Deportivo La Coruña: The Galicians Return to La Liga
Deportivo La Coruña, absent from La Liga since 2018, are back in the Spanish top tier after earning automatic promotion last season. The club, once part of a Spanish "big four" with Barcelona, Valencia, and Real Madrid, won the title in 1999 and finished in the top three on nine occasions between 1993 and 2004. Deportivo's golden era is long gone, but the club is showing ambition, signing Mallorca keeper Leo Román and veteran striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they bid to hold steady in La Liga.
Elversberg: The Saarland Sensations
Elversberg, from a Saarland town whose population would fit inside the Veltins Arena four times over, rose spectacularly under coach Horst Steffen, who was lured to Werder Bremen last summer after Elversberg fell short in the promotion playoff. The club will expand their stadium throughout the season to meet the 15,000-capacity threshold, but there is nothing gradual about the team's learning curve – their first two visitors will be Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.
Le Mans: The French Revival
Le Mans, from a town firmly pinned on the motorsport map, enjoyed a brief top-flight spell in the 2010s but slid into financial ruin. Having climbed back to Ligue 2, Les Mucistes were taken over last August by OutField, a Brazilian consortium who brought Novak Djokovic, Thibaut Courtois, and F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen to the party. After moving quickly through the gears, Le Mans are planning a sensible, youth-focused approach, reopening the club academy and spending on potential rather than splashing the cash.
Amedspor: The Kurdish Underdogs
Amedspor, from the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir, will make their Turkish Super Lig debut this season. The club have become a focal point for Kurdish identity in recent years, but their presence in the top flight raises more questions over security and potential violence. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, raised eyebrows on social media by congratulating Amedspor on their historic promotion.
Wisla Krakow: The Polish Powerhouse
Wisla Krakow, one of Poland's most decorated clubs, winning 14 league titles, are back in the top flight after four seasons outside the elite. With former player Jakub Blaszczykowski on board as a minority investor, Wisla have used their time in the doldrums to take stock, making better use of analytics and academy players. They marked their return to the top flight in style last month, beating Katowice 2-1 as fans put on a red-and-white pyro show throughout.
FC Vaduz: The Liechtenstein Outsiders
FC Vaduz, based in the capital of neighbouring Liechtenstein, are allowed to take part in the top division but cannot win it; nor can they claim a European place that would otherwise go to a Swiss club. Instead, FCV are playing in the Conference League, as winners of Liechtenstein's cup competition, while trying to establish themselves back in the Swiss top tier. They won promotion in dramatic fashion on the final day, when leaders Aarau let a 2-0 lead slip at home to Yverdon.
As the new season gets underway, these six promoted teams are set to shake up the competition in their respective leagues. From Deportivo La Coruña's return to La Liga to Amedspor's historic promotion in the Turkish Super Lig, these underdogs are ready to make their mark in the top tiers.