Merciless disease

Cancer! Dudelange’s Salzburg nemesis dies at 42

Thierry Steimetz was only 42 years old...(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/dpa/Felix Hörhager; https://www.facebook.com/F91Diddeleng)

Luxembourg soccer mourns the loss of a man who played an immense role in one of the biggest sensations in the country's recent soccer history: Thierry Steimetz, the player who scored one assist and two goals in July 2012 to help F91 Dudelange triumph over FC Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League qualifiers, has died! The French-born player was only 42 years old...

The Luxembourgers played two memorable matches against the Austrian champions on July 17 and 24, 2012. The 0-1 defeat in the first leg in Dudelange, in which Steimetz provided the assist for Aurélien Joachim's goal (75th minute), was an embarrassment from the "Bulls'" point of view. But there was no doubt that they would make up for this "accident" at home...

However, things turned out differently than expected, very differently in fact – mainly thanks to Steimetz, who scored the 1-0 for the visitors in the 26th minute. Salzburg responded before the break with goals from Jakob Jantscher (28th minute) and Martin Hinteregger (37th minute), but according to the away goals rule, which was still in effect at the time, they were still facing elimination. But it got even worse...

Shortly after the break, it was Aurélien Joachim who, as in the first leg, increased the "Bulls'" worries with his equalizer (48th minute) – and then Steimetz struck again, putting the Luxembourgers 3-2 ahead (57th minute). Cristiano and Gonzalo Zárate turned the game around with two quick goals (81st, 82nd), but the two goals were not enough to secure promotion.

After this moment of glory for Luxembourg soccer, Steimetz remained with Dudelange for two more years (playing a total of 56 competitive games, scoring 19 goals and providing 14 assists) before moving to Germany to join FC Homburg 08 in the German Regionalliga Süd/West. There, he scored 13 goals in 53 games and also provided 10 assists – before fate struck hard with a cancer diagnosis...

A malignant tumor required the amputation of his right lower leg – the doctors hoped that this would lead to a complete cure for Steimetz. But the disease returned and ultimately proved too strong an opponent. "It is with great sadness that we received the news today of the death of our former player Thierry Steimetz. His death fills us with deep sorrow," said FC 08 Homburg...