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Who doesn't love an underdog story? The prospect of unheralded minnows beating the established order to win titles is always an enthralling one.
The game of football has evolved over the years. The entry of billionaires has brought about sound management principles to the football clubs, turning them into winning machines. The financial prowess of the owners of clubs like Chelsea, PSG or Manchester City can put Financial Fair Play to shame.
Meanwhile, the efficient management of the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United make it virtually impossible for smaller teams to break through. Nevertheless, that's where the beauty of football lies.
Every now and then, there are stories of unfancied teams stunning the heavyweights. On that note, let's have a look at five of the most unexpected league title wins in recent history.
#5 Montpellier (2011-12 Ligue 1 title)
There are chances you might not have heard of this team if you are not a keen follower of the Ligue 1.
After all, Montpellier are not among the elite teams in French football. They have failed to qualify for the Europa League in the past decade. But they achieved a miracle in 2012 when they won the Ligue 1 title ahead of the likes of Lyon, Lille and Marseille.
The beginning of the 2011 season saw new Qatari ownership at PSG and their expensive signings hinted that the capital club could run away with the title. However, much to their dismay, a youthful Montpellier, led by Golden Boot winner Olivier Giroud clinched the Ligue 1 title by three points in the final minutes of the season.
They haven't been able to replicate that performance, finishing mid-table since then.
#4 Napoli (1986-87 Serie A title)
Napoli's landmark 1986-87 Serie A win is remarkable for many reasons. The people of the Naples region have traditionally suffered racial humiliation at the hands of their more prosperous northern counterparts.
This title win was a watershed moment in the history of Italian football, as it marked the first time a team from the region won the Serie A title. The win also marked the redemption of Diego Maradona, who had unceremoniously been dumped by FC Barcelona just a few years ago.
The 1986-87 title was the first league win for Napoli and was coupled by a Coppa Italia triumph a few days later.
Napoli built on their success under the leadership of their talisman Maradona to win the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Serie A title again in 1990. But they haven't won another league title since then.
In December 2020, they renamed their stadium Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to honour the legend who passed away last year.
#3 1. Kaiserslautern FC (1997-98 Bundesliga title)
Kaiserslautern made history, as they became the first-ever newly promoted team to win the Bundesliga title. They had just been promoted to the Bundesliga in 1997 but beat champions Bayern Munich away in the opening game of the season, which was only a precursor of things to come.
Kaiserslautern won the title with one game to spare, marking a sweet moment of revenge for coach Otto Rehhagel, who had been sacked by Bayern Munich in 1996.
The club had signed a young Michael Ballack at the beginning of the season, who went on to make 16 appearances. However, Kaiserslautern soon fell from grace due to financial mismanagement and are now in the third tier of German football.
#2 AS Monaco FC (2016-17 Ligue 1 title)
PSG, boasting a host of world-class players in their ranks, won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles coming into the 2016-17 season. Meanwhile, Monaco were at best a feeder club for big European teams, thanks to their young talent.
However, the status quo changed in 2017, as Monaco stormed away to the Ligue 1 title, while holders PSG finished a distant eight points behind the newly-crowned champions.
Led by the sensational Kylian Mbappe and a resurgent Radamel Falcao, Monaco went undefeated for the last 20 games of the season, winning 18 to effectively eliminate defending champions PSG from the title race.
Earlier, they made a dream run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by Juventus. The Monaco team boasted a handful of talented youngsters like Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Tiemoue Bokayoko and Fabinho, who were soon poached by the European elites.
#1 Leicester City (2015-16 Premier League title)
No prizes for guessing this one! Leicester City were the unlikeliest of teams to win the Premier League title going into the 2015-16 season.
They had just been promoted to the top flight in 2014 and barely survived the drop the next season. They sacked their manager before the start of the 2015-16 campaign as the unheralded Claudio Ranieri came in.
Nevertheless, Leicester City overcame 5000-1 odds to win the most unexpected of league triumphs in recent history.
The Leicester City team comprised of a bunch of players who had been in the Championship for most of their careers. There were some budget recruits in the form of Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante, while striker Jamie Vardy was playing non-league football only a few seasons ago.
However, Leicester City went toe-to-toe with the Goliaths of the Premier League under the tutelage of the 'Tinkermam' Claudio Ranieri. They stumped everyone with their counterattacking brand of football, as the duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez scored for fun, with Kante tidying things up in the middle of the park.
After a few underwhelming campaigns, a new-look Leicester City are back to their scintillating best under Brendan Rodgers and look set to qualify for the Champions League next season.
