Three European clubs that were previously struggling but are now contenders

Everyone loves an underdog, and there are several in the top European football leagues. While it’s early in their club campaigns, there are a few teams that are confounding the pundits and playing football at a high level. Let’s give these teams some love and take a closer look at them.

Southampton FC

Here is a team that was not only relegated, but was handed a ten-point reduction and was under administration in 2009, which is the British version of bankruptcy. After 125 years in existence, it seemed that the Saints were doomed to a future of lower league play. Fast forward five years and two promotions later, and this gritty team is currently in second place in the English Premier League, looking up only at Chelsea.

How is a team that was only one of three teams to garner a positive cash balance from the transfer window achieving such success thus far? Their best known team member is their manager, Ronald Koeman, a legend in Dutch football as well as a member of other European teams. A master at judging talent and how it can improve teams, Koeman has worked wonders at Southampton. His players have bought into his system, and the results are glaringly apparent.

While St. Mary’s Stadium barely holds 33,000, their fans are among the most committed in England. They are being rewarded for their support throughout some poor campaigns in the past. No one can say how their season will end, but this team seems poised for success in 2014 and is trending upward in the future.

If the team keeps scoring class goals like this one, they’ll be just fine.

Swansea City FC

Seeing the Swans in fifth position in the EPL ahead of teams like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool may seem like an error, but this South Wales team is playing some solid football. They earned respect in their season opener, beating Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Swans have spent the past two years in top-flight football, but have not yet achieved consistent success within the Premier League. Their previous manager, Michael Laudrop, was sacked in February, 2014 and replaced by Garry Monk. Monk had been a member of the Jacks since 2004 as a defender, and has instilled a new mindset in his squad along with a belief that they can compete with any team in the EPL.

While not a team generally capable of overwhelming their opponent, their patient, methodical approach to the game has the players believing in themselves. Their biggest impediment might be their stadium, which only holds 21,000 fans. While early in the season, there’s every reason to believe that this team will show a marked improvement in the coming months.

Valencia CF

Recent seasons have seen Los Chi rise to no better than mid-table in La Liga, but the current campaign has Valencia in third position, ahead of powerhouse Real Madrid and right behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. In winning their last four matches, they have gotten the attention of the other top-tier teams and earned their respect on and off the pitch.

While this storied team has been in existence for 95 years and is the third most successful team in La Liga history (behind Real Madrid and FC Barcelona), their last decade was spent in somewhat of a decline, with their struggling financial viability hampering the club’s success. That was finally put to rest when Peter Lim bought 70.4 percent of Los Chi in May, 2014.

With solid financial backing and a 75,000 seat stadium (with a 20,000 season ticket waiting list) nearing completion—and young stars like Paco Alcacer (shown below)—this team appears poised to return to their glory days of old.

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