Opinion: Promotion/Relegation, a Football Fairytale

By: Anthony Tazbaz

Image Credit: Waldemar

These past few years saw notable relegations across Europe’s top leagues.

On Friday, Brazilians witnessed Santos — one of the nation’s best clubs of all-time — get relegated to Brazil’s Serie B, a first in the club’s 111-year history. Unfortunately, it was no surprise that the aftermath consisted of riots across Rio de Janeiro and, if not filled with rage, teary and devastated supporters seen across the stadium following Santos’s 2-1 home loss against mid-table club Fortaleza.

This relegation is the catalyst to a steady decline for a club that once dominated the Brazilian Serie A and both hosted and developed some of Brazil’s best talent, including La Seleçao's top two all-time scorers Pelé and Neymar. After finishing second in the 2019 season, Santos went only downhill from there, consistently finishing in the mid-table before flirting with the inevitability of a catastrophic relegation.

Diving Deeper

Despite the astonishing news, Santos’s relegation marks just one of several relegations suffered by a major club. Below includes a list of several clubs from Europe’s top leagues who in recent memory suffered the same fate as Santos. The list, however, excludes relegations due to entering administration, where a club is unable to pay off outstanding debts, thus becoming insolvent and relegated out of the professional divisions.

Germany

Over the last few years, we witnessed multiple bombshell relegations, namely those of VfB Stuttgart, FC Köln, Hamburger SV (Hamburg), Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04. Stuttgart and Köln — clubs from two major cities in Germany — both endured a rocky 2010s decade, with both clubs suffering multiple relegations and subsequent promotions. This year, Köln continues to fight with the aim of retaining a place in next year’s Bundesliga season, whereas Stuttgart may not only qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but also continues to contend for the Bundesliga title. Moreover, Stuttgart is only two points away from achieving the same point tally as last season, with only 15 matches played. Not bad for a club who competed in the second division just three seasons ago and retained Bundesliga membership last year only due to a promotion playoff victory against Hamburg.

Hamburg, who currently competes in the 2. Bundesliga, suffered a humiliating relegation on the final matchday of the 2017-18 season. Like Santos, this demise was a first in the club’s history. Contrary to expectations, the club has yet to bounce back into the first division. Last season, Hamburg qualified for the promotion playoff, but lost to Stuttgart, effectively remaining out of Germany’s top league.

More recently, Hertha — located in Germany’s capital — and Schalke both suffered from relegation last season. While it was a first in recent history for Hertha, Schalke now sustained relegation twice in as many seasons in the Bundesliga. The demise of Hertha meant a shock for Germans, who witnessed the capital’s main club being sent to the second division. In parallel, however, Union Berlin rose from the fourth division to currently compete in UEFA Champions League. Similar to PSG in Paris, perhaps Union could become the long-awaited prestigious club in Berlin, as is expected in a capital city.

Folks in Gelsenkirchen, however, will need to come to terms with the idea that the club no longer boasts the quality necessary for topflight football. It is certainly jarring to see formerly a perennial competitor in the UEFA Champions League only a decade ago fail to maintain a spot in the top domestic league on consecutive occasions.

Italy

Genoa sustained relegation from Serie A following the 2021-22 season, in which the Ligurian club amassed a feeble 28 points from 38 matches (four wins, 16 draws, 18 losses). Despite many seeing Genoa’s evident decline into Serie B, seeing a major club from one of Italy’s biggest cities that competed in UEFA competitions merely a decade ago fall out of the Serie A picture was a shocker for Italian football.

However, the club returned to the topflight a year later… at the expense of Sampdoria — Genoa’s other major club — finishing last place and consequently getting relegated. Sampdoria is currently struggling in the second division, having accumulated only 16 points from 15 matches.

France

Although most relegations in France are not considered to be eye-openers, the 2021-22 season included not one, but three shockers: Toulouse FC, Girondins de Bordeaux and AS Saint-Etienne (ASSE). Although Toulouse’s relegation seemed inevitable — having flirted with the possibility and needing to win a promotion playoff in 2016 — those of Bordeaux and ASSE were slightly less expected.

Bordeaux struggled financially for many years and faced the possibility of entering administration. However, the club’s relegation happened on the pitch, finishing a dismal 19th place ahead of a hapless Toulouse FC. Last season, the club failed to gain promotion. Instead, it was Le Havre and FC Metz who gained promotion, finishing first and second, respectively. In Ligue 1, four teams were relegated, with no club competing in a promotion playoff due to Ligue 1 reducing the number of clubs from 20 to 18.

However, ASSE’s relegation astonished everyone in France and those across the world who remembered either the club’s French and European dominance in the 1970s and early 80s or those who saw ASSE compete in Europe as recently as the mid-2010s. After finishing 18th in 2021-22, the club faced Ligue 2’s AJ Auxerre in a two-legged promotion playoff. Although ASSE won the first leg 2-1 away, Auxerre won 2-1 in Saint-Etienne and forced penalties. Auxerre prevailed to everyone’s surprise and the ensuing pitch invasion and riots meant that Auxerre players and staff could not relish the moment on the pitch.

The fans felt hard done by the club and the players, many of which did not return. Last season, ASSE finished near the mid-table and were never in contention for promotion. In fact, the club battled relegation during the first half of the season. Both ASSE and Bordeaux could gain promotion and are currently in the mix to contend for such a fate. A return for both clubs would ultimately feel like somewhat of a return to normalcy for French football.

England

Last season, the Premier League lost two regulars in Southampton FC and 2016 EPL champions Leicester City. Southampton, renowned for producing top talent, has not produced any significant talent since the likes of Sadio Mané and Virgil Van Dijk in 2017-18. Although a relegation to the second division is undoubtedly a major blow for the club, The Saints can once again channel its focus on producing young talent, rather than pre-occupying itself in a fight for survival in the Premier League.

Winners of the fairy-tale 2015-16 season, Leicester City returned to the EFL Championship after gaining promotion to England’s top league in 2013-14. Since winning the league and competing in the UEFA Champions League in 2016-17, the club travelled on a rocky road, where the club often finished mid-table or below, which was then followed by consecutive fifth place finishes in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, the tragic death of club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2018 nevertheless dealt a massive blow to the club, from ownership to the players and fan base. The club seemingly has not been the same since.

Last season’s relegation ultimately proved to be the final straw on the camel’s back. However, The Foxes currently lead the second division with 48 points from 20 matches, only one point ahead of second-place Ipswich Town and eight points ahead of third-place Leeds United. A return to the Premier League for Leicester could be a opportunity at redemption for a club ambitiously seeking a return to Europe. After all, it took only two seasons for the club to win the Premier League title following its last promotion.

Some for the Future?

Several other major club may feel threatened under the context of a potential relegation. In Spain, Valencia and Sevilla have both gotten off to a very poor start in La Liga. However, Celta Vigo currently sits 18th place in La Liga, only five points above the bottom and four points behind the safety zone. Having struggled over the past few years, this may well be the season in which Celta succumbs to the long-avoided relegation to the Segunda División.

Despite Everton FC significantly improving this season and getting over the precarious predicament of hovering just over the relegation zone for the past few years, the club’s recent 10-point deduction could bite them back should the club slip down the table. No doubt, a club with such a prestige would be nothing short of tragic for The Toffees and for English football.

Finally, Olympique Lyonnais may end up being the storied club in Europe that suffers relegation in 2024. Sitting currently last-place in Ligue 1 after 15 matches played, the club emerged victorious only twice and amassed a total of ten points. It is no surprise that Lyon has been a club in decline, having not played in UEFA Champions League since 2020, where the club surprisingly qualified for the semifinals after upsets against Juventus FC and Manchester City.

However, no football fan expected Lyon to currently sit in last place of France’s top league, with the prospect of relegation being quite possible given the lack of significant improvement in performances, the frequent staff turnover and feuding between current owner John Textor and former owner Jean-Michel Aulas. Needless to say, it does not look great at Groupama Stadium.

At least, Textor managed to successfully refinance Lyon’s staggering €385 million debt, a typically hopeful sign for a struggling club. Moreover, Lyon supporters can still support the women’s team, which remains among the best in the world.

Although a porous season for such a once-prestigious club is worrying for the club’s supporters and for the culture of French football, a potential promotion playoff matchup between Lyon and Saint-Etienne is something most people nowadays hope for. Such a matchup would galvanize the gloomy mood in south-central France and bring French football back in the global spotlight!