Relegation Blues: European Teams Facing a Double Blow
In a thought-provoking inquiry, Matt Riley poses a question that many football fans might ponder: Where in Europe has a team reached the furthest in international competition only to be relegated in the same season? Though prompted by Tottenham’s ongoing presence in the Champions League during that period, this question holds significance for several teams currently competing in this year’s quarter-finals. For instance, Nottingham Forest currently sits just three points above the Premier League relegation zone, while Fiorentina is self-preserving with only a five-point buffer in Serie A.
While Celta Vigo appears secure at sixth place in La Liga and prepares to face Freiburg in the Europa League quarter-finals, they have not always enjoyed such stability. Ciaran Hannigan notes that Celta Vigo experienced a dramatic drop from fourth place in La Liga in the 2002-03 season to 19th the following year. Despite their domestic struggles, Celta Vigo triumphed over Slavia Prague in the Champions League, ultimately finishing second in their group, which included heavyweights such as Milan, Club Brugge, and Ajax, before being ousted by Arsenal in the round of 16.
In the same season, Perugia reached the UEFA Cup’s last 16 but couldn’t replicate their European success in Serie A. The Italian club failed to secure a victory in their first 22 league matches and was relegated through the playoffs. This instance mirrors Juventus’s downfall two years later, when the club, having reached the Champions League quarter-finals, was demoted amid the Calciopoli scandal. It’s worth mentioning that Marseille was similarly relegated in the 1993-94 season but was barred from competing in Europe that year.
Another notable case is that of Villarreal, relegated during the 2011-12 season while participating in the inaugural Champions League. Unfortunately for the Spanish side, they finished the group stage with zero points against formidable opponents including Manchester City, Napoli, and Bayern Munich. They could have escaped relegation had they managed a draw against Atlético Madrid on the final day, but a late goal from Radamel Falcao sealed their fate. Special thanks to Pete Tomlin for contributing additional examples.
La Liga has witnessed a variety of unexpected relegations in recent years, arguably more than any other major European league. Tom Reid highlights that several Spanish teams have participated in the UEFA Cup or Europa League only to face relegation in the same season. Some examples include Real Zaragoza’s first-round exit in both the 2001-02 and 2007-08 tournaments and Espanyol’s best performance in the last 32 during the 2019-20 season when they also faced relegation.
The unpredictable nature of the English Premier League, often dubbed as the best in the world, adds another layer of drama, with notable examples of clubs like Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town experiencing relegation shortly after their European campaigns. While many of these teams succumbed early in their international adventures, Dirk Maas reminds us that during the earlier days of European football, several teams reaching the quarter-finals also faced relegation that same season. Instances from history reflect that the challenges of maintaining competitive footing both domestically and internationally have long plagued clubs across Europe.
Undefeated Yet Eliminated
In a curious twist, Viktoria Plzen recently found themselves out of the Europa League despite remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament, sparking a question by Dean Worthy: Has such an occurrence ever transpired in European competitions? Instances of this puzzling trend have been observed for decades, including Feyenoord’s surprising exit in the 1970-71 season despite holding the European Cup previously.
Our gratitude goes to Kalen Kasraie and Dirk Maas for their valuable insights as we examined teams with remarkable unbeaten runs before elimination. The current record for most matches played without a loss before being eliminated from the Champions League is ten, shared by Rangers in 1992-93 and Manchester City in 2023-24. Espanyol, however, demonstrated an even longer unbeaten streak of 15 matches in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, yet they still could not capture the championship.
In their final against Sevilla at Hampden Park, Espanyol unfortunately missed three of their four penalty attempts, although their season ended on a somewhat positive note as they prevented fierce rivals Barcelona from clinching the league title. A similar fate awaited Benfica in the 2013-14 Europa League, where they, too, went unbeaten but were ultimately defeated on penalties in the final. Notably, the only teams to remain unbeaten as finalists in men’s European competitions are Espanyol, Juventus (Fairs Cup 1970-71), and Arsenal (Cup Winners’ Cup 1979-80).
In women’s football, the longest unbeaten streak recorded in European competitions belongs to Montpellier, with nine matches in the 2009-10 Champions League. Their campaign ended dramatically when they lost a crucial match against Umeå IK, demonstrating the fierce competition that transcends both men’s and women’s levels in the football hierarchy.
