Biggest Cities In Europe That Have Never Had a Top Flight Team

 

Football is full of giants… but not always where you’d expect them. While some towns with barely 20,000 people boast top-flight clubs (looking at you, Villarreal), there are major European cities that have never seen their local team reach the top division. Ever.

Some of these places have populations in the millions, yet their fans have spent generations watching second-tier football while smaller neighbours celebrate the glory.

Here are the biggest cities in Europe that have never had a men’s team in their country’s top division, a list that might surprise you and could be perfect for picking your first save on Football Manager 26. It’s time to take these city giants to their rightful place at the top of the football pyramid in their respective countries.

Şanlıurfa, Turkey (2.2 million)

Seventh-largest city in Turkey, but zero seasons in the Süper Lig. Şanlıurfa is one of the country’s fastest-growing urban centres, yet its main club, Şanlıurfaspor, has never climbed beyond the second tier. Local pride runs deep, but for top-flight football, fans must look 120 km east to Gaziantep… a constant reminder of what could have been.

Chelyabinsk, Russia (1.2 million)

Sitting in the Ural region, Chelyabinsk is massive. Over a million residents. Yet it’s never been home to a top-flight club. The city’s namesake side has lived its entire life in Russia’s lower divisions, dwarfed by the success of nearby Yekaterinburg’s FC Ural, who’ve long represented the region at the top level.

Makiivka, Ukraine (340k)

You’d think being practically next door to Donetsk, home of Shakhtar, one of Eastern Europe’s biggest clubs, might rub off on Makiivka. But no. Despite being a major industrial city with a decent footballing past, its teams have never made the Ukrainian Premier League.

Bonn, Germany (330 k)

It’s almost poetic: Germany’s former capital, a city of politics and history, but not of Bundesliga football. Bonner SC have bounced around the regional leagues without ever sniffing the top tier, even as nearby Cologne (just half an hour up the road) have enjoyed decades of top-flight football.

Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal (300 k)

Just across the Douro River from Porto sits Gaia, Portugal’s third-largest city. It might share a skyline with FC Porto’s Estádio do Dragão, but it’s never had a top-flight club of its own. Local sides like Canelas 2010 are stuck in the lower tiers, forever living in the shadow of one of Europe’s most successful clubs.

Wiesbaden, Germany (290 k)

SV Wehen Wiesbaden have come close, the 2. Bundesliga has been their home for years, but the top tier remains elusive. What makes it worse is that Mainz, a smaller city just across the Rhine, does have a Bundesliga club. For Wiesbaden fans, that’s salt in the wound.

Plymouth, England (260k)

Plymouth is the largest city in England never to have played top-flight football. Plymouth Argyle have been around for more than a century, flirting with promotion plenty of times but never sealing the deal. Geography doesn’t help, they’re miles from the country’s footballing hotspots.

Cartagena, Spain (214k)

Spain’s biggest city without a La Liga club. Cartagena’s current team, FC Cartagena, are established in the Segunda División, but promotion has always been out of reach. Meanwhile, the regional capital Murcia, just 50 km away, has had multiple La Liga spells. It’s a friendly rivalry, but one Cartagena fans are desperate to flip.

Prato, Italy (200 k)

Prato is Tuscany’s second-largest city, yet Serie A has never come calling. A.C. Prato once reached Serie B but that was decades ago. The city’s close proximity to Florence, where Fiorentina fly the flag, means locals have easy access to top-flight football, but none to call their own.

Taranto, Italy (186 k)

Southern Italy’s nearly men. Taranto FC have spent over 30 seasons in Serie B, more than any other club that’s never played in Serie A. Their 1970s side came agonisingly close to promotion before tragedy struck: the death of star striker Erasmo Lacovone ended the dream and cemented Taranto’s place as Italy’s unluckiest footballing city.Any of these you fancy managing in Football Manager 2026? Let me know in the comment section!

 

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