From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

2 cases for your consideration:

FC Thun is leading the Swiss league by 14(!) points with 11 rounds to.
64 points in 27 games, just 9 points shy of what last year's champions
had after a full season.

Thun has never won a major title - best results being runners up in
2005, and cup finalists in 1955 and 2019. And they only got promoted
last year!


In Scotland Hearts is leading the league 7 points ahead of Rangers and 9 points ahead of Celtic, before today's Old Firm. Rangers have 1 game in
hand, Celtic 2. So still very open.

Hearts is a 4 time champion, with the last one coming in 1960. The last
40 league titles have gone to the Old Firm.

Any others?
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 01/03/2026 12:39, Jesper Lauridsen wrote:

2 cases for your consideration:

FC Thun is leading the Swiss league by 14(!) points with 11 rounds to.
64 points in 27 games, just 9 points shy of what last year's champions
had after a full season.

Thun has never won a major title - best results being runners up in
2005, and cup finalists in 1955 and 2019. And they only got promoted
last year!

Thun would be the second team in the history of the Swiss League to win
the title as a promoted side, after Grasshoppers in 1951/52.
Biggest success so far one Champions League group stage participation as
Swiss runner-up in 2005-06.

Their most prolific striker Elmin Rastoder featured for Vaduz back
during their miracle Conference League run, and to the chagrin of the
Swiss declared for his parents' native North Macedonia some time before
he started his current hot streak.

But of course just like the close league race in Austria Thun's success
is also a reflection on the current overall weakness of the competition.

In Scotland Hearts is leading the league 7 points ahead of Rangers and 9 points ahead of Celtic, before today's Old Firm. Rangers have 1 game in hand, Celtic 2. So still very open.

Last-gasp 2-2 draw, so Rangers six points back and Celtic eight (with
one game in hand).

Hearts is a 4 time champion, with the last one coming in 1960. The last
40 league titles have gone to the Old Firm.

Any others?

A couple of interesting races, I think.


Not a Leicester per se, but in Bulgaria Ludogorets's 14-year-long reign
could come to an end as Levski are currently 13 points ahead of them.
But there's still a four-team championship play-off left at the end
of the regular season.


A changing of the guard is also on the cards in Romania. Ex-Steaua
FCSB have for the first time in their history missed the champions
play-off, so already won't be able to defend their 23-24 and 24-25
titles. Current league leaders Uni Craiova last won in 1990-91.


Sint-Truiden, who have never won anything, or even played in Europe
(apart from two appeareances in the Intertoto) are currently just three
points off the top in Belgium.


In Hungary former European semifinalists Gy+ar in their second season
back up in the top league are currently closely ahead of perennial
champions Ferencv|iros.


In the Netherlands NEC, who last played in Europe in the 2008-09 UEFA
Cup (one of only three appearances) are making a serious bid for at
least Champions League qualifiers.


In recent weeks Lens have unfortunately faltered in their David vs
Goliath fight with PSG at the top of Ligue 1.


Poland (top 7 within 5 points) and Austria (top 5 within 5 points, and
those points are soon going to halved) are probably the closest top-20
leagues in Europe right now.
Also noticeable that in both countries the teams with the biggest
fanbase are in trouble - Rapid Vienna are on a terrible run and will
have to struggle mightily to reach the Top 6 champions play-off, while
Legia Warsaw are on a relegation spot.


Also, last November ML (abbreviation for betting company Maxline)
Vitebsk won the 2025 Belarusian title as a promoted side. But perhaps
not that big of a surprise considering this is a league where one
oligarch's money can easily make a big difference.


And isn't there a team leading the league in a certain Scandinavian
country that hasn't won the championship in 40 years and a title in 30?


Ciao,
Werner
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Jesper Lauridsen wrote:

2 cases for your consideration:

FC Thun is leading the Swiss league by 14(!) points with 11 rounds
to. 64 points in 27 games, just 9 points shy of what last year's
champions had after a full season.

Thun has never won a major title - best results being runners up in
2005, and cup finalists in 1955 and 2019. And they only got promoted
last year!

In Scotland Hearts is leading the league 7 points ahead of Rangers
and 9 points ahead of Celtic, before today's Old Firm. Rangers have 1
game in hand, Celtic 2. So still very open.

Hearts is a 4 time champion, with the last one coming in 1960. The
last 40 league titles have gone to the Old Firm.

Any others?

Why not this year's Kaiserslautern or Coquimbo? Do we have to be
reminded of English football?

Anyway, it's a bit early in the season but Limache, who I know nothing
about, are top of the table in Chile. I'm not aware of them ever having
won a major trophy. Huachipato, surprise champions a few years ago, are
only 2 points behind aswell.
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Jesper Lauridsen <rorschak@stofanet.dk> wrote:

2 cases for your consideration:

FC Thun is leading the Swiss league by 14(!) points with 11 rounds to.
64 points in 27 games, just 9 points shy of what last year's champions
had after a full season.

Thun has never won a major title - best results being runners up in
2005, and cup finalists in 1955 and 2019. And they only got promoted
last year!

In Scotland Hearts is leading the league 7 points ahead of Rangers and 9 points ahead of Celtic, before today's Old Firm. Rangers have 1 game in hand, Celtic 2. So still very open.

Hearts is a 4 time champion, with the last one coming in 1960. The last
40 league titles have gone to the Old Firm.

Any others?

Speaking of Leicester (thanks Mark for reminding me)
- despite all the blatant mismanagement it would be
sad to see them relegated to the third tier exactly one
decade after their title.


Ciao,
Werner

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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer


Werner Pichler wrote:

Speaking of Leicester (thanks Mark for reminding me)
- despite all the blatant mismanagement it would be
sad to see them relegated to the third tier exactly one
decade after their title.

Continuing the subject of Leicester City (Thanks Mark!)
and their possible relegation to the third tier of English
football... nobody shed any tears for Blackburn Rovers when
they were relegated to League One (the third tier) in 2017...
becoming the first former Premier League champions to drop
into the third tier of English football.

So why worry about Leicester City? Their financial
mis-management has come back to haunt them...

They should never have got rid of Uncle Claudio... dilly ding,
dilly dong.
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer


Mark wrote:

Why not this year's Kaiserslautern or Coquimbo?

Who?

Do we have to be reminded of English football?

You couldn't really have a thread with Leicester in the title
without it.

Well, unless you are discussing the cheese... which I don't
think we are... but it is nice with crackers... so maybe we
should...
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 03/03/2026 21:53, Blueshirt wrote:

Werner Pichler wrote:

Speaking of Leicester (thanks Mark for reminding me)
- despite all the blatant mismanagement it would be
sad to see them relegated to the third tier exactly one
decade after their title.

Continuing the subject of Leicester City (Thanks Mark!)
and their possible relegation to the third tier of English
football... nobody shed any tears for Blackburn Rovers when
they were relegated to League One (the third tier) in 2017...
becoming the first former Premier League champions to drop
into the third tier of English football.

So why worry about Leicester City? Their financial
mis-management has come back to haunt them...

They should never have got rid of Uncle Claudio... dilly ding,
dilly dong.

But fair or not - Blackburn were the OG Plastic that were seen
as having bought their way to the title with Jack Walker's money,
while everybody (except Mark) loved the mouse that roared Leicester.


Ciao,
Werner
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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Werner Pichler wrote:

On 03/03/2026 21:53, Blueshirt wrote:

Continuing the subject of Leicester City (Thanks Mark!)
and their possible relegation to the third tier of English
football... nobody shed any tears for Blackburn Rovers when
they were relegated to League One (the third tier) in 2017...
becoming the first former Premier League champions to drop
into the third tier of English football.

So why worry about Leicester City? Their financial
mis-management has come back to haunt them...

They should never have got rid of Uncle Claudio... dilly
ding, dilly dong.

But fair or not - Blackburn were the OG Plastic that were seen
as having bought their way to the title with Jack Walker's
money,

They kind of did, but it built a really good team... Shearer and
Sutton up front were a lethal combination, whilst Kenny Dalglish
as Manager brought them a winning mentality. So Sir Jack
Walker's investment paid dividends, much like every other club
that throws a lot of money at their team.

while everybody (except Mark) loved the mouse that roared
Leicester.

You'd think he'd have liked the underdog that took on the big
boys at their own game and triumphed story...

Leicester City had a charm about them that Blackburn Rovers
didn't have, but Leicester still over-spent... and like
Blackburn, paid the price for that over-spending. Neither club
will challenge again for a Premier League title under the
current financial rules.

Personally I loved Uncle Claudio... the right man at the right
time. A good coach with a great personality... and a bit
bonkers. How could anyone not like him?
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