CA Spora Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
CA Spora Luxembourg was a football
club, based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg
. It is now a part of Racing FC Union Luxembourg
.
and Sporting Club Luxembourg
, two of the leading lights of early Luxembourgish football. For the first seventeen years of existence, Spora would battle with FA Red Boys Differdange
for ultimate ascendancy in Luxembourgish football. Although Red Boys won more trophies in this period, Spora picked up almost every piece of silverware that Red Boys didn't, with seven league titles
and three Luxembourg Cup
s in just fifteen years.
During the German occupation of Luxembourg
, the club played in the Gauliga Moselland under the name of Moselland Luxemburg.
After the Second World War, Spora continued to win titles (albeit less frequently than before). To its pre-war haul, the club added four more championships and won the Luxembourg Cup another five times. In 1956, Spora recorded one of the most celebrated European club results in Luxembourgish history, as it beat the West German
champions, Borussia Dortmund
.
In 2005, Spora merged with two other clubs from Luxembourg City, CS Alliance 01 and Union Luxembourg
, to form Spora's modern incarnation, Racing FC Union Luxembourg
.
Spora won two games in Europe. In 1956-57, the team surprisingly won the second leg of their tie against West German
champions Borussia Dortmund
2-1, having lost the first leg 4-3 in Germany. Under today's system, using the away goals rule
, Spora would have gone through. However, in 1956, matches were replayed, and Spora was dispatched 7-0. Spora's second victory was in the 1964-65 UEFA Cup
, when it won its second leg against FC Basel
1-0, but went out nonetheless, having lost the first leg 2-0.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. It is now a part of Racing FC Union Luxembourg
Racing FC Union Luxembourg
Racing Football Club Union Luxembourg , usually abbreviated to Racing FC, is a football club, based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg.-History:...
.
History
Spora was founded in 1923 as an amalgam of Racing Club LuxembourgRacing Club Luxembourg
Racing Club Luxembourg is a now defunct Luxembourgian team which was merged with Sporting Club Luxembourg in 1923 to make CA Spora Luxembourg....
and Sporting Club Luxembourg
Sporting Club Luxembourg
Sporting Club Luxembourg are a now defunct Luxembourgian football team which was merged with Racing Club Luxembourg to become CA Spora Luxembourg in 1923....
, two of the leading lights of early Luxembourgish football. For the first seventeen years of existence, Spora would battle with FA Red Boys Differdange
FA Red Boys Differdange
Football Association Red Boys Differdange was a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. It is now a part of FC Differdange 03.-History:...
for ultimate ascendancy in Luxembourgish football. Although Red Boys won more trophies in this period, Spora picked up almost every piece of silverware that Red Boys didn't, with seven league titles
Luxembourg National Division
The National Division is the highest football league in Luxembourg. Until 2011, it is to be known as the BGL Ligue, after the Luxembourg Football Federation managed to seal a sponsorship deal with Fortis. Before 2006, it contained twelve teams, but it expanded to fourteen for the 2006-07 season,...
and three Luxembourg Cup
Luxembourg Cup
The Luxembourg Cup is the national knockout cup competition in Luxembourgian football. It was first held in 1922, and has been held annually since, with the exception of the four seasons during the German occupation during Second World War.-Winners:...
s in just fifteen years.
During the German occupation of Luxembourg
German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II
The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II was the period in the history of Luxembourg after it was used as a transit territory to attack France by outflanking the Maginot Line. Plans for the attack had been prepared by 9 October 1939, but execution was postponed several times...
, the club played in the Gauliga Moselland under the name of Moselland Luxemburg.
After the Second World War, Spora continued to win titles (albeit less frequently than before). To its pre-war haul, the club added four more championships and won the Luxembourg Cup another five times. In 1956, Spora recorded one of the most celebrated European club results in Luxembourgish history, as it beat the West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
champions, Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
.
In 2005, Spora merged with two other clubs from Luxembourg City, CS Alliance 01 and Union Luxembourg
Union Luxembourg
Union Sportive Luxembourg, usually known as Union Luxembourg, was a football club, based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is now a part of Racing FC Union Luxembourg.-History:...
, to form Spora's modern incarnation, Racing FC Union Luxembourg
Racing FC Union Luxembourg
Racing Football Club Union Luxembourg , usually abbreviated to Racing FC, is a football club, based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg.-History:...
.
Honours
- National DivisionLuxembourg National DivisionThe National Division is the highest football league in Luxembourg. Until 2011, it is to be known as the BGL Ligue, after the Luxembourg Football Federation managed to seal a sponsorship deal with Fortis. Before 2006, it contained twelve teams, but it expanded to fourteen for the 2006-07 season,...
- Winners (11): 1924-25, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1937-38, 1948-49, 1955-56, 1960-61, 1988-89
- Runners-up (10): 1923-24, 1925-26, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1932-33, 1944-45, 1951-52, 1958-59, 1966-67, 1987-88
- Luxembourg CupLuxembourg CupThe Luxembourg Cup is the national knockout cup competition in Luxembourgian football. It was first held in 1922, and has been held annually since, with the exception of the four seasons during the German occupation during Second World War.-Winners:...
- Winners (8): 1927-28, 1931-32, 1939-40, 1949-50, 1956-57, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1979-80
- Runners-up (8): 1924-25, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1944-45, 1962-63, 1986-87
European Competition
Spora qualified for UEFA European competition eleven times.- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- First round (3): 1956-57, 1961-62, 1989-90
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- First round (3): 1965-66, 1966-67, 1980-81
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
- First round (5): 1964-65, 1967-68, 1987-88, 1991-92, 1992-93
Spora won two games in Europe. In 1956-57, the team surprisingly won the second leg of their tie against West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
champions Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
2-1, having lost the first leg 4-3 in Germany. Under today's system, using the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
, Spora would have gone through. However, in 1956, matches were replayed, and Spora was dispatched 7-0. Spora's second victory was in the 1964-65 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, when it won its second leg against FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
1-0, but went out nonetheless, having lost the first leg 2-0.