Magic has been in the air this year, giving us fairytale stories across football’s landscape. League champions around the world have largely followed the script, but knockout competitions have spat out a list of unexpected winners. From underdogs few would consider to sleeping giants awakening, here is a list of the shock champions with the length of their trophy drought in brackets, writes MARK LEMKE.
Union Saint-Gilloise end (Belgium Pro League, 90 years)
Union Saint-Gilloise ended their 90-year wait for the Belgian league title but had to endure a nervy afternoon before beating visitors Gent 3-1 on Sunday to finish three points ahead of second-place Club Brugge.
The Brussels club went agonisingly close in the last two seasons and faced the potential of another last-day calamity before substitute Promise David came on in the second half to score twice in the space of seven minutes and ensure their title triumph.
Formed in 1897, Union won 11 league titles between 1904 and their last in 1935 but went into serious decline in the early 1960s after being relegated, ending up in the fourth tier of Belgian football some two decades later.
Crystal Palace (FA Cup, first trophy ever in 120 years)
Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute strike proved to be the biggest goal in Crystal Palace’s history as it secured the 1-0 win over Manchester City. Wembley erupted at the sound of the final whistle, with multiple generations of Palace fans embracing one another. There were fans looking to the heavens, dedicating the cup success to loved ones who did not live to see the day. Palace winning the oldest knockout cup event in football encompassed the love and loyalty instilled in true fans.
Go Ahead Eagles (KNVB Cup, 92 years)
The Dutch underdogs defeated AZ Alkmaar via penalty shootout. The celebrations started early, prematurely even. The game was suspended momentarily in normal time due to fireworks being set off, with the scoreboard still reading 0-0. For a fan, a risky decision to get a tattoo of the trophy a month before the final paid off. The Eagles’ right-back, Mats Deijl, had observed a week before the game, “I hope he does not have to laser it off.” Fortunately for him, the footballing gods played ball.
Newcastle United (Carabao Cup, 56 years)
A street parade was held on Tyneside the week after the Magpies downed Liverpool 1-0 at Wembley, with the winner being scored by towering defender Dan Burn, born and bred in the area. Some 300,000 braved the cold to line the streets for the open-top bus parade. Newcastle’s previous trophy was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (the competition before the UEFA Cup) in 1969. The jubilation from the Carabao Cup win fuelled Newcastle to qualify for the Champions League by finishing fifth in the English Premier League.
Bologna FC (Coppa Di Italia, 51 years)
Bologna climbed back to the top of Italian football after beating AC Milan 1-0 in the final of the Coppa Di Italia, five decades after last winning this competition. Bologna were seen as heavy underdogs, with the final being Milan’s to lose. The Serie A club later released a video titled “The City That Dared to Dream”, which sums up the club’s core. They have rebuilt themselves over recent years, finally qualifying for the Champions League last season. They have now achieved the success that they have worked so hard for.
Tottenham Hotspur (Europa League, 17 years)
After nearly two decades of being ridiculed by other “Top 6” clubs for never winning trophies, Tottenham put an end to it. A goal in the 42nd minute through Brennan Johnson was enough for Spurs to snatch the Europa League away from Manchester United. The Spurs fans were left in disbelief; the jokes of never winning anything had begun to stick. Tears of sheer joy were shared between the Spurs supporters and players. After one of the worst Premier League seasons in the club’s history, they have all come together to celebrate a trophy most did not see coming.
Kaizer Chiefs (Nedbank Cup, 10 years)
It took a decade, but finally, the Amakhosi fans can walk tall again after securing their first trophy since 2015 by winning the Nedbank Cup. They sank arch-rivals Orlando Pirates thanks to an 80th-minute winner by Yusuf Maart in Durban to make it 2-1. This victory could be the catalyst to reaching the dizzy levels of success from their past and delivered a resounding thank you to the Chiefs fans who have stuck by the club through their patch.
Another name has been added to the list as VfB Stuttgart were victorious in the German knockout competition, the DFB-Pokal, which gave them their first major trophy in 18 years. More teams can join this group of unexpected winners and drought-enders as French giants PSG look to secure their first Champions League. Next up however, Real Betis could win their first trophy since 1977 and their first ever European trophy when they take on Chelsea in the Conference League final.
