2024-10-03 18:41:13
There have been especially many of them in recent years.
Eurocups are back! And we continue to remember their most amazing participants over the past 10 years. Spain, England and Italy have already been discussed. Next in line are Germany and France, where there were also plenty of unexpected heroes.
“Gingham” (season-2013/2014)
Victory in the French Cup – access to the Europa League
As reported by İdman.biz with reference to the “Championship”, “Guingamp” from a tiny town with seven thousand inhabitants is amazing. For him, getting into at least the top 9 of League 1 is already a celebration: the last time this happened was in the 2002/2003 season. With Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba in the lineup. And in general, he plays much more often in League 2: now for the sixth year in a row. But at the same time, the club won the French Cup twice: in 2009 and 2014. That is, when we took 13th place in League 2 and 16th in League 1. It’s simply unthinkable.
But since we’re looking at recent moments, let’s delve into the second. Moreover, after the first, the French fairy tale ended already in the Europa League qualification: Hamburg trampled Guingamp in the fourth round (8:2 in total).
In the 2013/2014 season, the guys just rose from League 2, becoming second there. And two years before that, they were generally running in the third strongest division. Thanks to coach Josselin Gourvennec for the climb. Looking ahead, he will come to save Guingamp when it collapses to last place in Ligue 1 in November 2018. Without success.
Gurvennek was hired when he was 38 years old and barely graduated. It is now full of young talents like Amorim, Arteta and Nagelsmann. In 2010, this was a new thing. After a sharp rise, the team endured. It was never rich: the entire roster was valued at a very modest €21.4 million for those times. That is, at the level of outsiders not only in League 1, but also in the RPL.
Guingamp is two points clear of the relegation zone. But in the Cup he dealt with no-names like Monticello, Monaco (3:1) and Rennes (2:0). Well, PSG was eliminated in the 1/16 finals by Montpellier (1:2), which also helped the underdogs a lot.
The Malian striker Mustafa Yatabare stood out in that Guingamp, scoring 20 goals in 38 matches. Trabzonspor immediately took him for €2.5 million. Midfield leader Fatih Atik followed in a similar direction, only for free. The French sensation did not really improve and still left the Europa League group, confidently taking second place in the group with Fiorentina (0:3, 1:2), PAOK (2:0, 2:1) and Dynamo Minsk (0 :0, 2:0).
Then there was a dramatic confrontation with Dynamo Kyiv. At home, Guingamp won 2:1, but on the road they “burned out” – 1:3. And yet it was quite possible to make some noise.
“Nantes” (season-2021/2022)
Victory in the French Cup – access to the Europa League
Here the situation is no longer downright sensational. But also amazing. Having taken 18th place a season earlier and saving themselves only in the run-ins, Nantes made great progress and not only soared to ninth place, but also took the French Cup.
If we evaluate its composition, everything seems logical: one of the most promising goalkeepers in the world Alban Lafon (at a high level since the age of 16), excellent attacking flanks in the person of Ludovic Blas (15+5 in 41 matches) and Moises Simon (6+8, 34 ), the future 95 million acquisition of PSG Randall Kolo Muani (13+5, 41) and others are not Guingamp 2013/2014 at all. But it’s clear now. At that time, instead of fighting for the title and a place in European competition, the team could well have floundered in the second league.
“Nantes” was also unlucky with the departure of “PSG” from the Cup: the Parisians did not open up “Nice” and lost to them on penalties in the 1/8 finals. It was this opponent that the “canaries” came across in the final: Blas scored the only goal. And earlier, Nantes beat Monaco (2:2, 4:2 penalties), Bastia and Brest (2:0 each).
Next season, Nantes, without Kolo Muani, will again reach the cup final, but will be defeated by Toulouse (1:5). At the same time, there will be a failure in the championship – 16th place. At least in the Europa League we managed to get out of the group with Freiburg (0:2, 0:4), Qarabag (0:3, 2:1) and Olympiacos (2:0, 2:1). Moreover, the Azerbaijanis were ahead of the Azerbaijanis by one point only in the last round, when they, in the minority, drew with the Germans, and the French themselves broke the Greeks.
In the 1/16 finals, Nantes went to Juventus. The result is predictable – 1:1, 0:3. On the one hand, the “canaries” were wildly unlucky with the draw. On the other hand, in a parallel duel, Barcelona and Manchester United were sorted out.
“Toulouse” (season-2022/2023)
Victory in the French Cup – access to the Europa League
Just the case from a couple of paragraphs above. And, quite ironically, Nantes did not allow Toulouse into Ligue 1 at the end of the 2020/2021 season. She had to spend another year in League 2 in order to then work her way up from first place, reach the Cup final and beautifully destroy her offender.
The first year in the new league – and immediately a rise to the European Cups. Quite good. Moreover, Toulouse finished only 11th in the championship. And in the Cup we were lucky with… yes, with the relegation of PSG and the draw. Not a single grandee came across as a rival: even someone simpler than the Parisians like Marseille, from which they suffered, Monaco or Lille. Lanyon (7:1), Ajaccio (2:0), Reims (3:1), Rodez (6:1), Annecy (2:1) and now Nantes. But no one forced the favorites to lose? The Marseilles generally believed in themselves and after defeating PSG (2:1) they lost to Annecy (2:2, 6:7 penalties).
In the Toulouse squad, the future Stuttgart defender Anthony Rouault, the soon-to-be newcomer of the league champion Bologna striker Theis Dallinga (18+2 in 42 matches), his colleague Zakaria Abouhlal (15+5, 42) and the dispatcher, who later Ajax will take it, Branko van den Bomen (6+12, 40).
In the Europa League, the “purples” did the same as their predecessors on our list: second place in the group with Liverpool (1:5, 3:2), Belgian Union (1:1, 0:0 ) and Austrian LASK (1:0, 2:1), defeat in the 1/16 finals from Benfica (1:2, 0:0).
«Union» Berlin (season-2022/2023)
4th place in the Bundesliga – access to the Champions League
Here the ascent was gradual: debut at the highest level, 11th place, seventh, fifth and finally fourth. But how can one not note the progress of the modest Union, when a lot of money was pumped into another Berlin club – Hertha? The latter spent over €100 million on transfers during the season of promotion to the Bundesliga. The former did not create hysteria and, while remaining one of the poorest clubs, improved gradually.
At first, Union paid attention only to those who could be signed as a free agent or on loan. But it increased its strength and built a real Berlin Wall in defense, forgive me for such banality: what else can I say if in the second season the club conceded less than the champion Bayern. Conference League, Europa League, Champions League – and in the meantime, Hertha, which failed with investments, was relegated to the Second Bundesliga.
In the 2022/2023 season, everyone was captivated by the Surinamese striker Sheraldo Becker, who accumulated 12+10 in 48 matches. In 41 games, Frederic Rönnow conceded only 38 times. He was helped in this by Sami Khedira’s brother Rani, Diogo Leite and defender-scorer Robin Knoche (7+4, 46).
Union became a phenomenon: they scored the most from set pieces in Germany (18 times) and were 17th in terms of expected goals – but in terms of actual goals they were ninth (37.9 xG exchanged for 51 goals). In addition, the team of Urs Fischer, who brought her out of the dungeon, even polished several rounds in the fall. But even so she achieved the unthinkable.
In the Champions League season, however, there was a collapse: only two points in the group with Real (0:1, 2:3), Napoli (0:1, 1:1) and Braga (2:3, 1:1), the fight for survival and an equal number of points with Bochum, which had to fight in the battles. Spending on Leonardo Bonucci, Robin Gosens and Kevin Volland was a negative.
“Heidenheim” (season-2023/2024)
8th place in the Bundesliga – access to the Conference League
There are three recent cases ahead, so let’s talk about them briefly. Heidenheim knocked on the door to the European Cup in its debut season at the highest level! Although its composition was estimated at € 50 million – the third result from the end. We should thank left midfielder Jan-Niklas Beste with 8+12 in 32 matches (he was taken by Benfica), as well as two forwards – Tim Kleindiest (14+3, 35) and Eren Dinkci (11+5, 34).
The guys had a great December-February period, when they recorded four wins and four draws in eight matches. And in April, Bayern itself was taken out of the way (3:2). As a result, Werder and Freiburg also accumulated 42 points, but it was Heidenheim that pushed the additional indicators into the Conference League. There they will have to face Chelsea, Istanbul, Slovenian Olimpia, Scottish Hearts, Swiss St. Gallen and Cypriot Paphos. The set is extremely interesting, if only because of the famous opponent from the Premier League.
“Stuttgart” (2023/2024 season)
2nd place in the Bundesliga – qualification to the Champions League
The Swabians are very famous and titled. After all, five-time champions and winners of the German Cup. But why are they here then? Because of the 16th position in the 2022/2023 season, when a place in the Bundesliga had to be guarded against Hamburg! It was a success. How to then soar to a praiseworthy height.
Imagine, Stuttgart scored 40 points more than the previous season! How’s that? He beat Bayern to the finish line! Except that because of the magnificent Bayer it only brought silver. All the lines were excellent: the goalkeeping line with Alexander Nübel (39 conceded in 33 matches), and the defensive line with Waldemar Anton (left for Borussia Dortmund), Hiroki Ito (moved to Munich) and Max Mittelstaedt (2+5 in 34 games at left flank), and middle with Chris Furich (9+7, 38), Enzo Milhaud (6+7, 35) and Angelo Stiller (1+6, 34), and attack with Serou Guirassi (30+3 in 30 matches, moved to Borussia Dortmund) and Deniz Undav (19+9, 33).
The club returned to the Champions League after 15 years and already lost there to the reigning winners Real Madrid (1:3). But then things should be simpler: the remaining opponents are PSG, Atalanta, Juventus, Young Boys, Sparta, Crvena Zvezda and Slovan.
“Brest” (season-2023/2024)
3rd place in Ligue 1 – access to the Champions League
The French namesake of the Belarusian city is still in the middle of the French league in terms of budget and roster level. And last season I was among the outsiders. Only Le Havre, Clermont and Metz are poorer. All of them fought for survival (only the first one was successful), while “Brest” was in the Champions League, also clinging to the leadership for some time.
By the 7th round the team was alone in the lead. And from the end of November to the beginning of March I turned on the terminator mode: nine wins, four draws and not a single defeat. And so she exchanged 14th place for third, earning the right to play for the first time not just in the European Cup, but in the main one.
Romain del Castillo scored 8+8 in Ligue 1, Kamori Doumbia – 6+5, Mahdi Kamara – 7+3, Steve Mounier – 6+2, Martin Satriano – 4+4. Brest did not have their own super-scorer like Guirassi: they pulled it in solely through their coherence.
The leaders left were Satriano (to Lens), Mounier (to Augsburg) and central defender Lilian Brassier. Without them, they will have to fight with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayer, PSV, Salzburg, Sparta, Sturm and Shakhtar. Well, these three are going to miss out on a lot.
İdman.biz