Manuel Cardoni is a retired 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...

ian football player. He is currently assistant manager of US Rumelange

US Rumelange

Union Sportive Rumelange, usually abbreviated to US Rumelange, is a football club, based in Rumelange, in south-western Luxembourg.-History:...

 in the second tier of Luxembourg football, the Luxembourg Division of Honour

Luxembourg Division of Honour

The Division of Honour is the second-level football league in Luxembourg. It lies below the National Division and above the 1. Division.-2011–12 clubs:-References:**...

.

Cardoni is the son of Furio Cardoni, one of Luxembourg's finest players in the 1970s.

Club career

A tireless midfield

Midfield

Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...

 playmaker, Cardoni started his career at US Rumelange

US Rumelange

Union Sportive Rumelange, usually abbreviated to US Rumelange, is a football club, based in Rumelange, in south-western Luxembourg.-History:...

 before joining Luxembourg club Jeunesse Esch

Jeunesse Esch

Jeunesse Esch is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg.- History :...

 in 1992. He was then snapped up by German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...

, for whom he made only one substitute appearance (against Bayern Munich) in two seasons. He became the third Luxembourgian player in the Bundesliga ever, after Nico Braun

Nico Braun

Nico Braun is a former footballer from Luxembourg.-Club career:He played for foreign clubs almost all of his career, predominantly in France, but also in Germany, before returning to his original club, Union Luxembourg....

 and Robby Langers

Robby Langers

Robert 'Roby' Langers is a retired footballer from Luxembourg.He was voted Luxembourgian Sportsman of the Year in 1987.-Club career:...

.

He rejoined Jeunesse Esch

Jeunesse Esch

Jeunesse Esch is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg.- History :...

 in 1998 and became player/manager at US Rumelange

US Rumelange

Union Sportive Rumelange, usually abbreviated to US Rumelange, is a football club, based in Rumelange, in south-western Luxembourg.-History:...

 in 2006.

Cardoni won the Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year

Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year

The Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year is an award granted every season to a football player from Luxembourg's domestic top-flight National Division, rewarding the player judged to have been the most valuable to his team that season. It is awarded by the sports desk of d'Wort, Luxembourg's...

 award four times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000). He now serves as an ambassador for the Special Olympics

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

.

International career

Cardoni made his debut for Luxembourg

Luxembourg national football team

The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...

 in a May 1993 World Cup qualification match against Iceland

Iceland national football team

The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....

 and went on to earn 68 caps, scoring 5 goals. He played in 22 World Cup qualification matches.

His final international game was an October 2004 World Cup qualification match against Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein national football team

The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...

.

Honours

• Luxembourg National Division
  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,...
  
  : 4

1995, 1996, 1999, 2004

• 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:...
  
  : 2

1999, 2000

• Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year
  Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year
  The Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year is an award granted every season to a football player from Luxembourg's domestic top-flight National Division, rewarding the player judged to have been the most valuable to his team that season. It is awarded by the sports desk of d'Wort, Luxembourg's...
  
  : 4

1995, 1996, 1999, 2000

External links

• Profile – US Rumelange

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