Introduction
There are several clubs who are recognized as truly elite in European Football. Clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Benfica. However, there are other clubs tucked away in the lesser known leagues who have made a name for themselves on the European stage. Here are the top five clubs who are currently flying under the radar but first some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Malmo FF
Malmo FF has had some difficulties in recent years, but they are finally turning things around as of late.
After finishing seventh in the Swedish league in 2022, things have turned around from them in 2023 by winning the league and on track to repeat in 2024. On top of that, they have had a solid run in the Champions League reaching the Play-off Round after beating Faroe Islands club KI.
Olympiacos
The Greek Super League had a resurgence in the 2023-24 European Cup season with AEK Athens reaching the Europa League group stage, Panathinaikos who beat Marseille in the Champions League, and PAOK winning their group in the Conference League, topping 2022 Europa League Champions Eintracht Frankfurt, and making it to the quarterfinals that season.
However, the main highlight of the Greek League is Olympiacos. After finishing third in their Europa League group, Olympiacos went on a run in the Conference League Knock Out Round beating clubs like Fenerbahçe and Premier League giants Aston Villa before downing back-to-back Conference League finalists in their home country to become champions.
Fenerbahçe
Speaking of Fenerbahce, they are the second strongest team in Türkiye behind their hated rivals Galatasaray.
Despite that, they are by no means a pushover team in the Europa and Conference Leagues. They won their group in the Europa League in 2022-23 before falling to perennial Europa League winners Sevilla two to one on aggerate. They also had a strong run in the Conference League in 2023-24 winning their group and advancing to the quarterfinals losing to after mentioned Olympiacos on penalties.
Number 5 Copenhagen
Copenhagen has been a team on the rise over the past few years, winning the Danish Super league in 2022 and 2023, doubling up with the Danish Cup in the latter year.
They have also ascended the European ladder in recent years reaching the Europa League playoff round in 2021 and taking advantage of the new Europa Conference League in 2022 by winning five of six matches and their group before falling to PSV Eindhoven in the Round of sixteen.
By the 2022-23 season, Copenhagen is making noise in the Champions League by beating Turkish side Trabzonspor before making the group stage. Unfortunately, they finished last in their group which included Europa League winners Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, and Treble Winners Manchester City.
In the 2023-24 season, their domestic performances dipped with a third place league finish and quarterfinal elimination in the Danish Cup. Their big accomplishments came in the Champions League, beating Czech side Sparta Prague and Polish side Rakow Czestochowa to make the group stage. In the group stage, they finished second in a group that included Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and Manchester United whom they came back to beat four goals to three and knocked out of European Competition. Trust me as a United fan, that match triggers me because that was an excellent opportunity to claim the round of sixteen spot our ourselves. Unfortunately, Copenhagen could not the same to Man City in the last sixteen losing six to two to the lesser Manchester club.
Number 4 Qarabag
Qarabag has been a club on the rise in recent years, winning the Azerbaijan Premier League the last three seasons.
Their real ascent is in the European Competition. After finishing last in their group the Europa League between 2019 and 2021, Qarabag showed promise in the inaugural Conference League in 2022, finishing second in their group before losing to Marseille in the Knock-out playoffs six goals to one.
In the 2022-23, Qarabag reached the Europa League group stage after nearly losing to Czech side Viktoria Plzen two to one on aggregate. In the group stage, they finished third in their group missing the Europa League by one point before falling to Belgium side Gent in penalties in the Conference League Knock Out Playoffs.
In 2023-24 season, Qarabag made back to the Europa League group stage where they finished second in their group and beating Portuguese side Braga in the knockout playoffs. They would have a formidable task in the Round of sixteen facing the unbeatable Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. They would come close to beating them in both legs, being up two goals to nothing the first half in the first leg before Bayer came back to tie two goals all and being up two goals to nothing in the second leg on the road before Bayer scored three goals in the final twenty plus minutes to knock them out.
Number 3 Feyenoord
Feyenoord has been rising like a phoenix from the ashes the last three seasons. While PSV Eindhoven dominated the Eredivisie and made the Round of sixteen in the Champions League, Feyenoord showed they belong on the European stage.
They finished third in the Dutch League in 2022 and made a run to the inaugural Conference League final losing to AS Roma one goal to zero. In the 2022-23 season, Feyenoord won their league, made the semi-finals in the KNVB Cup (Dutch’s FA Cup), and won a hyper competitive group in the Europa League. They destroyed Shakhtar eight goals to two in the Europa League round of sixteen before succumbing to AS Roma again in extra time four goals to two.
In the 2023-24 season, they finished second in their league behind an unstoppable Eindhoven team and won the KNVB cup being said Eindhoven team during the tournament. They finished third in their Champions’ League group behind Atletico Madrid and Lazio before losing in the Europa League playoff round to AS Roma for the third straight season, this time in penalties.
Fortunately, they are in the Champions League this year where they are saved from facing AS Roma because of a new formula.
Number 2 Sporting CP
Sporting CP has been a club showing promise the past few seasons. While Benfica and Porto have established themselves as elite level European Clubs and Braga is finding their footing among the elite clubs, Sporting has shown they are on the level of their Portuguese rivals.
In the 2021-22 season, they won the Portuguese League and Taca de Liga (Portugal’s Carabao Cup). In the 2022-23 season, they finished second in the league behind Porto and won Taca de Liga for the second straight year and reached the round of sixteen where they lost to their overlords Manchester City five goals to zero.
In the 2022-23 season, they made it to the final of the Taca de Liga for the third straight season losing to Porto. They finished fourth in their league and third in their Champions’ League group. However, in the Europa League, they beat Premier League giants Arsenal in penalties before falling to Juventus in the quarterfinals.
In the 2023-24 season, Sporting won the Portuguese League and finished the final of the Taca de Portugal (Portugal’s FA Cup), losing to Porto again. They finished second in their Europa League group before falling to Europa League winners Atalanta three goals to two in the round of sixteen.
Number 1 Club Brugge
The Belgian Pro League has some teams cementing themselves on the European level like Anderlecht being Villareal in 2022-23 Conference League, Antwerp defeating AEK Athens in the 2023-24 Champions League play-off round, the Union Saint-Gilliose making it to the quarter-final of the Europa League in 2022-23 beating German club Union Berlin.
The most successful club during the recent stretch is Club Brugge. They won the Belgian Pro League five times within the last seven seasons and won the Belgian Super Cup three times during that stretch, including back-to-back in 2021 and 2022.
They made the Champions League group in the 2021-22 season and finished last in their group but got a win over RB Leipzig on the road. In the 2022-23 season they finished fourth in their league but found more success in the Champions League. They won they their first three group matches, including a four to zero win on the road against Porto before finished second in their group. They would lose to Benfica seven to one on aggregate, but this would be a success for the club.
In the 2023-24 season, Club Brugge went on a tear in the Conference League even knocking out La Liga side Osasuna in the Playoff Round four to three on aggregate. Brugge went unbeaten in the group stage with only a first match draw against Turkish side Besiktas keeping them from perfection.
In the Knockout rounds, they beat Norwegian side Molde four goals to two, Greek side PAOK three goals to zero before falling to Fiorentina four goals to three in the semi-finals.
Now back in the Champions League league phrase they are looking to establish themselves among the elite.
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