Time to rise? Ranking Europe's sleeping football giants

BBC Sport published a feature on 10 October 2026 ranking ten former heavyweight clubs that currently sit outside their countries' top divisions, identifying them as Europe's 'sleeping giants'. The piece contrasts recent returns to top-flight football — names such as Deportivo, Parma, Hamburg, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Schalke and Malaga — with those historic clubs that remain dormant.

The author set out selection criteria emphasising history, heritage, fanbase and stadium, and excluded clubs whose success was too recent or whose legacy is contested. Examples cited as excluded were West Ham, Wolves, Stade de Reims and Nantes because of recent top-flight or continental success; Steaua Bucharest, despite winning the European Cup 40 years ago, now play in Liga II after a divisive split that left many supporters following top-flight FCSB; Boavista were noted as title winners in 2001 but have been ejected from Portugal's professional leagues amid financial collapse. The piece also mentioned clubs with large stadiums that did not automatically qualify, including Bari, Hellas Verona, Messina and Palermo, and highlighted Pro Vercelli's seven Italian titles by 1922 as insufficient given their current circumstances.

Bursaspor were listed with one league title (2009-10) and one domestic cup (1985-86), currently in Turkey's 1.Lig with the Centennial Ataturk Stadium (43,361) as their home. The article recalled Bursaspor's 2010 championship — only the second club outside Istanbul to win the Turkish title and the first since Trabzonspor — which led to Champions League nights against Manchester United and Rangers, and it recorded the club's drop into the fourth tier in 2024 for the first time in their history. Based in Bursa, a city described as having about 2.5m residents south of Istanbul near Mount Uludag, Bursaspor's unusually crocodile-shaped stadium and their post-2024 climb up the pyramid were noted alongside their aim to return to the Super Lig for the first time since 2019.

Dynamo Dresden were profiled with eight league titles (most recently the East German DDR-Oberliga 1989-90) and seven domestic cups (most recent 89-90), playing in the 2.Bundesliga at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion (32,085). The piece outlined Dynamo's East German prominence, European runs that included losing to Liverpool in the UEFA Cup in 1976 and in the European Cup two seasons later, and their post-reunification Bundesliga entry in 1991 followed by relegation and financial problems that sent them into regional leagues. The article recorded the club's substantial fanbase in a city of over half a million, noting average home attendances of over 30,000 in the second tier last season.

Kaiserslautern were noted as four-time league winners (most recent 1997-98) with two domestic cups (most recent 95-96), competing in 2.Bundesliga and based at Fritz-Walter-Stadion (49,327). The piece reminded readers that Kaiserslautern remain the only side to win the Bundesliga immediately after promotion, cited their European regularity in the 1990s and early 2000s and recorded their interval outside the top flight — including four seasons in the third tier before promotion in 2022 — while adding that they average crowds of more than 46,000 and reached the German Cup final in 2024, where they lost to Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen. Sheffield Wednesday were described as four-time league champions (most recent 1929-30) and four-time domestic cup winners (most recent 90-91), currently in League One with Hillsborough (39,732) as their ground; the article noted their 1991 League Cup victory, relegation from the top flight in 2000, administration and relegation last season, and the May purchase by a US consortium.

Hertha BSC were presented with two league titles (most recent 1931) and two domestic cups (most recent 2002), playing in 2.Bundesliga at the Olympiastadion (74,475). The author recorded Hertha's past European performances — including a UEFA Cup semi-final and a Champions League victory over Chelsea in 1999 — and stated this season was their fourth consecutive campaign outside the Bundesliga, while noting they regularly attract more than 50,000 fans and that a new ground on the Olympic Park site for up to 52,000 has been considered. The article added current-season context that Hertha were top of 2.Bundesliga and listed youngster departures: Ibrahim Maza and Kennet Eichhorn to Leverkusen and goalkeeper Tjark Ernst to Feyenoord. Bordeaux were listed with six league titles (most recent 2008-09) and seven domestic cups (most recent 12-13), placed in Regional 1 (sixth tier) with Stade Atlantique (42,115) as their customary stadium; the piece traced their relegation from Ligue 1 in 2022, subsequent administration and summer demotion to the sixth tier, and reported the club's purchase by US investment fund Park Bench for one euro, while recalling Bordeaux's history as a home to Jean Tigana and Zinedine Zidane and as a Euro 2016 quarter-final venue.

FC Nuremberg were profiled as nine-time champions (most recent 1967-68) with four domestic cups (most recent 06-07), competing in 2.Bundesliga at the Max-Morlock-Stadion (50,000) and described as nicknamed 'Der Club' for their early status in German football; the article stated Miroslav Klose has been Nuremberg head coach since June 2024. Real Zaragoza were placed in Spain's Primera Federación (third tier) with La Romareda under reconstruction and a projected capacity of 43,000, and listed as winners of the Cup Winners' Cup (1994-95) with six domestic cups (most recent 2003-04). The piece recalled Nayim's long-range extra-time winner over Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman in the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final, cited former players Pablo Aimar, Diego Milito and David Villa, described Ander Herrera (aged 37) returning to his boyhood club as Zaragoza develop a new 43,114-capacity stadium for the 2030 World Cup, and included Herrera's quote: "Real Zaragoza belong to Europe, they belong to compete for trophies, to be fighting with the biggest clubs in Spain and in Europe," said Herrera.

Saint-Etienne were listed with 10 league titles (most recent 1980–81), seven domestic cups (most recent 2012–13) and a European Cup runners-up finish (1975–76), currently in Ligue 2 and based at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (41,965). The author recorded Saint-Etienne's dominant period of 10 league titles in 25 seasons from 1956-57 to 1980-81, their 1976 European Cup final loss to Bayern Munich, last silverware in the Coupe de la Ligue 13 years ago featuring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, their fourth season in five in the second tier and their play-off defeat to Nice that denied an immediate return to Ligue 1; the piece also noted graduates William Saliba and Wesley Fofana and that 18-year-old Djylian N'Guessan will join Liverpool in January. Sampdoria were listed with the 1990-91 Scudetto, four domestic cups (most recent 93–94), a Cup Winners' Cup (89–90) and European Cup runners-up finish (91-92), currently in Serie B and playing at Stadio Luigi Ferraris (33,205); the article recounted Sampdoria's 1990s golden era under Paolo Mantovani, their European finals, the 2023 bottom-placed relegation from Serie A amid financial problems, and that the club is now under new ownership with the Ferraris set for redevelopment ahead of Italy hosting Euro 2032.

Several of the featured clubs have specific immediate developments: Hertha sit top of 2.Bundesliga, Bordeaux were bought by Park Bench for one euro and relegated to the sixth tier, and 18-year-old Djylian N'Guessan is due to join Liverpool in January.