The only country where the capital’s team has never won a scudetto

Is there fresh air in the Bundesliga? Thanks to Bayern Munich’s three consecutive draws, Only Union Berlin is at the top of the German championship., one of the most surprising emerging realities of European football, also entered the Europa League this year. The Union has so far reversed the hierarchies below the Brandenburg Gate, removing Hertha – always embroiled in the struggle to retreat – to a secondary role. Sure, MisterShell remains a utopia, but in the meantime Boys coached by Swiss Urs Fischer have brought Berlin back to the top of the Bundesliga after 13 years: It had not happened since 21 March 2009, when for a few days it was Hertha in the middle of one of the most amazing seasons in German football history dominated by blissful solitude, so much so that the season was finally titled Zeko. K went to Wolfsburg and Graphite.

In most European countries, especially smaller ones, it is customary for the seat of football power to coincide with economic and political power: From Albania (Tirana) to Slovakia (Slovene Bratislava), Croatia (Dinamo Zagreb) to Finland (HJK Helsinki), the capital had won twenty European championships in 2021–22, also passing through Real Madrid, naturally. and Paris Saint-Germain, There are only ten countries in which the title from the capital has been missing for more than ten years: Chisinau escapes the Moldovan title, repeatedly won by Sheriff Tiraspol, since 2011 (Dacia Chisinau), the Bulgarian title in Sofia missing since 2009 Because of Hai (Levski Sofia) Ludogorets, Bitter Jerusalem in Israel has not been won since 2008 and the title race is usually a matter between Haifa and Tel Aviv. In Norway, Oslo never shone: Valerenga has won only five “championships”, the last in 2005. The same goes for Minsk, the Belarusian capital that has been dry since 2004. And then there is Italy, where the title has always gone to Milan or Turin after the Lazio-Roma double in 2000 and 2001.,

But which are the only four European capitals – or at least the 54 UEFA member states where the championship is played – that have yet to win a national title since 2000? (We did not consider teams such as Cardiff and San Marino, which play in “foreign” leagues with respect to country.)

Luxembourg – from 1991-92

In the championship of the good Grand Duchy, with great surprise, the capital Luxembourg is rarely represented: from 2004 to the present the national title has been a matter between Dudelange and Ashe-sur-Alzette, a city that holds two representatives (Fola and Genesee) claims. , Capital’s last title dates back to 1991–92, Union Luxembourg’s sixth and last title, which in the meantime (in 2005) was re-established as Racing FC Union Luxembourg and won the Luxembourg Cup the previous year.

Scotland – 1959-60. From

Contrary to what many football fans may think, the Scottish capital is not Glasgow but Edinburgh, home of the Hibernians (as Trainspotting fans know) and Hearts, Fiorentina’s opponents in the Conference League. Instead the Scottish Premier League as we all know since 1985 has been a private affair between Celtic and Rangers: the last team that managed to strike a chord between the two Glasgow giants was not yet “Sir” Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen. Was. Edinburgh has been dry since 1959–60, the fourth and final title season for Heart of Midlothian Football Club, which has since settled for three Scottish Cups and one League Cup.

Germany – from 1930-31

In the thirties, even for infamous reasons, Berlin was the center of Germany’s sporting, political, cultural and economic life, it even hosted the 1936 Olympic Games. More than ninety years which still stands today. We are of course only referring to a united Germany, because from 1948 to 1991, the Oberliga was also the national championship of the GDR in which East Berlin celebrated ten Dynamo Berlin titles and six Vorvaart titles, while Hertha – by The government of the excommunicated East Germany – he limited himself to participating without slander and without admiration in the championships of the Cousins ​​of the West.

Turkey – never!

Since 1959 only five teams have won the Turkish Championship: three from Istanbul (Besiktas, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray), Trabzonspor from Trebizond and Bursaspor from Bursa. Despite participating in 53 out of 65 editions, Ankaraguku never played a role as a team from the capital until their status, limiting themselves to lifting two Turkish Cups in 1972 and 1981., But be careful: Turkey had a fragmented and episodic Turkish Championship from 1924 to 1951 that was won by Ankaraguku in 1949.