6 ms·

It's not an illusion. It has happened. Leicester played in the third division in 2008-2009 and won the Premier League 7 years later. Leipzig used to only play

by enaaem 6y ago

It's not an illusion. It has happened. Leicester played in the third division in 2008-2009 and won the Premier League 7 years later. Leipzig used to only play in a regional division 10 years ago and are now in the top of the Bundes Liga and reached the semi-finals of the champions league. Although rare and improbable it does keep a dream alive for many fans. And dreams are part of the entertainment. It can also go the other way around. Schalke 04 used to be a top 5 Bundes Liga team and are now relegated. This drama is exactly what makes the football pyramid charming.

JohnBooty 6y ago
I love those stories and agree they are fun, but aren't they also very money-oriented most of the time? I know for example Cardiff City's renaissance and brief promotion to the Premier League corresponded with an influx of foreign cash. That's undeniably massive fun for supporters of Cardiff, but decidedly un-fun for teams that did not receive such an infusion of money, and in the end it doesn't make me too jealous of the pyramid model.
- martin8412 6y ago
  There have been amateur teams rising through the ranks to best national leagues.. One example in Denmark was Hobro, and they didn't even have money for a decent stadion to play their games on.
- xapata 6y ago
  Not Leicester, as far as I know.
  - solean 6y ago
    Leicester was bought by Thai billionaires a few years before winning the league.
    - xapata 6y ago
      That explains the arrival in the Premier League, but not winning it.
  - mandevil 6y ago
    After briefly being relegated to the third tier (for just a season, first time ever) for a season, they immediately bounced back up to the second tier in 2009-10 and then they were bought by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, a Thai travel and retail billionaire and started their rise to the top of the Premier League.
  - tanjtanjtanj 6y ago
    Yes. Leicester's rise through the system was a direct result of money being pumped in by their owner, a foreign billionaire. They were purchased 5 years prior to winning the Premier League and immediately upgraded their sponsorships, facilities, staff, and players. Did money make them win the premier league? No, but it couldn't have happened without it and it had nothing to do with meritocracy or the local community.
    - kingofpandora 6y ago
      Leicester barely survived relegation the year before winning the league. There wasn't an influx in cash between those two polar opposites.
- merb 6y ago
  well schalke got relegated because of missmanagement, so yeah it was money oriented. and rb leipzig also got infused with money, but way way less than people think of and they kept their places without additional infusions, so... I guess they earned their placed, because rb leipzig actually put most of the money into infrastructure, which is probably what made the so successful.

by enaaem 6y ago

JohnBooty 6y ago

I love those stories and agree they are fun, but aren't they also very money-oriented most of the time? I know for example Cardiff City's renaissance and brief promotion to the Premier League corresponded with an influx of foreign cash. That's undeniably massive fun for supporters of Cardiff, but decidedly un-fun for teams that did not receive such an infusion of money, and in the end it doesn't make me too jealous of the pyramid model.

martin8412 6y ago
There have been amateur teams rising through the ranks to best national leagues.. One example in Denmark was Hobro, and they didn't even have money for a decent stadion to play their games on.
xapata 6y ago
Not Leicester, as far as I know.
- solean 6y ago
  Leicester was bought by Thai billionaires a few years before winning the league.
  - xapata 6y ago
    That explains the arrival in the Premier League, but not winning it.
- mandevil 6y ago
  After briefly being relegated to the third tier (for just a season, first time ever) for a season, they immediately bounced back up to the second tier in 2009-10 and then they were bought by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, a Thai travel and retail billionaire and started their rise to the top of the Premier League.
- tanjtanjtanj 6y ago
  Yes. Leicester's rise through the system was a direct result of money being pumped in by their owner, a foreign billionaire. They were purchased 5 years prior to winning the Premier League and immediately upgraded their sponsorships, facilities, staff, and players. Did money make them win the premier league? No, but it couldn't have happened without it and it had nothing to do with meritocracy or the local community.
  - kingofpandora 6y ago
    Leicester barely survived relegation the year before winning the league. There wasn't an influx in cash between those two polar opposites.
merb 6y ago
well schalke got relegated because of missmanagement, so yeah it was money oriented. and rb leipzig also got infused with money, but way way less than people think of and they kept their places without additional infusions, so... I guess they earned their placed, because rb leipzig actually put most of the money into infrastructure, which is probably what made the so successful.