As every season, the promoted clubs prepare for the new season in the quiet shadow of the popular big guns and their return to the top flight is only noted when the season kicks off in August and September. But not this year, because this year sees the return of big clubs, traditional clubs, old clubs, historic clubs. The traditions are back!
ENGLAND
SUNDERLAND
One of England's most successful clubs returns as Sunderland has won the national league six times in its long existence. Only five other teams won more titles than this Northern outfit. Their Stadium of Light is huge, with a capacity of 48.300 and only Manchester United and Newcastle United have bigger stadiums. Sunderland was relegated in 2003 with an absolute negative record of a mere 19 points and 15 defeats in a row. But the absolute collapse never came and now they're returned with a good squad.
WEST HAM UNITED
Promotion saved West Ham from elimination as relegation had dumped the club in the second division with a fifty million euro debt. But with increased incomes now that they've returned to the Premiership, the 110-year old club can now look at a bright future.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
The Lattics are living a fairtytale. It was just in 1997 that the club was playing in the fourth division and now they're back at the top flight. Responsible for their success is chairman David Whelan, whom you could call a humble version of Roman Abramovic. He bought the club and invested an amazing 90 million euros in it over the years. They will have to work on their popularity though, because their 25.000 seated stadium has a habit of staying empty for at least 50%, even during big matches.
GERMANY
FC KÖLN
Three times national champions, FC Köln (Cologne) lost it in the late 1990s and they were relegated for the first time in their history in 1999. Ever since, Köln have become a bit of a yoyo, with three promotions and two relegations, but they hope to destroy that label by staying up this time. The odds are in their favour with Dutch coach Huub Steevens having guided them to the championship of the second division with good football. Their star player is Lukas Podolski; youngster and popular in Germany because of his performances in the national team.
MSV DUISBURG
Die Zebras endured some hardships following their relegation in 2000 as they struggled to break free from the second division's mid-table before they finally fought their way to promotion this year. Despite an impressive 103rd birthday coming up, the palmares is only modest and it remains to be seen if they can stay up, or if they'll take over Köln's yoyo reputation. After all, someone has to carry on the legacy...
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
The times when Eintracht Frankfurt consistently played European football and joined the battle for silverwear every season lie ten years behind us and they struggled to get their act together again after the relegation in 1996. Judging by organisation and fan-base, Frankfurt is too big for the second division and the managers tried to get them back to the top-flight by making some smart moves such as appointing Friedhelm Funkel as coach. Promotion has been accomplished and the odds are in their favour.
ITALY
GENOA
Chairman Enzo Preziosi saw his dream come true when Genoa reached promotion to the Serie A. The colourful chairman invested a lot of money in his toy and he gave his support to coach Serse Cosmi, who guided the second outfit from the city of Genova (after Sampdoria, ed.) back to the top flight. Genoa has a lot of tradition, winning six of the first seven Serie A championships in history. The list was lengthened with more titles in 1915, 1923 and 1924. The last successes date from 1992 when Genoa finished in fourth place and reached to the semi-final of the UEFAcup where they lost to AFC Ajax. After ten anonymous years, Genoa are back in A and one of Italy's most beautiful derby's between Sampdoria and Genoa is on the calender once again.
EMPOLI
Empoli managed to get back to Serie A after only one year in the miserable basement of Italian professional football. Despite seeking stability by making no major transfers and no irresponsible expenses, relegation and promotion were frequently substituted for each other over the past years. The Tuscan club made its debut in Serie A in 1986, followed by a relegation two years later. A return was made in 1997, just like in 2002 and this year. Chairman Fabrizio Corsi gave the inexperienced coach Mario Somma all the time he needed to put together a winning team.
TORINO
Torino's return to Serie A means that Italy's four traditional city derbies are all back. The mouthwatering clashes in Milan and Rome will have to battle for attention with Juventus vs Torino and Genoa vs Sampdoria. The return of 7x champions Torino, who had their peek in the 1940s, was only realised last weekend in the play-offs where Renato Zaccarelli (also coach during the relegation in 2003) guided his men past Perugia, but only just. The Torino fans sit on history books as their successes are all found in the past. Their last national title was won in 1976 and the last of their 5 national cup trophees was added to the case in 1993. Finding the way up to the Italian subtop is the primary goal right now.
SPAIN
CELTA DE VIGO
The Galicians celebrated their promotion on 5 June after a 3-1 victory on Xérez. The selection was even honoured in Vigo but disappointment and anger fought for first place among the supporters when a couple of days later, the victory was turned into a 3-0 defeat as Celta had played with a player who hadn't yet received a license. When they lost the next match, doom scenarios were written but on 18 June, the team of coach Fernado Vázquez had their promotion anyway with a 2-0 win over Lleida. It was only in 2003-2004 that Celta was playing Champions League football against outfits such as AFC Ajax and AC Milan but that highlight was paid for with relegation. The European games put a heavy load on the small team and the national performances suffered.
ALÁVES
It was only in 2001 that Aláves (with Jordi Cruyff) lost the UEFAcup final to FC Liverpool with 5 goals to 4 but the successes proved too hard to keep up. The best players left and relegation followed in 2003. The recent promotion means a great success to owner and chairman Dmitri Piterman, a Ukranian-American businessman who took over the club in July 2004. Piterman made his good friend Chuchi Cos coach but usually decides on the line-up himself.
CÁDIZ
The Primera Division has a surprise participant with Cádiz. The Southern team played in the top flight for the last time in the 1992/1993 season but they fell back to the third division, mostly because of financial trouble. They climbed back up to the Segunda Division in 2003 where coach Víctor Espárrago guided them to the championship this season.
HOLLAND
HERACLES ALMELO
The Eastern Dutch outfit was founded in 1903 and is one of Holland's oldest clubs. Only mildly successful for the largest part of their history, they did manage to win 2 national championships in the 1960s. A story of relegation and sporadic promotion followed but traditions were always held up high in an organisation where the chairman cycles to work and the small stadium (capacity of 7.000) allows fans living in flat buildings nearby to invite friends and follow the matches from their balconies.
SPARTA ROTTERDAM
One of Dutch football's former giants returns to the top flight after having spent a couple of years in the second division for the first time in its history. Sparta Rotterdam was the fourth outfit in the Netherlands to have never been relegated (together with the traditional top three) until Frank Rijkaard failed to keep them up in the opening stages of the Noughties. With 6 championship titles and 3 cup titles, Sparta is a large club with a big fanbase and will battle Feyenoord for the crown of the city of Rotterdam.
ENGLAND
SUNDERLAND
One of England's most successful clubs returns as Sunderland has won the national league six times in its long existence. Only five other teams won more titles than this Northern outfit. Their Stadium of Light is huge, with a capacity of 48.300 and only Manchester United and Newcastle United have bigger stadiums. Sunderland was relegated in 2003 with an absolute negative record of a mere 19 points and 15 defeats in a row. But the absolute collapse never came and now they're returned with a good squad.
WEST HAM UNITED
Promotion saved West Ham from elimination as relegation had dumped the club in the second division with a fifty million euro debt. But with increased incomes now that they've returned to the Premiership, the 110-year old club can now look at a bright future.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
The Lattics are living a fairtytale. It was just in 1997 that the club was playing in the fourth division and now they're back at the top flight. Responsible for their success is chairman David Whelan, whom you could call a humble version of Roman Abramovic. He bought the club and invested an amazing 90 million euros in it over the years. They will have to work on their popularity though, because their 25.000 seated stadium has a habit of staying empty for at least 50%, even during big matches.
GERMANY
FC KÖLN
Three times national champions, FC Köln (Cologne) lost it in the late 1990s and they were relegated for the first time in their history in 1999. Ever since, Köln have become a bit of a yoyo, with three promotions and two relegations, but they hope to destroy that label by staying up this time. The odds are in their favour with Dutch coach Huub Steevens having guided them to the championship of the second division with good football. Their star player is Lukas Podolski; youngster and popular in Germany because of his performances in the national team.
MSV DUISBURG
Die Zebras endured some hardships following their relegation in 2000 as they struggled to break free from the second division's mid-table before they finally fought their way to promotion this year. Despite an impressive 103rd birthday coming up, the palmares is only modest and it remains to be seen if they can stay up, or if they'll take over Köln's yoyo reputation. After all, someone has to carry on the legacy...
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
The times when Eintracht Frankfurt consistently played European football and joined the battle for silverwear every season lie ten years behind us and they struggled to get their act together again after the relegation in 1996. Judging by organisation and fan-base, Frankfurt is too big for the second division and the managers tried to get them back to the top-flight by making some smart moves such as appointing Friedhelm Funkel as coach. Promotion has been accomplished and the odds are in their favour.
ITALY
GENOA
Chairman Enzo Preziosi saw his dream come true when Genoa reached promotion to the Serie A. The colourful chairman invested a lot of money in his toy and he gave his support to coach Serse Cosmi, who guided the second outfit from the city of Genova (after Sampdoria, ed.) back to the top flight. Genoa has a lot of tradition, winning six of the first seven Serie A championships in history. The list was lengthened with more titles in 1915, 1923 and 1924. The last successes date from 1992 when Genoa finished in fourth place and reached to the semi-final of the UEFAcup where they lost to AFC Ajax. After ten anonymous years, Genoa are back in A and one of Italy's most beautiful derby's between Sampdoria and Genoa is on the calender once again.
EMPOLI
Empoli managed to get back to Serie A after only one year in the miserable basement of Italian professional football. Despite seeking stability by making no major transfers and no irresponsible expenses, relegation and promotion were frequently substituted for each other over the past years. The Tuscan club made its debut in Serie A in 1986, followed by a relegation two years later. A return was made in 1997, just like in 2002 and this year. Chairman Fabrizio Corsi gave the inexperienced coach Mario Somma all the time he needed to put together a winning team.
TORINO
Torino's return to Serie A means that Italy's four traditional city derbies are all back. The mouthwatering clashes in Milan and Rome will have to battle for attention with Juventus vs Torino and Genoa vs Sampdoria. The return of 7x champions Torino, who had their peek in the 1940s, was only realised last weekend in the play-offs where Renato Zaccarelli (also coach during the relegation in 2003) guided his men past Perugia, but only just. The Torino fans sit on history books as their successes are all found in the past. Their last national title was won in 1976 and the last of their 5 national cup trophees was added to the case in 1993. Finding the way up to the Italian subtop is the primary goal right now.
SPAIN
CELTA DE VIGO
The Galicians celebrated their promotion on 5 June after a 3-1 victory on Xérez. The selection was even honoured in Vigo but disappointment and anger fought for first place among the supporters when a couple of days later, the victory was turned into a 3-0 defeat as Celta had played with a player who hadn't yet received a license. When they lost the next match, doom scenarios were written but on 18 June, the team of coach Fernado Vázquez had their promotion anyway with a 2-0 win over Lleida. It was only in 2003-2004 that Celta was playing Champions League football against outfits such as AFC Ajax and AC Milan but that highlight was paid for with relegation. The European games put a heavy load on the small team and the national performances suffered.
ALÁVES
It was only in 2001 that Aláves (with Jordi Cruyff) lost the UEFAcup final to FC Liverpool with 5 goals to 4 but the successes proved too hard to keep up. The best players left and relegation followed in 2003. The recent promotion means a great success to owner and chairman Dmitri Piterman, a Ukranian-American businessman who took over the club in July 2004. Piterman made his good friend Chuchi Cos coach but usually decides on the line-up himself.
CÁDIZ
The Primera Division has a surprise participant with Cádiz. The Southern team played in the top flight for the last time in the 1992/1993 season but they fell back to the third division, mostly because of financial trouble. They climbed back up to the Segunda Division in 2003 where coach Víctor Espárrago guided them to the championship this season.
HOLLAND
HERACLES ALMELO
The Eastern Dutch outfit was founded in 1903 and is one of Holland's oldest clubs. Only mildly successful for the largest part of their history, they did manage to win 2 national championships in the 1960s. A story of relegation and sporadic promotion followed but traditions were always held up high in an organisation where the chairman cycles to work and the small stadium (capacity of 7.000) allows fans living in flat buildings nearby to invite friends and follow the matches from their balconies.
SPARTA ROTTERDAM
One of Dutch football's former giants returns to the top flight after having spent a couple of years in the second division for the first time in its history. Sparta Rotterdam was the fourth outfit in the Netherlands to have never been relegated (together with the traditional top three) until Frank Rijkaard failed to keep them up in the opening stages of the Noughties. With 6 championship titles and 3 cup titles, Sparta is a large club with a big fanbase and will battle Feyenoord for the crown of the city of Rotterdam.
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