Great football clubs of the past that aren't so great anymore

Football is a game full of ups and downs, with failure and success only one season or one game away from happening. Because of this, many teams have fallen to the depths of what they used to be.

Let's start in England, where Nottingham Forrest are still competing at the highest level today, but no longer have anything like the success they enjoyed in the late 1970s. Former champions of England and two-time European Cup winners, Forest have not won a major trophy since the 1989/90 League Cup.

Ipswich Town was once a force to be reckoned with in the UK and Europe, winning the UEFA Cup in 1980/81. Nowadays, however, things are less glamorous at Portman Road, but The Blues are currently fighting to stay in the Premier League.

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The same can be said of Leeds United, who won a league title in both the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s, but are now battling to return to the Premier League.

Blackburn Rovers won the league three times, most recently in 1994/95, with Alan Shearer (pictured) in their ranks. The main objective now at Ewood Park is to return to the top flight.

Two-time champions Derby County were a great team in the 1970s, but have fallen to the Championship, awaiting new glory days at Pride Park.

Stoke City was one of the best teams in England in the 1970s, consistently finishing near the top of the First Division and winning the League Cup in 1972. 'The Potters' were promoted to the Premier League in 2008 and survived for ten years, reaching an FA Cup final and playing in Europe. Since relegation in 2018, Stoke has struggled to reach the top half of the Championship.

Wigan Athletic was once a regular Premier League side, creating cult heroes, winning the FA Cup in 2013, and playing in Europe. Unfortunately, due to financial trouble, the club now finds itself in the depths of League One.

Up to Germany, where we find Hamburger SV, another glory of the past, which until 2017/18 was the only team to have always played in the Bundesliga since its foundation. 'Die Rothosen' were particularly successful in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the 1982/83 European Cup thanks to a goal by star player Felix Magath (pictured).

The 2. Bundesliga is also home to Schalke 04, seven-time Bundesliga champions and UEFA Cup winner in 1996/97. With their huge fan base, it seems only a matter of time, however, before 'Die Königsblauen' return to the top level.

Like Hamburg and Schalke, Kaiserslautern experienced a decline after winning four titles in their history and currently competes in the 2. Bundesliga.

Italian football clubs have dominated Europe on many occasions, and UC Sampdoria have contributed to this. The former Italian champions had a particularly successful period in the early 1990s, when they won the Serie A and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and reached the European Cup final, only to lose after a legendary Ronald Koeman free-kick. 'I Blucerchiati' nowadays compete in Serie B, the second-highest football division in Italy.

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The 1990s were also Parma's glory period, with no fewer than two UEFA Cup victories and one in the European Cup Winners' Cup. From then on, however, it was all downhill for 'I Gialloblu', who were relegated to the lower divisions of Italian football after financial problems, but are desperate to get back to the top.

It is hard to believe, but Torino FC was once the biggest club in Turin. It won four consecutive league titles in the 1940s, but in 1949 it suffered an air disaster in which the entire team was killed. 'Il Toro' bounced back with several trophies after that, though they are far from being the dominant force of yesteryear.

In France, AS Saint-Étienne is perhaps the best example of a past footballing great. In their history, 'Les Verts' won ten league titles, the last one captained by the great Michel Platini (pictured), before experiencing a decline that led them to Ligue 2. They are now struggling to stay in Ligue 1.

The same happened to Bordeaux, six-time league champions and winners of the Intertoto Cup in 1995, with great players like Zinédine Zidane (pictured) and Christophe Dugarry in their ranks. After some financial problems, the club was relegated to Ligue 2 in 2022 and now plays in the lower French leagues due to bankruptcy.

Surprisingly, Stade de Reims was once one of the greatest teams in Europe. The French champagne capital was particularly successful in the period after the Second World War, when it won six league titles and was runner-up in the European Cup twice.

Valencia also knows the feeling of suffering defeats in important games, having lost two consecutive Champions League finals in 1999/00 and 2000/01. Although far from being the European force it once was, the Spanish side nevertheless has a record that many teams envy, with six league titles and a UEFA Cup to its name, among other successes.

However, Valencia's decline is not comparable to that of Deportivo La Coruña. The Galician team won one league title and two Copas del Rey, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2003/04 season, but is now far from the top of Spanish and European football, having been relegated to the second tier of Spanish football.

In the same category, Real Zaragoza have claimed the Copa del Rey six times and won the 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a legendary Nayim goal against Arsenal. 'Los Maños', however, have been in the Segunda División since the 2013/14 season and are looking to get back to the top tier of Spanish football.

Did we miss a club? Let us know!

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