A series of clubs with a long history of domestic success and Champions League experience are this season fighting at the wrong end of the table
There's something in the air in Europe this season. Across the continent, some of the best-known teams around are already beginning to feel the cold grasp of relegation around their necks.
While no dynasty can last forever, it's striking that so many storied sides have suffered coordinated descents down the table during the early months of the 2023-24 campaign.
Below, GOAL has analysed exactly what has gone wrong for these fallen giants so far…
Getty ImagesAjax (Eredivisie)
There is only one place to start: Amsterdam. Ajax's turmoil has been well documented of late, largely due to the apocalyptic scenes witnessed during their humiliating defeat to Feyenoord back in September.
After their fierce rivals scored their third, unanswered goal of the first half, the home crowd turned nasty, peppering the turf with flares and other missiles. The game was eventually abandoned, but some supporters continued to run amok, with one small group even breaking into the stadium's main reception.
Since this "jet-black day", in the words of beleaguered head coach Maurice Steijn, Ajax's horrendous form has continued. A dramatic 4-3 defeat to Utrecht on Sunday – which was punctuated by further crowd disorder – condemned the team to their worst run of form since 1954.
They are currently marooned in the relegation zone having sacked sporting director Sven Mislintat amid allegations of dodgy transfer dealings. The club have now turned to legends Louis van Gaal and, more recently, Danny Blind, in an attempt to arrest their alarming slide, and on Monday confirmed that Steijn had been given his marching orders.
That this has been allowed to happen when Ajax possess such a financial stranglehold over Dutch football is a shambles of unparalleled proportion.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLyon (Ligue 1)
Lyon appear to be a classic case of off-field uncertainty affecting performances on the pitch. Under long-serving president Jean-Michel Aulas, the club dominated the men's game in France before the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain, and also became the preeminent power in European women's football.
Aulas sold up to John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings last December, and the American has been restructuring the club's finances ever since, foregoing a stake in the women's side to OL Reign owner Michele Kang while attempting to decrease Lyon's focus on "physical assets".
It's all very complicated, and it appears to have come at the cost of on-pitch success – at least for the men's team. After selling a string of important players in the transfer window, manager Laurent Blanc made a horrendous start and was sacked in September – with the club's ultras slamming the team from the stands following a 4-1 defeat to PSG in his penultimate game.
Things have not got any better under his replacement, Fabio Grosso, with Les Gones still without a win and bottom of Ligue 1 – sitting a full six points from safety already – despite boasting the likes of Corentin Tolisso, Dejan Lovren, Alexandre Lacazette and top French talent Rayan Cherki in their ranks.
Supporters are continuing to vent their frustrations, recently unveiling banners which urged Textor to "focus on football". They've got a point, too. Lyon won't be any use commercially if they drop down into Ligue 2.
Getty ImagesUnion Berlin (Bundesliga)
Union Berlin's rise over the past few years has been one of the most uplifting stories in world football. Supporters once gave blood for cash so the club could finance stadium improvements. Now, they're in the Champions League.
During their rapid ascension, Union have always operated on perilously thin margins, relying on their tireless work ethic, direct approach play and the organisational skills of coach Urs Fischer to squeeze every ounce of ability out of their meagre resources.
This season, they haven't had anywhere near their same level of success, amid concerns that their summer recruits are not suited to their robust style. They are without a victory in Europe and are hovering just outside the relegation zone, having conceded nearly half the amount of goals they let in during the entirety of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season in just eight games.
It was always going to be nigh-on impossible to repeat last season's top-four finish, but this degree of regression was not expected.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesLens (Ligue 1)
Ligue 1 has often been a land of fluctuating fortunes, but even by these standards, Lens' poor start has been a shock. Yes, they did lose midfield talisman Seko Fofana and top scorer Lois Openda in the summer, but they reinvested those funds and managed to keep hold of the rest of the squad that PSG narrowly pipped to the title last season.
Their Champions League commitments have no doubt played a role in their poor form – they recorded a heroic victory over Arsenal recently – but nine points from nine games still isn't good enough.
Currently sitting just one point above the relegation zone, Lens need to find some form quickly.