5 legendary clubs that have fallen off a cliff
The last decade marked a shift in power in most of the game's top domestic leagues.
Arsenal and Manchester United plummeted down the table in England while Manchester City established a dominant reign. French giants Lyon and Bordeaux were toppled by Paris Saint-Germain, while the two Milan clubs were usurped by a resurgent Juventus in Italy.
However, many of the fallen legendary clubs have shown signs of recovery in the last few seasons. For instance, AC Milan are once again competing for the Serie A title, and were back in the Champions League this season after a seven-year absence.
Despite encouraging signs from the likes of Arsenal and Inter Milan, other historic clubs seem to have lost their way in the last few campaigns. The collapse of Juventus, for example, has been sudden and unexpected.
4 - Juventus have lost a game with a margin of 4+ goals considering all competitions for their first time since February 2004, against AS Roma in Serie A (0-4). KO.
#ChelseaJuve https://t.co/swqPehjyvp
On that note, here's a look at five legendary clubs whose fortunes have taken a turn for the worse recently:
#5 Celtic (Scottish Premiership)
Celtic are footballing royalty in Scotland, but their long-standing air of invincibility has evaporated in the blink of an eye. The Bhoys were on an incredible run of nine straight Scottish Premiership titles in 2020 when they were dethroned stunningly by Rangers.
Under Steven Gerrard, Rangers went unbeaten in the 2020-21 league season. Despite the Liverpool legend's subsequent departure to Aston Villa, Rangers are on course to win a second consecutive title, and currently lead Celtic by six points.
Celtic, who are the only Scottish team in history to win the European Cup (1967), have also struggled in Europe in recent years. They haven't qualified for the Champions League group stage since the 2013-14 season, and have regularly faltered in the qualifying rounds.
We have been drawn against FK Bodø/Glimt in the @europacnfleague knockout round play-off. 
🏆 We have been drawn against FK Bodø/Glimt in the @europacnfleague knockout round play-off. 🇳🇴
#UECL | #COYBIG 🍀 https://t.co/9OTZ9sbY3Y
They haven't fared much better in the Europa League either. Celtic finished bottom of their Europa League group in 2020-21. They have already dropped to the Conference League after a third-place finish in the ongoing edition.
#4 Barcelona (La Liga)
Barcelona fans, players and executives would love to erase 2021 from their collective memory. The year gone by was a complete disaster for the Spanish giants, as nothing went their way, both on and off the pitch.
Rocked by the departure of club legend Lionel Messi, undisputedly the greatest player in their history, Barcelona have endured a forgettable 2021-22 campaign. However, the Blaugrana, who boasted the best team in the world in the early 2010s, have been in decline for a while now.
Full Time #BarçaBayern https://t.co/1UE58CkggA
Barcelona haven't won the Champions League since 2015, and were embarrassingly dumped out of the group stage this season. That marked their earliest exit in the competition in two decades.
They have also conceded the last two La Liga titles to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid respectively. The Blaugrana are currently 15 points behind first-placed Los Blancos, who are on course to securing a record-extending 35th league title later this year.
It has been a forgettable spell for a historic club that has won six La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies in the last decade.