Football is a game that is always characterized by a lot of shocking moments. Often though, bigger teams that can supply themselves with the largest budgets, go on to be the most successful. But, on occasion, smaller clubs can also surpass the odds. Such tales resonate with supporters everywhere. They tell us watching in the audience, that in this game, nothing is impossible.
Here, we will see a few occasions when lesser-known clubs surprised the world. These stories highlight squads that, despite the odds, achieved remarkable success. You can pull this off too, if you play at real money casino on your time off! Let yourself be inspired by these heroes and you can see your name in gold letters too!
No doubt, Leicester City's Premier League triumph that season is probably one of the most popular ‘David against Goliath' stories to date. At the beginning of the season, the prediction was that they would not accomplish that much.
They almost even got relegated during the last season of the contest. They were thought of as an average club, not belonging to the list of English sports giants. They had significantly less funding than Manchester City, Chelsea, or Arsenal.
Yet, they managed to rise through the ranks, and with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez among others, they defied all expectations. They played the attacking team with the much publicized style of the new manager, Claudio Ranieri. Game after game, they began to triumph and, in the process, people gradually began putting more faith in them.
At the final whistle, they had pulled off what seemed like the impossible. They claimed the Premier League season, and topped all the giants. This was dubbed one of the most memorable victories and was welcomed all over the world.
FC Porto, a relatively unknown team in Portugal caused a major buzz by snatching the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2004. Spearheaded by the young Jose Mourinho, they dug into the hearts of the people and beat out the bigger clubs to conquer the crown.
The unit was made up of hard workers rather than named stars from across the globe. They were underestimated in most of their matches. But, their tactical discipline and strong unified spirit helped them succeed. They won the finale against AS Monaco with a score of 3-0. This victory was the start of Mourinho's rise as one of the world's best managers.
The greatest underdog story is perhaps the Greek team, which won the European Championship in 2004. No one saw coming, that a country with little football tradition would triumph against the strongest national teams of Europe.
During the tournament, they played under the defensive style of German coach Otto Rehhagel. They emphasized ball protection and counter-attacks as their major tactics. With such a disciplined attitude, they were able to defeat bigger teams such as France, the Czech Republic, and even the host nation, Portugal.
They stunned the world by eliminating some big names on their way to the finals. It meant that unity, organization and sound strategies superseded individual talent at times.
Individual players have also made their marks, so here are a few whose journeys are underdog stories:
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My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando