The gap between the elite clubs and smaller ones is ever widening. However, once in a while, a fairy-tale plays out and a small club wins a notable trophy against the odds.
UEFA introduced Financial Fair play Policies (FFP) to restrict the amount clubs could invest in player transfers.
Many believed it would bridge the gap between the top teams and the smaller ones.
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However, billionaire owners with limitless funds and lucrative broadcasting deals have made it even tougher for lower clubs to challenge.
Every few seasons, we still see an underdog overcoming the odds to achieve major success. Legit.ng highlights 3 managers who have achieved it.
1. Jose Mourinho (Porto)
Mourinho shot to fame through his exploits with Porto as he led them to the UEFA Champions League trophy during the 2003/ 2004 season.
They beat Manchester United on the way to the final as well.
Porto were a prime example of a team maximising its home-grown talent rather than purchasing marquee players.
The team boasted Portuguese talents such as Vitor Baia, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and Paulo Ferreira. South African striker, Benny McCarthy, led the line upfront.
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2. Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Simeone has built Atletico into a powerful European side.
They previously boasted a reputation for producing top strikers, such as Sergio Aguero, Fernando Torres and Radamel Falcao but were generally a mid-table team.
Simeone has created an incredible defensive unit but with enough flair and creativity to always pose a threat.
Against all odds, he led them to a league triumph during the 2013/2014 season, beating La liga giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process.
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3. Claudio Ranieri (Leicester City)
The Italian managed big clubs, such as Juventus and Chelsea previously, but had never achieved major success.
That all changed when he was appointed coach of Leicester City at the start of the 2015/ 2016 campaign.
He guided the foxes to an unbelievable season where they won the domestic league title.
To put it into perspective, Leicester were battling relegation the previous season and won the league title in arguably the toughest domestic league in the world.
Jamie Vardy was the talisman, scoring 24 goals in the process.
They didn’t just scrape over the line. Leicester finished with 10 points more than 2nd place Arsenal.
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Football Transfers That Shocked The World | Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
