew the problem.'

Philipp has since made it his mission to fix it. The 72-year-old has dedicated much of the 24 years in between to finding a solution. Elected FA president in 2004, he has overseen a dramatic shift in fortunes on the field for one of Europe's smallest nations.

As recently as 2006, the country recorded its lowest ever FIFA ranking - 195, behind the likes of the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Bhutan. Even San Marino merited a higher position in the table according to football's governing body.

During Philipp's time at the helm, they have climbed into the top 100 and are currently sat in 92nd. He was recently elected for another four-year term in October last year. It is clear that his colleagues believe Luxembourg football is headed in the right direction under his watch. In truth there are fewer well qualified for the job.

'I started to play for the national team when I was 18. I think I played 54 times for Luxembourg,' says Philipp. Sixteen years as a coach, and now I am already 18 years as president. It's not a job, it's much more than that.

'In Liverpool they say it's much more than football. Here, it's much more than a job.

'I did not know anything else. When I started playing football, I was 10. Since then it was football, Luxembourg, football. I played 13 years in Belgium as a professional player. But I always came back to Luxembourg to play for the national team.

'I started as a player, more than 50 years I've been involved in Luxembourg football. It's my third life in the national team.'

They are a different prospect today, having risen more than 100 places in the world rankings

They are a different prospect today, having risen more than 100 places in the world rankings

FA president Paul Philipp has overseen a period of dramatic change in the nation's fortunes

FA president Paul Philipp has overseen a period of dramatic change in the nation's fortunes

Luxembourg's main aim is to start them as young as Philipp. A national football school was created in 2001, with the intention of producing more young players prepared for the professional game.

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