The Forgotten Cinderella Stories in the Top Leagues

 

Some of these football cinderella stories in the top leagues may be forgotten in comparison to more recent or well-known examples.

Cinderella stories in football have always stunned everyone. Such can be found in almost every competition at the top levels, including European top leagues. In fact, they may see another one or two in the summer. Girona’s and Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive form in the Spanish and German top flight this season has shocked the world. They may have a chance to replicate the miracle of the past.

So far, only a few of them have been widely discussed. The magical victory of Leicester City in the 2015/16 season, Greece’s and Denmark’s unlikely triumphs in EURO 2004 and 1992, respectively, seem to always be at the top of the list, with Kaiserslautern's unexpected success in the Bundesliga 1997/98, the wonderful tale of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest, Alan Shearer’s Blackburn's glorious campaign in the Premier League 1994/95, Olivier Giroud's Montpellier victory in Ligue 1 2012, and Zambia's surprising win in the 2012 AFCON serving as honourable mentions.

These following football Cinderella stories are just as wonderful as the ones above. Unfortunately, most people have forgotten about them because it was so long ago, or perhaps the fans simply missed out. Here are some forgotten stories from major European leagues, excluding the Premier League, that deserve to be remembered. 

VfL Wolfsburg (Bundesliga 2008/09)

Die Wolfe was one of the last two teams alongside Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund to topple Bayern before their ongoing dominance in the past decade. Their Cinderella story in the 2008/09 campaign was certainly beyond imagination, as they had never even entered the title race or become a title contender in the previous season.

One key figure who contributed significantly to their triumphant season was the former Bayern boss and former Hamburg star in the 1980s, Felix Magath. He was just dismissed by Die Roten in 2007 before Wolfsburg signed him despite delivering two consecutive league titles. Their success did not come instantly, as their first season under Magath led them to finish fifth, the highest position in the club's history at the time.

Their magic became reality in the following season. Wolfsburg snatched their first ever Bundesliga title by only two points clear of Bayern. They even hammered Die Roten 5-1 on their home turf, which appeared to be their gaffer’s perfect revenge on his former side.

Magath relied on the dynamic duo of Edin Dzeko and Grafite upfront in a 3-5-2 formation, supported by the former Bosnian international attacking midfielder, Zvjezdan Misimovic. They were the key men who made outstanding contributions throughout the season. The two frontmen each scored more than 20 goals, whereas the playmaker provided 20 assists. It was certainly a moment to remember for Die Wolfe fans before Kevin de Bruyne’s brief stint and their unlikely win over Real Madrid in UCL 2015/16.

Real Sociedad (La Liga 1980/81)

Deportivo La Coruna’s success in winning La Liga 2000 was mainly the more well-known Cinderella story in Spanish football. Yet, Real Sociedad’s triumph in the early 1980s was even greater than that of the Galacia side. Luis Arconada and Co. not only managed to topple Real Madrid and Barcelona but also defended the title in the following season.

The rise of Sociedad began in the 1978–79 season, when Alberto Ormaetxea took over the management. He was able to guide them to fourth and second place in 1980, trailing only one point behind champions Real Madrid. The miracle came true in 1981, when they were once again involved in a title match against Los Blancos. Sociedad won the title dramatically by sharing the same points. Fortunately, they had a better goal difference in the head-to-head games despite scoring six goals less than their rival. Sociedad trashed them 3-1 in Anoeta and were only beaten 1-0 in Bernabeu.

Yet, the league winner had to be determined on the final matchday. Los Merengues picked up a 3-1 win over Real Valladolid, whereas Ormaetxea’s men only needed a draw in their last game in Gijon. They were even on the verge of failing again, just like the previous season, as Sporting Gijon led 2-1 until the final minutes. However, Lady Luck was on their side, as Juanito netted an equaliser only twelve seconds before the final whistle. The long-awaited silverware finally arrived in San Sebastian and even stayed in the Basque region until 1984.

RC Strasbourg (Ligue 1, 1978/79)

Strasbourg won their first and only league title in 1979, which was only two years after their promotion to the top flight. Under Swiss tactician Gilbert Gress, they rose to the top three in 1978 before clinching the title the following season.

Strasbourg was at the top of the standings, two points ahead of Nantes and Saint Etienne, two French giants in the 1960s and 1970s, plus AS Monaco. They defeated both 2-1 at home with Gress’s favourite formation, 4-3-3.

The former Swiss international in the 1966 World Cup did not have a star-studded squad, but two of his players later became prominent figures as head coaches: Raymond Domenech and Arsene Wenger. The former was the team's mainstay as a right fullback, while the latter was primarily responsible for coaching the youth teams. Domenech made 40 appearances in all competitions this season, while Wenger only played three.

FC Twente (Eredivisie 2009/10)

Twente’s incredible yet unlikely success in the 2009/10 season was even beyond the fans’ imagination. They won their first ever top flight title under the tutelage of an English manager who failed to lead the so-called ‘England’s golden generation’ to qualify for EURO 2008, Steve McLaren.

The Dutch side signed the former Sir Alex Ferguson assistant for the 2008–09 season with little expectation. Nonetheless, they achieved success almost immediately, finishing second in his Eredivisie debut before winning in the second season. Bryan Ruiz and Co. were only one point clear of the runners-up, Ajax, but only suffered two defeats throughout the season. The Tukkers were also undefeated against PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

It is their only triumph that has not been able to be replicated until today, not even by McLaren’s successor, who had a better reputation, MichelPreud’Homme, since the English boss moved to Wolfsburg. He even could not repeat his own success in his second stint back in 2012/13. Twente was then relegated in 2018.

Boavista Porto (Portuguese Primeira Liga 2000/01)

The Portuguese top flight is nearly identical to the Dutch top tier, where the big three, Benfica, Porto, and Sporting Lisbon, dominate season by season. Cinderella stories are even less common in Primiera Liga. No wonder that the unlikely victory of Boavista Porto in 2001 stood out in Portuguese football. They have become the only team in history to meddle in the big three supremacy since Belenenses’s successful campaign in 1946.

Boavista's victory was not instant. Jaime Pacheco took charge of the club in 1998. Following their victory in the Portuguese Cup in 1997, they had an improving campaign after finishing sixth in 1998, runners-up in 1999, and fourth in 2000 before winning their first ever league title.

Pacheco led the young squad to glory by leading only one point from their local rival, Porto. Ricardo, the former national goalie who became England’s nightmare in the shootout consecutively in the 2004 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, was one of their stars. He helped Boavista concede the fewest goals of the season (22), keeping clean sheets against Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, as well as a narrow 1-0 win over Porto on their home turf.

Hellas Verona (Italian Serie A 1984/85)

Italian football is never far from corruption and scandals. There was Calciopoli in the mid-2000s, costing Juventus their title and status in Serie A, and there was Totonero in the early 1980s. It was a match-fixing case involving players and clubs, including AC Milan and Lazio, as well as their affiliation with a betting company. It resulted in referees being selected for specific matches on purpose to smooth the deal.

However, such a 'policy' was abolished during the 1984–85 season to improve Italian football's image. Consequently, referees were randomly assigned to matches to prevent any attempts to tamper with the results. That was when the miracle occurred.

Hellas Verona’s impressive run began on day one before eventually clinching the title. Preben Elkjaer and Co led Torino and Inter Milan by four and five points, respectively. They also conceded the fewest goals this season, with only 19 in total. They were unbeaten against Juventus, AC Milan, Maradona’s Napoli, AS Roma, and Lazio.

Verona owes their remarkable run to Osvaldo Bagnoli, who arrived in 1981. Verona was a mediocre team that had just been promoted to Serie A in 1982. Bagnoli was able to overturn the team, which barely joined the race in the top table, to finish fourth and fifth in 1983 and 1984, respectively. Toppling the Italian giants has always been tough for a minnow like Verona, but a rule change in 1985 provided them with a rare opportunity. 

Surprisingly, the old rule was reinstated. The glory days for minnows has been once again 'limited' up to this day. The heroic tale of Hellas Verona might have only been a history but it was the true victory of football without any influence from the outsiders.