Top 5 Tuesday - Clubs That Made History Then Disappeared

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Many clubs supporters brag about their club's long, successful history when they are asked about it. Clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, AC Milan, Liverpool, Manchester United, and many more have pictures of a filled trophy cabinet to brag about as their clubs' names are solidified and continue to be part of football's history.

Some clubs, however, saw a different approach to be remembered in the history of football. An approach of having the club have a great period then disappearing. By disappearing I don't necessarily mean they are no longer in the top football scene, but rather remaining far from their highest accomplishments since.

5- Nottingham Forest F.C.

Their recent win over Arsenal in the FA Cup served as a reminder that inspired creating this list.

Under Brian Clough, this club had a historic period that still has it mentioned today. Perhaps the club with most movies and books made about it.

The club was promoted to the top division in English football. in 1977, within three years it won 7 titles, including 2 European Cups, or as we know it today the UEFA Champions League. They reached great heights that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Spurs, and Chelsea are still yet to surpass. Chelsea only recently won their second UEFA Champions League title.

By the time they won the UEFA Champions League title twice, Juventus and Barcelona still had not one in their cabinet.

The team collapsed after Brian Clough, it had only played 5 games in the Premier League since its inception and now is near the bottom of the EFL Championship.

4- Napoli

Napoli is still in the conversation as it still makes waves here and there, but never really in the league title picture. The team that gave the world Diego Maradona, or perhaps it was the other way around.

The respect for Napoli still exists over the likes of Lazio and Fiorentina even though historically they're not far from them. The era of the attacking trio Diego Maradona, Bruno Giordano, Careca still has Napoli remembered fondly these days after a great era.

3- U.C. Sampdoria

Staying in Italy, Sampdoria also hasn't lived a great overall career. However, they did have a relatively golden era in the late 80s.

The attacking of Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli, goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, and Hans-Peter Briegel formed a scary side to face under Vujadin Boškov. That side shocked everyone when they reached a European Cup (UEFA Champions League now) final and won their only league title in 1991.

The entirety of their history, titles-wise, can be summed up in ten years between 1985 and 1995.

2- VfL Wolfsburg

Up until they hired Felix Magath, Wolfsburg were under the radar since they were created by Volkswagon post World War 2 as a club for their workers. Felix Magath changed the club by signing 17 players in his first season. In the second season, he went on to win the first and only league title in the club's history.

The club had signed relatively unknown names that went on to stardom such as Grafite, Ricardo Costa, and of course Eden Dzeko. Wolfsburg won as many titles as you can win with a giant like Bayern looming over you and Klopp's Borussia Dortmund on the rise.

1- Blackburn Rovers FC

Perhaps their story isn't that different than Nottingham Forest, other than being slightly more recent. Blackburn were promoted to the top division in English football in 1992, starting its first season there during the first time it was played under the new Premier League name.

In their first season, they ended up 4th, in the second they became 2nd, and in the third, they won the title.

The reason for this revolution is the arrival of new owner Jack Walker.
A British industrialist, and a long-time supporter of the club. Soon after his arrival, he started working toward improving Blackburn's fortune.

If you have read my previous top 5 list then you'd be aware of Alan Shearer winning one league title, that title was won with Blackburn Rovers as Jack Walker made Sherear the most expensive British player at the time.

Walker also brought Scottish legend Kenny Dalglish to manage the team. creating a golden era that was short-lived. Walker then made another most expensive British player in Chris Sutton.

Unlike the rest, that wasn't the only League title for Blackburn, however, their previous league title was won all the way back to before World War 1 in 1914.

Shearer left the club, Walker got more ill by the moment, matching the decline of Blackburn Rovers. The ending was poetic in a sense, as Blackburn got relegated the same year Jack Walker died.

Any early Premier League watcher would know the role Blackburn played in adding excitement to the early years of the Premier League era.



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7 comments
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Wolfsburgs run was insane, I used to actively watch Football back in those days with my dad and he was mostly interested in the bundesliga. Fun times for those underdogs, guess Bayern is back to make it look like a piece of cake lately.

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Yeah, them, Stuttgart, and that Dortmund team really added flavor. Now that league is just there. I find the Ligue 1 and the dutch league more interesting.

Thank you for coming by, Acidyo.

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I never knew that the decline of Blackburn almost the same as its owner died.
It was a glory name from the past, now it still almost nowhere to be found.

I do hope that Leichester would not experience the same thing after it Thai owner died in the heli crash.
One club that ruin my Arsenal chance to win the title in the end of Wenger regime

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It really came out to my attention as I was researching the owner.

Leichester have a whole system set up, doubt they will drop. And yeah, I remember that season. I still feel pain over it.

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Blackburn stand a decent chance of promotion this year. I mean I can't see them winning another title again but it's fair to say that things in the Premier League are very different now than they were 30 years ago!

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I did notice their position while writing the piece. It is amazing diving into football history to be honest, some times names are repeated between posts and I feel like it is some kind of a sequel/prequel lol.

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