Tottenham Alert: Five Clubs Shockingly Relegated Despite Their Size
Tottenham Alert: the north London club finds itself in a perilous league position. With eight games to play, they still lack a league win this calendar year.
The fall of a heavyweight would shock many fans. Filmogaz.com looks back at five clubs shockingly relegated, despite their size.
Atletico Madrid (1999–2000)
Atletico crashed out of La Liga at the end of the 1999–2000 season. They finished second-bottom of a 20-team table after 65 consecutive years in the top flight.
Financial trouble and a criminal probe hit the club midseason. President Jesús Gil and his board were suspended in December.
Claudio Ranieri resigned in March, and Radomir Antić could not reverse the decline. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink still scored 24 La Liga goals that year.
The setback proved temporary. Luis Aragonés returned and secured promotion in 2002, while Fernando Torres emerged as a young talent.
River Plate (2010–11)
River Plate suffered the first relegation in the club’s then 110-year history in 2011. The decisive match was a promotion/relegation play-off at the Monumental stadium.
A riot forced abandonment of the game while River trailed 3-1 on aggregate with a minute remaining. Police battled to disperse supporters and dozens were injured.
The club endured national shock and a period of deep sadness among fans. River returned to the top flight in 2012 and were Argentine champions two years later.
Leeds United (2003–04)
Leeds fell from prominence in the early 2000s. The squad had reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2001 and finished fifth in 2002.
Relegation came in 2004 despite a talented roster. Managerial changes failed to arrest the decline.
Financial collapse followed, leading to administration and a 10-point deduction. Leeds dropped to League One in 2007 and spent three seasons in the third tier.
They won promotion back to the Championship in 2010. Leeds returned to the Premier League in 2020, faced relegation again in 2023, and then regained top-flight status.
Manchester City (1995–96 and 1997–98)
Manchester City endured two relegations in a short span. They slipped out of the Premier League in 1996 and then into the third tier in 1998.
At the time, City lacked the huge investment seen in later years. The squad included Georgi Kinkladze and the club-record signing Lee Bradbury for £3 million.
On the final day of 1997–98 they won 5-2 at Stoke. Other results went against them and City were still relegated.
Schalke 04 (2020–21)
Schalke’s 2020–21 season ended in a humiliating Bundesliga relegation. They finished bottom of the 18-team table after a campaign of chaos.
The club suffered an 8-0 opening defeat at Bayern Munich and went through five managers that season. Covid-19 amplified their financial problems.
Relegation was confirmed after a 1-0 loss at Arminia Bielefeld in April. Angry fans later attacked players as they returned to the Veltins-Arena.
Schalke have qualified for the Champions League eight times this century, and they reached the semis in 2011. They won immediate promotion as 2.Bundesliga champions but then faced further instability.
History shows even giants can tumble. These stories warn that trophies, stadiums, and membership numbers offer no immunity.
For Tottenham supporters, the examples provide grim perspective. Five clubs shockingly relegated in past decades prove football can surprise everyone.
