Bursaspor, Dynamo Dresden, Kaiserslautern, and Sheffield Wednesday have been identified as some of Europe's 'sleeping giants' in a new ranking. The assessment considers factors such as club history, heritage, fanbase, and stadium size, focusing on clubs with significant potential currently playing outside their respective top flights.
Bursaspor, who broke Istanbul's dominance to win the Turkish title in 2010, are now in the second tier (1.Lig) after a period that saw them drop to the fourth tier in 2024. The club, based in a city of approximately 2.5 million people, plays in the 43,361-capacity Centennial Ataturk Stadium and is aiming to return to the Super Lig for the first time since 2019.
Dynamo Dresden, one of East Germany's most dominant clubs with eight titles and seven cups, currently competes in the 2.Bundesliga. The club, based in a city of over half a million, boasts a large and passionate fanbase, averaging more than 30,000 spectators for home games in the second tier last season.
Kaiserslautern, notable for winning the Bundesliga immediately after promotion in 1997-98, also features on the list. Despite almost 15 years since their last Bundesliga appearance, the club continues to draw average crowds of over 46,000 and reached the German Cup final in 2024, where they lost to Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen.
Sheffield Wednesday, with four league titles, the most recent in 1929-30, are currently in League One. The Owls, who were League Cup winners in 1991, faced relegation last season before a US consortium acquired the club in May, sparking fresh optimism among fans.