Historic clubs and their biggest recent falls from grace 😬 | OneFootball

Poor management doesn't forgive...

It's official, Boavista, a Portuguese first division club and 2001 champion, has been relegated to the amateur level (5th division)! A huge and violent fall for the club and its supporters, echoing that of Bordeaux last year, which went from Ligue 1 to N2.

Both teams are owned by... the inevitable Gérard Lopez, who risks gaining even more detractors, reinforcing his reputation as a club killer.

Several other clubs have experienced similar big falls recently, for different reasons, although poor management is a common denominator. Here's a selection of these recent big failures:

Sunderland (England, Premier League)

One of the most well-known examples, which you may have discovered through the Netflix series. A mythical Premier League club, Sunderland experienced relegations and found itself stuck in the 3rd division in 2019. This season, with Régis Le Bris at the helm, the club validated its return to the PL and regained its rightful place.

Nottingham Forest (England, Premier League)

Double winner of the Champions League in 1979 and 1980, and English champion in 1978, the club experienced difficulties in the following decades, until it landed in League One (3rd division) in 2005, becoming the first club in C1 history to fall so low. Since then, it has been playing a leading role in the elite again.

Malaga (Spain, Liga Adelante)

Bought by a wealthy owner in the early 2010s, the Spanish club experienced a golden period, culminating in a Champions League quarterfinal in 2013. Then the owner cut off the money tap, left, and the club plummeted to the 3rd division, 10 years later. Today, it is navigating the 2nd division again.

Palerme (Italy, Serie B)

A historic Serie A club, Palerme also experienced financial problems, leading to a demotion to Serie D in 2019! Since then, the former club of Pastore has risen back to Serie B.

Bastia (France, L2)

Last in L1 in 2017 and bankrupt, the Corsican club lost its professional status and was relegated to N3 by the DNCG. Like Strasbourg, with great popular fervor, Bastia rebuilt itself and has been playing a leading role in L2 in recent seasons.

Nîmes (France, N2)

Unlike the other clubs on this list, Nîmes is still in a downward phase. Having gone from L1 to N2 in four years, Nîmes did not experience the most direct downfall, but perhaps the worst. The Gard club paid for its president's folkloric management, illustrated by the stadium's problems (no hot water, etc.) and its eventual abandonment. A very sad evolution.

Some stories can give hope to these clubs still at the bottom. Do you have other similar downfalls in mind? Tell us in the comments ⬇️

Also read:

- The July 12 transfer market live

- The incredible images of Parisian supporters in Times Square

- Varane's astonishing new look

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 RUI MANUEL FARINHA