The 2024/25 European football season is drawing to a close, and some teams will be happy to see the back of it. At one end of the spectrum come the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Both clubs returned to prominence this term by winning the Premier League and Bundesliga titles, respectively, with the former romping to glory for the first time since 2020 and the latter regaining the crown they lost with a whimper last term.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, we have the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The two English giants are considered part of the ‘Big Six’; however, they currently sit 16th and 17th in the Premier League this season, and had it not been for an unusually poor trio of relegated sides, both of them could have been in serious trouble. Instead, the pair of them will have one final chance to save their respective campaigns as they face off against each other in the Europa League final.
The woes of those two have been well-documented this term, as has their upcoming showdown in Bilbao. But the heavyweight English duo aren’t the only teams to have had uncharacteristically poor campaigns this term. Here are three others that are already anticipating the end of this season and the start of next.
Real Madrid
Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid was supposed to have a year that cemented their status as the dominant force in European football. Last season, they won the UEFA Champions League for a record-extending 15th time with a 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, in addition to the La Liga title as well. Rather than resting on their laurels, they signed the best player in the world in the form of Kylian Mbappe, but the Frenchman’s debut campaign at the Bernabeu has been a disastrous one.
Los Blancos currently find themselves a million miles behind La Liga leaders and arch rivals Barcelona, with the Blaugrana set to be crowned champions with a victory at Espanyol in their third-to-last game of the season. The capital city giants were also dumped out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals by Arsenal, and they lost to Barcelona in both the Copa Del Rey and the Super Cup final.
Much like the aforementioned Manchester United and Spurs, Real Madrid will have one last chance to save their season when they head to the United States to contest the FIFA Club World Cup. Online betting sites have made them a joint favorite to win the competition, and if they don’t, Spain’s royal club will end the season without a trophy for the first time in four years. The latest odds from Bovada’s betting site currently make them a +450 joint favorite to leave MetLife Stadium on July 13th with the title, level with Manchester City, and they will be doing everything in their power to live up to the billing.
AC Milan
Italy’s Serie A has never been more wide open. At one point this season, four teams harbored genuine Scudetto hopes, with Inter Milan, Napoli, Atalanta, and Lazio all in with a shot at glory. But despite the door being wide open for seemingly anyone to throw their hat into the championship battle, AC Milan have floundered.
While cross-city rivals Inter as well as table-topping Napoli have taken the title fight down to the wire, the Rossoneri find themselves way down in ninth place in the table and may not even qualify for European football at all next term. That would represent one of the worst seasons in the club’s recent history, especially considering the fact that Milan have spent over €120m on new players this term.
To make matters worse, Milan has had to endure a disastrous time in cup competitions as well. They were eliminated from the Champions League in the first knockout round by an injury-hit Feyenoord side. In the Coppa Italia, they found some solace, but were humbled in the recent final by upstarts Bologna. It remains to be seen whether Milan will remain in contention next season or if they will fade into a period of mediocrity much like the one they endured throughout the late 2010s.
Sevilla
Sevilla are one of the most storied clubs in the history of Spanish football. The Andalucians have won the UEFA Europa League a record seven times, with the most recent of them coming with a controversial victory against Roma just two years ago. They have consistently loitered around the upper echelons of the Spanish top flight, but over the course of the last two seasons, things have fallen apart.
Last term, Sevilla finished down in 14th, and supporters thought that things couldn’t get any worse. How wrong they were. Los Nervionenses have been embroiled in a relegation battle throughout this campaign, and it looks as though they will narrowly survive by the skin of their teeth. A recent nervy 1-0 home victory against fellow relegation candidates Las Palmas has seemingly secured their top-flight status for another year, but unless serious improvements are made in the summer, a disaster could strike in 12 months.
