This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. Fear is growing in North London. There are terrifying images, and the one of hundreds of fans leaving the fantastic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the Crystal Palace match symbolizes that there is a giant in English football about to fall. To fuel this fear, there are examples like Nottingham Forest, which was a European champion and first faced relegation in 1992/93, experienced that tragedy again in 1996/97, and finally in 1998/99. Staying in the UK, there is also the example of Leeds, which, after being champions three times (1969, 1974, and 1992), fell to the bottom and was relegated in 2004 due to a long and severe financial crisis. It fell, fell, fell, and by 2007 was in the third tier, League One. However, this is not exclusive to England, as recent examples in Portugal include Vitória de Setúbal and Boavista. Two clubs that were once huge in Europe, winning significant trophies, and in the case of the Porto-based team, even became champions in 2000/2001, with Jaime Pacheco as coach and João Loureiro as president. But let’s not stop there. Let’s go to France. A prime example is Reims, a finalist in the European Cup in 1956 and 1959, six-time French champions, and twice winners of the Cup. The crisis was so devastating that in 1991 it declared bankruptcy and was relegated to district divisions. The return to the elite was slow, with some setbacks. A similar scenario was experienced by Vf B Leipzig in Germany. Do not confuse it with RB Leipzig, founded in 2009, which climbed all the steps of German football and only reached the Bundesliga in 2016. Since then, it has never been relegated and is now a chronic contender for the top spots. Vf B Leipzig, which would later become Lokomotive Leipzig, won the German Championship three times, the German Cup once, and the East German Cup four times, in addition to being a semi-finalist in the UEFA Cup (1987) and winner of the Intertoto Cup (1966). But it was dragged down to lower divisions after relegation from the Bundesliga in 1993/94. Today it is in the district leagues because it could not withstand the changes of modernity in German and European football. However, no case has been as publicized as that of Juventus, especially since we were already in the full information age. In 2006, following the scandal known as Calciopoli, the Vecchia Signora was relegated to Serie B and lost two titles. It started the season with a points penalty, but even so, it returned the following year to compete with the big teams and quickly reclaimed the most coveted titles. In all these stories lies a warning that Tottenham must take seriously. Nowadays, tradition is not a guarantee of success, and gross errors in sports management can push even the biggest clubs into darkness. In London, fans are increasingly losing faith in the team. Rivals are increasingly believing in recovery, including West Ham, managed by Nuno Espírito Santo, and Nottingham Forest, managed by Vítor Pereira.
North London Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains central to this story.
North London Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains central to this story.
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