As the 2020\/21 European club football season enters its stretch run over the next two months, several teams have struggled mightily and are facing embarrassing conclusions to a forgettable year.<\/p>\n
Which clubs have drastically underachieved, producing poor results that are difficult to digest and comprehend?<\/p>\n
Here are the top five most disappointing clubs in Europe\u2019s five major leagues (one team from each league) this season, ranked based on their performances.<\/p>\n
Participants in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages in 2019\/20, Valencia have struggled mightily in La Liga this season, currently sitting in 12th<\/sup> place with 33 points.<\/p>\n One of the most successful Spanish clubs, Los murci\u00e9lagos<\/em> (The Bats) are underperforming under former Watford manager Javi Gracia and were even battling relegation earlier in the season.<\/p>\n A 4-1 victory<\/a> over Real Madrid in November is the only high point in 2020\/21 for Valencia, who are nine points clear of safety and 13 points away from a European place.\u00a0 This state of league purgatory is unacceptable for the club and has resulted in them featuring in our list of biggest football upsets.<\/p>\n Two goals in six Champions League matches, then-manager Andr\u00e9 Villas-Boas threatening a journalist<\/a> publicly, and a violent attack by supporters<\/a> on the club\u2019s training ground have characterized a dismal season for the French powerhouse.<\/p>\n Once considered to be in the Ligue 1 title race, Marseille\u2019s<\/a> form dipped drastically in the winter, winning only four of their last 17 matches.<\/p>\n A minor resurgence under Jorge Sampaoli has brought the club up to sixth place, with two wins from their last three games.<\/p>\n However, trailing Lyon, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> and Lille by double-digit points is cause for concern, and regardless of how the season ends, it is a disappointment.<\/p>\n Even though J\u00fcrgen Klopp\u2019s side seem to have rediscovered their league form, last season\u2019s champions will not be satisfied with falling 25 points behind title rivals Manchester City.<\/p>\n Even though Liverpool topped the table in the autumn with fantastic performances against Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, it was always going to be a tall order to compete with the number of injuries they suffered.<\/p>\n Losing three central defenders in Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and talisman Virgil van Dijk shook Liverpool\u2019s foundation, disrupting the midfield and consequently the front-three, with players forced to play out of position for long periods, especially Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.<\/p>\n Additionally, the fortress of Anfield was breached by the opposition six straight times<\/a> this season, a first in club history.<\/p>\n Liverpool may finish in the top four, but considering recent seasons, it is not good enough.<\/p>\n Speaking of not good enough, meet Borussia Dortmund. Despite competing as the second wealthiest<\/a> club in the Bundesliga, Die Schwarzgelben <\/em>are currently sitting in fifth place, seven points behind Eintracht Frankfurt for the precious final Champions League spot, and a shocking 21 points behind rivals Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n In a year where the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged football finances, missing out on Europe\u2019s elite competition will be a devastating blow for Dortmund.<\/p>\n It may even result in the sale of several of their superstars, such as Jadon Sancho and the highly coveted Erling Haaland, to make up for the financial losses.<\/p>\n After sacking Lucien Favre, interim manager Edin Terzic is struggling to turn the club\u2019s fortunes around.\u00a0 Similar to Liverpool, Dortmund\u2019s home form is concerning, with four defeats<\/a> at Signal Iduna Park so far, which is the same number from the 2018\/19 and 2019\/20 seasons combined.<\/p>\n If a top-four finish is not achieved, this season will go down as a catastrophic failure and could set the club back for years.<\/p>\n La Vecchia Signora <\/em>(The Old Lady) is the clear choice for the top spot in this ranking. Winners of the last nine Serie A titles, Juventus<\/a> are in third, a whopping 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan.<\/p>\n Appointing club legend Andrea Pirlo as manager over the summer (with zero management experience) was a massive risk, which has not yet paid off.<\/p>\n Pirlo\u2019s side have struggled mightily throughout the season, with questionable draws against last-placed Crotone, 15th<\/sup> placed Benevento and 17th<\/sup> placed Torino.<\/p>\n They also lost to Benevento and 14th<\/sup> placed Fiorentina. These are results previous Juventus teams of the last decade would never have suffered.<\/p>\n While there have been some impressive victories against AC Milan, Lazio and Napoli (on Wednesday night), this season has not gone according to plan for Juventus.<\/p>\nMarseille<\/h3>\n
Liverpool<\/h3>\n
Borussia Dortmund<\/h3>\n
Juventus FC<\/h3>\n