Before they come to Brighton on Thursday, Ajax have been having a shocker of a season. They currently sit in the Eredivisie relegation zone, which is a ludicrous state of affairs for the four-time European champions.
Might they go full Forest or peak Hamburg? Here are all the previous European Cup winners ranked in order of their worst season since 1992-93 – the Champions League era…
1) Nottingham Forest – 7th in League One
The Champions League era overlapped with Brian Clough’s reign by only one season – the great man’s worst, which ended in Premier League relegation for Forest. But they got worse still, dropping to League One where they finished seventh in 2005/06. Even that was an achievement of sorts since they were in the bottom half when Gary Megson was axed in February 2007.
2) Man City – 3rd in League One
City, similarly to Chelsea, are the obvious outlier here. They were regularly sh*te before the money came pouring in. At their lowest ebb in 1998/99 they found themselves in what is now League One, 20 years before they became the richest club in the world overnight, losing 2-1 to York City to leave them 13th in the table at Christmas. But Joe Royle prompted an improvement and the laser blues hauled themselves back into the play-offs, eventually overcoming Gillingham on penalties.
3) Aston Villa – 13th in the Championship
The 2016/17 season was Villa’s lowest point since 1992, the first of three seasons spent outside the Premier League in which they finished 13th in the Championship. They were down in 20th when Steve Bruce came in to replace Roberto Di Matteo, who lasted barely two months at Villa Park. There was to be no respite in the cups, with Villa exiting both domestic competitions at the first hurdle.
4) Hamburg – 4th in Bundesliga 2
HSV were very proud of their never-been-relegated tag – until their clock stopped in 2018. Since then, they have been trying in vein to get out of Bundesliga 2, Hamburg-ing up a couple of promotion play-offs after three consecutive fourth-place finishes, with their lowest points total in 2019/20.
5) Marseille – 2nd in Ligue 2
A massive, f***-off asterisk hangs next Marseille’s European Cup, the first claimed in the Champions League era. Their lowest league ranking came as a consequence of that 1992/93 season, after which they were stripped of their Ligue 1 title and packed off to Ligue 2 for a couple of seasons, coming second in 1996/96.
6) Borussia Dortmund – 13th in Bundesliga
Dortmund’s worst season in two decades, in 2007/08, saw them finish 13th in Bundesliga, three places above the relegation zone. But it prompted them to appoint Jurgen Klopp the following summer, so it turned out for the best. Since then, seventh is the furthest they have dropped at the end of Klopp’s last season in charge, when they were bottom after 18 games.
7) Inter Milan – 13th in Serie A
Inter’s worst-ever league showing was offset somewhat by winning the UEFA Cup in 1994. In Serie A, though, they avoided relegation by a single point, finishing 13th – two places above the drop zone. Inter were fortunate the season closed when it did since their form – one win in their last eight – was taking them towards Serie B.
8) Chelsea – 13th in Premier League
Last season’s 12th-placed finish was abject, but 1993/94 was worse in terms of league standings. Under Glenn Hoddle they finished 13th, though they achieved a Wembley appearance in the FA Cup final. And they had not spent a billion quid to be that sh*te. Still, they finished above Tottenham and Manchester City.
9) Feyenoord – 10th in Eredivisie
On this list as a consequence of their European Cup triumph in 1970, Feyenoord’s worst season since the Champions League became A Thing came in 2010/11 when, like Ajax, they flirted with the relegation zone before belatedly pulling their finger out to finish in the bottom half in 10th.
10) AC Milan – 11th in Serie A
Real’s worst season had a knock-on effect of prompting Milan’s most wretched campaign. The Rossoneri caved in after Fabio Capello’s departure for the Bernabeu, with the previous season’s Scudetto winners, under Oscar Tabarez then Arrigo Sacchi, finishing in the bottom half of the table, down in 11th, only four places and six points above the relegation zone. It was enough to prompt Franco Baresi to finally pack it in.
11) Liverpool – 8th in Premier League
Three times since in the Premier League/Champions League era have Liverpool finished eighth. Most recently in 2015/16 under Jurgen Klopp, and all the way back in 1993/94 under Roy Evans. But 2011/12 was the worst of the lot in terms of points per game. For Sir Kenny Dalglish, the Reds mustered 52 points and a League Cup win couldn’t spare the Liverpool legend from the axe.
12) Juventus – 7th in Serie A
Juve’s lowest point found them in Serie B after the Calciopoli scandal, but in terms of sporting performance, when they weren’t up to mischief (that we know of) never in the Champions League era have they finished lower than seventh. Though they have taken seventh four times, most recently last season. The 2009/10 campaign saw Juve record their lowest PPG total and, under Ciro Ferrara and Alberto Zaccheroni, they were bang average in the cups too, going out int he quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia and Europa League (to Fulham) after a group-stage exit in the Champions League.
13) Manchester United – 7th in Premier League
United have suffered some miserable seasons in the post-Fergie era, none worse than the one immediately after the great man’s retirement. Under David Moyes and latterly Ryan Giggs, United went from champions to seventh. They finished with six fewer points in 2021/22 during the dark days of Ole and Ralf, but that was enough for sixth place.
14) Bayern Munich – 6th in Bundesliga
Bayern’s worst ever season came the year before the Champions League era started when they finished 10th. But that doesn’t count because of our own stupid rules. So we come forward three seasons to 1994/95, when Giovanni Trapattoni oversaw a sixth-place finish but the Italian coach was saved somewhat by a run to the Champions League semi-finals where they lost to eventual winners Ajax. Their top scorer: left-back Christian Ziege with a dozen goals.
15) Real Madrid – 6th in La Liga
Europe’s grandest club, at least in terms of European Cup success, finished 11th in 1947/48 amid some barren post-war years, which remains Real’s worst-ever finish. In the modern era, though, they stank out 1995/96, finishing sixth under Jorge Valdano and, from January, Arsenio Iglesias. They only reached that level of mediocrity by winning their last four matches. That, and declining the opportunity to play in the Intertoto Cup, meant no European football at the Bernabeu for the first time in 20 years.
16) Barcelona – 6th in La Liga
Not for 20 years have Barcelona finished outside the top three. The last time they flopped in such a way, they came sixth amid three managerial changes, starting with Louis van Gaal and ending with Radomir Antic. It was the spark that prompted changes at boardroom level too, while new president Joan Laporta moved to sign Ronaldinho in the aftermath.
17) Ajax – 6th in Eredivisie
Unless they pull their finger out, Ajax are on course for their worst-ever finish. Right now, they are on course for relegation, and they would kill for the misery of 1998/99, when Morten Olsen and Jan Wouters dragged them to sixth place, their lowest finish since 13th in 1965.
18) Steaua Bucharest – 6th in SuperLiga
The first side form the Eastern Bloc to win the European Cup are generally good for a top-three finish in Romania, though five times since 1992 their standards have slipped. Not more so than 2008/09 when they finished sixth – the first of three seasons outside the top three. They hardly helped themselves, changing coach four times in that first season, with the reins swapping between three sets of hands.
19) Benfica – 6th in Primeira Liga
The two-time champions of Europe are almost always good for a top-three finish in Portugal but on three occasions since 1992 they have slipped – twice to fourth and in 2000/01 all the way to sixth. Jose Mourinho, in charge for two and a half months between September and December, has his paw prints all over Benfica’s worst showing since the start of Primeira Liga in 1934, sandwiched between Jupp Heynckes and Toni.
20) PSV – 4th in Eredivisie
Four times since Sir Bobby Robson reign around when the Champions League began have PSV finished outside the top three, in fourth each time. The most recent of those occasions came in 2019/20, but they will say they were just getting going when the season was curtailed by Covid.
21) Celtic – 4th in SPL
Twelfth is Celtic’s lowest-ever league finish but that came in 1948. More relevant is 1993/94, when the Bhoys finished fourth in consecutive seasons, the first time being a point worse than the second. Motherwell and Hibs separated Tommy Burns-bossed Celtic and champions Rangers.
22) Porto – 3rd in Primeira Liga
The 1987 European Cup winners haven’t finished outside the top three in Portugal since 1976, the boringly-consistent b*stards. Only four times have they finished third.
23) Red Star Belgrade – 3rd in Super Liga
The Serbian champions for the last six seasons finished third in 2008/09 a massive 21 points off rivals Partizan. Bad times.
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