Schalke (foto: Getty Images)
Former giants Schalke, Deportivo La Coruña and Red Star Paris are fighting their way back after years in lower leagues. All three are suddenly pushing toward top-flight returns.
For years, Schalke, Deportivo La Coruña and Red Star Paris were nowhere near the levels that once made them respected names across European football. Once elite clubs competing in strong domestic leagues and European competitions, they fell deep into sporting and financial trouble. Now, after long periods of decline, these historic teams are finally showing signs of life again.
Across the second tiers of Europe’s major leagues, several fallen powers continue to struggle. In Italy, former champions Sampdoria are battling near the bottom of Serie B, while Blackburn, once Premier League winners, are in a similar situation in England. But in Spain, Germany and France, the momentum has shifted — and the turnaround is much more positive.
Schalke show signs of revival under Miron Muslić
Schalke, relegated from the Bundesliga in 2021 and again in 2023, spent years drifting in the 2. Bundesliga. They finished tenth in 2023/24, then dropped to a worrying 14th place last season — just three points above the relegation zone to the third tier. Financial problems only deepened their crisis, hampering attempts to rebuild a squad capable of competing for promotion.
This summer, however, marked a turning point. The club appointed Miron Muslić, a charismatic Austrian-Bosnian coach who had built a strong reputation in Belgium and England. Muslić was under contract with Plymouth, but Schalke secured a deal and brought him to Gelsenkirchen in May. As an interesting detail, he shares the same agent as Benjamin Šeško — Slovenian representative Elvis Bašanović.
New sporting director Frank Baumann, who officially took charge on 1 June, praised the appointment:
“Miron impressed us with both his expertise and his communication. He knows how to inspire a group, and his coaching style is clearly visible. His leadership and persistence were key. With his qualities, he can help the whole team and support the development of individual players.”
Baumann’s judgement appears correct. Schalke have transformed under Muslić and now sit firmly at the top of the 2. Bundesliga, on course for a long-awaited return to the German elite.
Deportivo La Coruña climb back after years in the wilderness
If Schalke fell far, Deportivo La Coruña dropped even lower. The 2000 Spanish champions — once a Champions League regular — sank into the third division and remained stuck there for years. Only last season did Depor return to the Segunda División, finishing a modest 15th.
This year, however, the Galician club has been reborn. Under new coach Antonio Hidalgo, who arrived in June after a successful spell with Huesca, Deportivo now lead the Segunda standings. Hidalgo is known for his organisation, defensive discipline and set-piece efficiency. His Huesca side conceded the fewest goals in the league last season and were the most effective from dead-ball situations.
Adaptable and tactically meticulous, Hidalgo has revitalised Deportivo. His team now collects points consistently, plays with confidence, and looks capable of bringing Galicia’s biggest club back to La Liga for the first time since 2018.
Red Star Paris eyeing Ligue 1 after 50 years
In France, another historic name has resurfaced: Red Star Paris, the club founded by Jules Rimet, father of the World Cup. Red Star enjoyed major success before and shortly after the Second World War, winning the Coupe de France five times, but last played in the top division in 1974/75. The decades that followed saw a dramatic slide into the fourth, fifth and even sixth tiers.
Last season, Red Star narrowly avoided relegation from Ligue 2, finishing 15th after arriving from the third tier just one year earlier. Yet unlike Schalke and Depor, their revival did not require a new coach. The transformation has come under Grégory Poirier, in charge since last season. Only 43, Poirier made a name for himself at Martigues, guiding them from the third tier back to the second after 22 years.
In his debut campaign, he stabilised Red Star. This season, he has taken them even further — pushing toward the top of Ligue 2 and raising the possibility that the iconic Parisian club could return to Ligue 1 exactly 50 years after their last appearance.
A promotion would be one of the most remarkable success stories in modern French football.
-----------------------------------------------
Written by Miha Zupan , senior football writer
News, opinions and stories from across the football world — updated daily