Play Champions and descend: only this century has passed four times

The painful defeat of Girona in Montilivi at the hands of Betis has caused Míchel's Very serious the threat of descent. Something they have now two points and with a key encounter against Leganés. It is the reality right now of a club that hoped to live a dream season with its participation in the Champions League, but that by multiple factors has revolved in a dramatic campaign. The only similar case of the News is found in Germanywith a Heidenheim in descent positions after having played the conference.

But the risk of living a Champions season that can end in decline is real. In fact, it has happened four times in the big leagues during this century. Two of them, in Spain. He Celta de Vigo of 2003/2004 and the Villarreal of 2011/2012. The other two cases happened in Italy, Sampdoria in 2010/2011 and the Chievo of the 2006/2007, although they finally played the Europa League after losing in the previous round.

If we expanded the cut to teams that played any European competition and lowered the same year, in the 21st century that circumstance has occurred 23 times. And in Spain it has happened most. Up to seven occasions have descended teams that began the season with the 'award' of playing European competitions that same season. Curiously, The Celta de Vigo has passed twice. The explanations are very diverse, although much have to do that clubs that are not powers, suffer to retain talent. The reconstruction, in itself, also has the demand for an extra competition, tiredness … the design of the template is very complicated, also the management of this and other multiple factors. This is A review of the cases of this century in the five most important leagues.

Spain: Celta and Villarreal, from Champions to the well

TO THE CELTA OF THE 03/04 The dream ended in nightmare. With a template with Milosevic, Mostovoi, Gustavo López, Cáceres … managed to get into the round of the Champions League, where they fell to Henry's arsenal. The problem is that at that time they marched to a point of the descent, to which they ended up falling. Something that He passed him on 06/07this time in UEFA, where they reached the eighths again and ended up going down. Worse TO VILLARREAL OF THE 11/12who failed to score in the Champions League group stage and saw how they would end in Second. With UEFA/Europa League, that sad combination happened to Alavés of 02/03, TO ZARAGOZA OF THE 07/08, TO THE BETIS OF THE 13/14 And, the last occasion, In Spanish of 19/20.

Italy: Chievo and Sampdoria, Nightmare Champions

The 10/11 sampdoria was a disaster from beginning to end. Classified for Champions, he fell into the previous one and in the Europa League he also did not advance from his group. With players abandoning the team in January as Cassano, the team ended in series B. Same end of a Chievo Verona That he will remember how in his only participation in the Champions (fell into the third previous round), he ended his descent. An outcome that Fiorentina also lived on 01/02 and Empoli on 07/08, years that played the Europa League. It also happened to Juventus on 05/05, but it is not the same case, since it was descended in the offices for a betting scandal.

Premier: an almost unpublished case

Interestingly, the Premier, competition in which a priori could be more equality, this century only two clubs saw how historical seasons for their European participation ended with their descent to the Championship. And one of those cases, The Hull of the 14/15, has asterisk, since he achieved the classification for his cupbeat rolebut that previous season had flirted with the descent.

Germany, Europe surpassed them

In Germany, there have only been four cases of teams that played the Europa League and ended up going down. The last one was the colony on 17/18. Isolated cases in a competition in which there is a big difference Among the most powerful teams and those who aspire every season to surprise.

France, anecdotal cases

Related news

In France, another competition with great difference between the most powerful and modest clubs, four times there has been the case of combining playing in Europe and lowering the same year, Although in two they were clubs that reached the extinct intertoto cup and did not pass from there.

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