The World's Biggest Clubs Still on Long Runs Without a League Title
By Tom Gott
Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for a league title when they were confirmed as Premier League champions on Thursday, bringing an end to the most high-profile drought in English football.
Fortunately for the Reds, their wait is over, but there are plenty of huge teams around the world who aren't so lucky and still find themselves doing everything they can to reverse the trend and finally get their hands on a title once again.
Here are ten big teams who find themselves battling to end their drought.
10. Lyon - 12 Years
One of the most successful sides in French history, Lyon's reign of dominance during the 2000s saw them win seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles, that last of which came in 2008.
After a few years of flirting with the top of the table, Lyon began to decline and Paris Saint-Germain emerged as the dominant force in France.
Lyon finished seventh in the curtailed 2019/20 season, so their wait for another title looks like continuing for a little while longer.
9. Santos - 16 Years
One of the most well-known Brazilian sides in the world, Santos have had more than their fair share of stellar names - Pelé and Neymar are just two of many.
Their tally of eight league titles is second only to Palmeiras, but Santos haven't lifted the trophy since 2004.
That Santos side was led by Robinho, so those are the kind of shoes which need to be filled.
8. Sporting CP - 18 Years
Portugal football has three global names: Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP.
Benfica and Porto have taken turns lifting the Liga NOS trophy recently, but Sporting have been lagging behind. They haven't won the league since 2002, before Cristiano Ronaldo had even made his debut.
Sporting came second in 2015/16 but they have more third-placed finishes than you can imagine.
7. Independiente - 18 Years
Everybody knows Boca Juniors and River Plate. They are the two most successful sides in Argentina and it's not even close.
Independiente have had plenty of success of their own, winning 18 league titles (the fourth-highest tally in Argentina), but they haven't tasted silverware since 2002.
Los Diablos Rojos have won a record seven Copa Libertadores, but they are currently on a 26-year drought in that competition.
6. Napoli - 30 Years
Diego Maradona led Napoli to the Serie A title in 1989/90, but he never played for the club again after lifting the trophy, and Napoli have never managed to get back to the top of the mountain.
That's why fans were so excited during Maurizio Sarri's reign at the club, in which he helped Napoli go toe-to-toe with the dominant Juventus. Supporters are desperate to see the drought ended.
I Partenopei have been forced to settle for Coppa Italia success, having won that competition three times in the last eight years.
5. Everton - 33 Years
Everton are one of the most prestigious sides in the history of English football. They have spent a record 116 seasons in the top flight and they have an impressive nine league titles to their name.
Their last triumph came during the 1986/87 season, three years before rivals Liverpool's famed success in 1990.
The Toffees haven't even won a trophy since the 1995 FA Cup, which is why the club often spends heavily in the transfer market. Everton just want to be back among the elite.
4. Athletic Club - 36 Years
Behind the big three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, the fourth-most successful side in Spain is Athletic Club, who have no fewer than eight La Liga titles to their name.
Most of their glory days came during the 1930s but Athletic did enjoy a mini-resurgence in the 1980s. They won the title in 1983/84 but they haven't done so since.
It's been a while since Athletic have come anywhere close to matching that kind of success...unless you count on Football Manager. People just love trying to overcome Athletic's homegrown policy and win the title.
3. Saint-Étienne - 39 Years
No team in French football has been more successful than Saint-Étienne, who have won a record ten league titles.
That's all well and good, but the problem is that Saint-Étienne haven't lifted the trophy since 1981.
Les Verts went 30 years without a trophy before their 2013 Coupe de la Ligue triumph, but inconsistency has made competing for the league title impossible in recent years. You can't finish fourth one year and 17th the next. Well, you can, but you just can't win the league after it. That's the problem.
2. Tottenham Hotspur - 59 Years
Tottenham have established themselves as one of the premier sides in England in recent years, but that has not helped them end their 59-year wait for the league title.
There were hopes of lifting the trophy under Mauricio Pochettino in the 2015/16 season, which is why everyone involved with the club was so down when their title push unravelled.
To this day, their last trophy was the 2007/08 League Cup - can José Mourinho end the wait?
1. Schalke - 62 Years
Schalke are undeniably one of the biggest teams in Germany. They have won seven Bundesliga titles, behind only Bayern Munich, FC Nürnberg and Borussia Dortmund in the history books.
However, while those other sides have split their dominance up over numerous decades, Schalke saved the majority of theirs for the 1930s, winning the first six titles between 1934 and 1942.
Their last Bundesliga title came in 1958, and given the way Bayern are playing these days, adding number eight looks nearly impossible.