Are these eight European clubs capable of taking on Borussia Dortmund’s popularity?

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SV Darmstadt 98

Darmstadt are back in the German big time after a 33 year absence. Their meteoric rise from the German doldrums of the fourth division to the Bundesliga in six years is nothing short of incredible. After gaining promotion to the 3^rd Liga in 2011, Darmstadt won promotion to the Bundesliga2 in 2014, before a second place finish in their first season in the second tier saw them back with the big boys of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. SV Darmstadt 98’s stadium is a real relic and one for any football fan to enjoy. It has the potential to host 30,000 but this is limited to 17,000 for safety reasons. Much of this capacity is in the magnificent OstTribune of standing terracing along one touch-line. Darmstadt are in a relegation dog-fight this year, as is perhaps to be expected, but there are numerous other teams in this same position, and Darmstadt should be feeling cautiously optimistic in avoiding the drop.

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Red Star F.C

The pull of Paris and the Parisian ‘chic’ vibe may be too much to turn down for some footballing fans. However, do not even consider watching moneybags PSG or Ligue 2 strugglers Paris F.C or US Creteil-Lusitanos. Instead, head just a couple of kilometres north of the tourist hotspot the Sacre-Coeur and you will find Red Star F.C. They have spent most of its history as a semi-professional outfit, and was founded in 1897 by Jules Rimet, whom the World Cup trophy was named after. Red Star currently boasts Hameur Bouazza and David Bellion among their ranks – only adding to the allure in my opinion. Red Star; whilst riding high in Ligue 2, have the lowest attendances in France’s second division with 1,900. Their old concrete stadium used to hold 10,000, but is now limited to 6,600 as a storm badly damaged the arena in 1999 and was never properly repaired.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Tom Brogan