On Thursday evening, Luxembourg’s men’s national team will be in action in the World Cup 2027 European pre-qualifiers. It is the fourth and final game of the competition for the FLBB team.
Standings:
1. Romania (3 games / 5 points / +15)
2. Luxembourg (3 games / 4 points / -16)
3. Norway (2 games / 3 points / +1)
Upcoming games in group B
Thursday: 19:00 Norway – Luxembourg
Sunday: Romania – Norway
Results of Luxembourg:
Romania – Luxembourg 72:76
Luxembourg – Norway 58:72
Luxembourg – Romania 78:84
10 countries are part of the pre-qualifiers, the 3 group-winners and the best ranked second team will qualify for the next round of the qualification. Luxembourg needs a victory on the road in Norway to keep its chances alive of advancing and then the game between Romania and Norway on Sunday will determine about the ranking in the group. A look at the points difference of the 3 teams shows that the FLBB team has the worst difference at this moment which means that the team should look to win the game by the most points possible. „We know about the situation but we have to play to win the game, that’s how we approach the game » says national team head coach Ken Diederich who would rather have played in a 4 team group to have at least two games in every window. However, Diederich notes that the team has practiced well: „We have a strong roster, everybody is motivated and healthy so that we are excited about the opportunity. Norway will be stronger than in our first meeting, they have other players available, we have to be ready from the tip-off to avoid an early deficit. »
It will be the final game of Thomas Grün in the national team, a player who has been with the team since Diederich took over as the head coach: „It is easy to get emotional talking about Thomas and the impact he has had on the national team. He has been one of the most important players in the transition when we started to rebuild the national team 10 years ago. He was always available and played well while being under the radar often. Amazing player and even a better human being, an absolute leader on and off the court, we will miss him a lot in the team. »
You can read what Thomas says before his final game here –> Interview: Thomas Grün will play his last game in the national team in Norway
Luxembourg’s roster:
Kreps Malcolm
Delgado Ivan
Gutenkauf Philippe
Grosber Dorian
Grün Thomas
Kalmes Joe
Kovac Ben
Laurent Alex
Logelin Max
Rugg Clancy
Verbeelen Yannick
Vujakovic Oliver
Head coach: Ken Diederich
The game will be streamed live, stay tuned to our website and social media pages to find all information.
Standings in all 3 groups:
