This Year’s Fairytale Stories from Europe’s Top Five Leagues (Parts 1 and 2)
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Janosch Diggelmann
On May 25, Bayer Leverkusen achieved the legendary accolade of winning the domestic double — the Bundesliga and the DfB Pokal — while going undefeated across 40 matches between both competitions. While Leverkusen’s achievement constitutes nothing short of an impressive fairytale-turned-reality, this past season included several more fairytales across Europe’s top five leagues.
This piece constitutes a two-part series, with each part providing an overview and a comparison between two clubs that achieved new heights or regained their renowned swagger during this past season. The first part will be dedicated to two clubs that played the “unsung hero” role and qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) edition, with the second part highlighting two impressive comeback seasons by clubs competing in two of the world’s most revered leagues. (The second part will be released in next week’s newsletter.)
Part 1: Surprise Champions League Berths
Although national heavyweights and favourites — Manchester City, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) — won four of the top five league titles (with exception of the Bundesliga), several clubs rose to the occasion and ultimately secured their rights to compete in next year’s UCL edition. While Leverkusen competitor VfB Stuttgart clinched a UCL berth after nearly facing relegation to 2. Bundesliga last season, the rise to UCL achieved by the two following clubs mentioned in this article marks an achievement unseen in generations, or ever.
Italy: Bologna
First, Bologna FC overcame all odds and claimed a top-five position in Serie A, leading to their first UCL qualification for the first time in 60 years. Led by former player and Italian international Thiago Motta, Bologna concluded the season — lasting 38 matches — with 18 wins, 14 draws and only six losses, enough to muster 68 points. Against Italy’s seven most revered clubs — Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus FC, Napoli, Atalanta, AS Roma and Lazio — Bologna achieved an impressive seven wins, five losses and only two losses.
In addition to Motta — who will be departing for Juventus — Bologna’s stellar performances were led by solid goalkeeping and defending by Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski and defenders that include the likes of Sam Beukema, Jhon Lucumí and Austrian international Stefan Posch. Skorupski’s performances across 32 matches resulted in Bologna conceding only 29 goals, thereby enabling the Polish international to earn 13 clean sheets and shutting out opponents in almost 50% of matches played. Bologna’s defence was one of the best in Serie A as they conceded only 32 goals, which is the league’s third best tally after league winners Inter Milan (20) and (currently) third-place Juventus (31).
However, the transition from stellar defence to clinical offence was led by Swiss internationals Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer, as well as Polish wonderkid Kacper Urbanski. Finally, the clinical offence was highlighted by Italian Riccardo Orsolini and 23-year-old Dutch international Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom enjoyed breakout seasons and scoring 10 and 12 goals, respectively. Both players are expected to be courted by big-name clubs during the summer transfer window.
France: Stade Brestois
Across Italy’s northwestern border, Stade Brestois achieved a third-place finish in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign — lasting 34 matches — the highest final standing in club history. As a result, Brest will compete in their first UCL campaign. However, the club may be forced either to play UCL home matches at Stade Francis-Le Blé with only one stand open to supporters or play their home matches in a nearby venue.
Although Brest’s performances against France’s top seven clubs this season — PSG, AS Monaco, LOSC Lille, OGC Nice, Olympique Lyonnais, RC Lens and Olympique de Marseille — were not as strong as those of Bologna against their Italian counterparts (three wins, four draws and seven losses) the club nevertheless took care of business against Ligue 1’s smaller clubs and raked in a total of 61 points, trailing only behind league winners PSG (76 points) and runners-up Monaco (67 points).
Moreover, Brest’s offence and defence were equally impressive throughout the season. Although no Brest player stood out in Ligue 1’s Golden Boot race — forward Romain Del Castillo finished as the club’s top scorer with eight goals — over five players (including Del Castillo) scored a minimum of six goals. The four other players were forwards Steve Mounié (7), Martín Soriano (6) and midfielders Mahdi Camara (7) and Kamory Doumbia (6). These five players scored 34 of the club’s 53 league goals, which placed Brest in third place in Ligue 1 in relation to goals scored; only PSG (81) and Monaco (68) scored more goals in Ligue 1.
With respect to defence, Brest finished the season tied for third-best with fourth-place Lille in goals conceded, allowing only 34 goals; only PSG (33) and fifth-place Nice (29) conceded less goals during the Ligue 1 campaign. Brest’s historic defending comprised a lineup highlighted regularly by centre-backs Brendan Chardonnet and 24-year-old breakout player Lilian Brassier, as well as full-backs Kenny Lala (left-back) and Bradley Locko (right-back). In addition, Brest’s defence was re-assured by Dutch goalkeeper Marco Bizot, who earned an impressive 13 clean sheets across 32 matches.
Conclusion
Although their respective seasons did not end with winning silverware, Bologna and Brest — along with Stuttgart’s surprise return to UCL action for the first time in over a decade — drafted a similar script written by RC Lens and Union Berlin last year; both clubs earned berths to UCL last season. While Berlin endured a difficult 2023-24 season and crashed out of the UCL group stage, Lens were able to finish third place in their UCL group and clinch a berth to the UEL. However, their run ended in heartbreaking fashion against Bundesliga club SC Freiburg. Both clubs ultimately failed to secure a return to Europe ahead of next season.
Could Bologna and Brest underperform in UCL? Maybe. However, with the UCL’s new format prepared for next season, both clubs — should they play their cards right with respect to transfers and, in Bologna’s case, with managerial changes in the summer — could be poised to send shockwaves not only throughout Italy and France, but also across Europe.
Part 2: Comeback Seasons
After analyzing historic seasons for Bologna and Brest, let’s delve into two impressive comeback stories by the two following clubs: Chelsea FC and Olympique Lyonnais. Each club endured an atrocious first half to their respective seasons. However, with meteoric turnarounds, Chelsea and Lyon got their swagger back and may have escaped perilous fates.
England: Chelsea FC
After finishing in 12th place in the 2022-23 Premier League (EPL) table, the London-based club kicked off the 2023-24 season under a new manager — Mauricio Pochettino — and signed a flurry of new players, which included Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Moisés Caicedo, who arrived from Brighton Hove & Albion for a mammoth €116 million fee.
However, the club did not achieve an anticipated strong start to the 2023-24 EPL campaign. Despite obtaining a 1-1 home draw in their season opener against title-favourites Liverpool FC, Chelsea gained only one victory in their first six league matches — a 3-0 home victory against newly-promoted Luton Town. By the midway point of the season — after 19 league matches — Chelsea languished in 10th place with 25 points (seven wins, four draws and eight losses).
By the three-quarter mark — after 29 matches — Chelsea were ranked 11th with 39 points (11 wins, six draws and 10 losses). However, they remained only eight points behind sixth-place Manchester United.
In the final (approximate) quarter of the season — spanning the last ten league matches — Chelsea surged in the league table, winning eight matches and suffering only one loss; Chelsea drew the remaining two matches. After a porous start to the season, Pochettino’s squad accumulated 26 out of a possible 33 points. During this run, Chelsea managed to defeat their following rivals:
Manchester United — a thrilling 4-3 victory, which included a Cole Palmer hat-trick;
Everton FC — a 6-0 victory, which included a four-goal performance by Cole Palmer;
Tottenham Hotspur — a convincing 2-0 victory; and
West Ham United — a crushing 5-0 victory, which included a Nicolas Jackson brace.
Beginning with their wins against London rivals Tottenham and West Ham, Chelsea concluded their rollercoaster season with five consecutive victories and six consecutive matches undefeated. The final three matches resulted in the following:
a 3-2 comeback away victory against Nottingham Forest;
a 2-1 away victory against Brighton; and
a 2-1 home season-ending victory against AFC Bournemouth.
These performances enabled Pochettino’s squad to climb up the table and finish in sixth place. Although it did not initially signify a substantial year-on-year improvement for the club, Chelsea had to rely on the result of the FA Cup final the following weekend to determine whether they would boast the right to participate in the 2024-25 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
In the final, goals scored by Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo led Manchester United to a 2-1 victory against local rivals Manchester City; Manchester United’s FA Cup win earned them a berth to the UEFA Europa League (UEL). As a result, Chelsea took England’s sole UECL berth. (Manchester United would have taken Chelsea’s spot in the UECL if they lost the FA Cup final against Manchester City.)
Finally, Chelsea can also give themselves a pat on their backs after achieving an improbable runners-up status in the 2023-24 EFL Cup, to which they lost 1-0 after extra-time in the final against Liverpool.
Unlike the previous couple of years, it was Chelsea’s newcomers — especially Cole Palmer — that mustered world-class performances. In all competitions, Cole Palmer managed to score 25 goals throughout 45 matches; he tallied 22 league goals and 11 assists in 34 matches. Palmer also broke numerous records, including becoming the first Chelsea player to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists during a player’s first season at the club.
As well, despite numerous memes and fans mocking Nico Jackson’s finishing ability over the course of the season, Jackson nevertheless managed to score 17 goals in 44 matches across all competitions. In EPL action, he scored 14 goals and provided five assists. Finally, Raheem Sterling and homegrown product Conor Gallagher also provided some much-needed attacking flare during their end-of-season run, scoring 10 and seven goals in all competitions, respectively.
However, Chelsea will need to adjust once more after Pochettino announced his resignation just a couple of weeks after the season’s end. The club already hired Italian Enzo Maresca as their new gaffer. Having formerly assisted Pep Guardiola’s staff at Manchester City during the 2022-23 season, Maresca arrives at Stamford Bridge following a title-winning season with Leicester City in the EFL Championship.
France: Olympique Lyonnais
Similar to Chelsea, Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) endured a difficult start to their 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign. After finishing in seventh place in the 2022-23 table and missing out on UEFA competitions for a second consecutive season, Lyon lost several notable players. These departed players included:
defender Castello Lukeba — to RB Leipzig for €30 million;
midfielder Romain Fivre — to AFC Bournemouth for €15 million;
midfielder Houssem Aouar — to AS Roma for free;
forward Moussa Dembélé to Al-Ettifaq for free; and
wonderkid forward Bradley Barcola to PSG for €45 million.
With respect to replacements, manager Laurent Blanc failed to fill the gaps left by the departing players. His most notable summer 2023 signings included:
full-back Clinton Mata — from Club Brugge for €5 million;
midfielder Paul Akouokou — from Real Betis for €3 million;
defender Jake O’Brien — from Crystal Palace for €1 million; and
defender Duje Caleta-Car — from Southampton FC on loan with a €1.54 million fee.
As the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season commenced, Lyon immediately plotted their collision course towards rock-bottom, winning only one of their first 13 league matches — out of 34 total league matches — which was a 1-0 away victory against Stade Rennais. In the middle of the club’s infamous collapse, after a 4-1 home loss against PSG on September 3 2023, supporters called out and lambasted the players before returning to the dressing room. Blanc also made a bizarre statement in which he jokingly admitted that the club may be better off without him. The club promptly sacked the Frenchman on September 11 2023.
However, the losses persisted with no hope of a turnaround in sight. On September 18, former Lyon player and 2006 World Cup star Fabio Grosso was hired as Blanc’s replacement. On November 30, after mustering only one victory from seven matches at the helm, Grosso was dismissed and replaced by current club manager Pierre Sage. After hitting rock-bottom after a 3-0 loss against archrivals Marseille on December 6, Lyon concluded the 2023 calendar year on a high note by winning their final three matches:
3-0 at home against Toulouse FC;
1-0 away against AS Monaco; and
1-0 at home against FC Nantes.
Then, in January, Lyon completed a flurry of signings, which included:
goalkeeper Lucas Perri — from Botafogo for €3.25 million;
defender Adryelson — also from Botafogo for €3.58 million;
midfielder Malick Fofana — from KAA Gent for €19.5 million;
midfielder Orel Mangala — on loan from Nottingham Forest with a €11.7 million fee;
midfielder Nemanja Matić — from Stade Rennais for €2.6 million;
forward Saïd Benrahma — on loan from West Ham United with a €6 million fee; and
forward Gift Orban — also from KAA gent for €14 million.
As of January 2024 – and throughout the second half of the Ligue 1 season – Lyon became arguably the best club in France. Although Lyon lost their first two matches of the year against Le Havre AC (3-1, away) and Stade Rennais (3-2, home), Lyon won five of their following six matches, losing only to RC Lens (3-0, home).
In addition to that enlightening sequence, Lyon went undefeated in their next four matches, securing three wins and one draw. Despite losing 4-1 away against PSG on the 30th matchday, Lyon won their final four matches against Monaco (3-2, home), LOSC Lille (4-3, away), Clermont Foot (1-0, away) and RC Strasbourg (2-1, home).
As a result, Lyon went from last place in Ligue 1 during the first half of the season to sitting in sixth place by the end of the campaign. This iconic resurgence enabled the club to qualify for the UECL, which signifies a return to UEFA competitions for the first time since qualifying for UEL in 2020-21.
In addition, Lyon managed to return to the Coupe de France final for the first time since 2011-12 and the first time in any cup competition since achieving the 2019-20 Coupe de la Ligue final. In the final, Lyon lost against PSG by a respectable 2-1 score. Had they won, Lyon would be competing in the UEL next season, instead of the UECL.
Ultimately, Lyon’s return to Europe is undoubtedly owed in great part to select summer signings and their flurry of January signings. With respect to their summer signings, O’Brien and Caleta-Car proved to be two of the greatest bargains of the season, with O’Brien also cementing himself as the leading figure of Lyon’s defence.
January newcomers Fofana, Mangala and Matić provided talent and leadership to a midfield that contributed significantly to star forward Alexandre Lacazette’s lust for scoring goals. In all competitions, Lacazette concluded the season with 22 goals scored across 35 matches. In Ligue 1, Lacazette finished third among goal scorers in 2023-24 with 19 goals.
These players will constitute key pieces for Lyon’s 2024-25 season –- whether the club places emphasis on returning to the UEL or UCL, winning the Coupe de France or achieving European glory by hoisting the UECL trophy.
Conclusion
Like Chelsea, Lyon will have an opportunity next season to regain prestige on the continental level. Both clubs will also likely complete more signings to boost the quality of their respective squads. For instance, Chelsea recently announced the signing of defender Tosin Adarabioyo to a four-year contract. As seen in previous years with Liverpool and both Milan clubs, such resurgences can become the catalyst to a club’s return to their old standard of consistent greatness.
Leave a comment below mentioning your favourite fairytale from the 2023-24 season.
