Falling 5: European giants with dwindling domestic statures

Each competition has it's own significance in the modern day football. The domestic league, which many have framed as "the bread and butter" competition, still holds massive importance in the game. The advent of continental football might have altered it in some minute way but it still holds the key as what happens in the succeeding season will largely depend on a club's current league position.

Here, we take a look at some of the biggest clubs in world football and their struggles in their respective domestic leagues since the turn of the century. These clubs are every now and then referred to as "big" and "giants", but despite their huge reputations and talented squads, they have failed to win or sometimes even compete in their respective leagues. Here are five such clubs:

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#5 Olympique Marseille

The nine-time Ligue 1 champions have been a shadow of their former selves in recent times

One of the early runners in French club football, Marseille have spent most of their years in the country's top tier. A powerhouse in the sport, Marseille are nine-time Ligue 1 champions and the only French side to win the UEFA Champions League. Marseille have been at the helm of French football for a long time now but have somehow not been able to replicate that in terms of League titles.

Second, in the list of most league titles after AS Saint-Etienne, Marseille's influence and dominance over the league has dwindled over the last couple of decades. A far cry from the sides that won back to back league titles back in the 1980s, the team over the past few years has only gone down.

Poor performances, selling of key players and uncertainties off the pitch have all compounded in failings for the side from the South of France. Their last league title came in the 2009-10 season under the stewardship of former captain Didier Deschamps, a first in eighteen years. This time frame is symbolic in a lot of ways as how much grip the club had lost over the domestic routine. Marseille haven't exactly fallen too low yet but with teams like Lyon and Monaco not too far off and the financial powerhouse of Paris Saint-Germain barely in their sights, Les Olympiens will have a lot to do to maintain their giant status with regards to their domestic stature.

#4 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger's legacy lies at stake given the League displays over the past few seasons.

So much has been made of Arsenal, for a few years now. So much so that it seems like a yearly occurrence on behalf of the fans and the board. Thirteen-time English top division champions are one of the most celebrated clubs in the country's footballing history. But as things stand they are slowly falling down the pecking order in English football.

The Gunners' last league title came back in the 2003-04 season, a season where they hit the heights of an unprecedented invincible season. Sadly, things have only gone down since for Arsenal and everyone associated with the club. Not only have they failed to secure a league title after that glorious campaign, the situation regarding manager Arsene Wenger has only grown worse during that same period. Things have now reached a point where it is threatening Wenger's legacy and the club's public image as a whole.

Arsenal are one of the giants in English Football, be it in terms of history, the finances or the stadium. It's a club which stands out in most aspects and this is perhaps the reason why it is somewhat bewildering that despite such power and grace that the club have not even challenged enough for the league title.

Inconsistency, lack of character and the regular exodus of key players have all been contributing factors to the decline of the club during this spell. Judging by the way things are going for the London side, the gradual downfall might take sometime to stop.

#3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid have been consistent on the continental stage than in the La Liga for a few seasons now.

One might think of it as something gravely appalling to call the 33-time La Liga winners as underperformers on the domestic front. The league displays though, say a different story altogether. Six La Liga titles since the turn of the century might not be too bad for certain teams but if you’re Real Madrid, that is not quite the case. Los Merengues’ misery is further aggravated when one looks at the Liga haul that Barcelona have claimed during the same period.

Consistency is something which throughout the course of the Galacticos era has been Real’s Achilles heel. Various managers have come and gone but have failed to produce top performances on a season to season basis.

It is difficult to comprehend from a neutral point of view, as the results on the continental stage have been astonishingly different to those on the domestic front. Perhaps it is the mentality that varies from European competitions to the La Liga that has affected the Los Blancos. Real Madrid have always been a team of superstars and the UEFA Champions League has often been hailed as a more defining competition for the club. One might think that this thought and euphoria around the European competition might have had some bearing on the disappointing La Liga returns.

For one of the giants of the game, Real Madrid have had a rough time winning Spanish leagues. Given the recent trends, the day might not be too far off wherein their record tally of thirty-three titles might soon be with Barcelona.

#2 Liverpool

Liverpool's last domestic triumph came in the form of the League Cup during the 2011-12 season

It is always said that for a club to stay at the summit it is important that the club challenge and more importantly win titles. Liverpool have now gone twenty-eight years without winning a league title. Domestic successes though have come in the form of FA Cups, League Cups, and community shields but the holy grail that is the Premier League title still awaits them.

Great players have come and gone within that period, the reds have come close on a few occasions but the finishing touches were missing then. Liverpool remain one of the big guns in English football, a club with immense history and passion. The European triumphs have established that very well, but leave the 2005 Istanbul triumph out and it is just three trophies since that famous night against Milan.

Have Liverpool regressed within that time span? Perhaps not. From what it seems, it's the others that have moved forward and the Merseyside club have just struggled to keep pace with them. The dominance has dwindled and with squads that cannot be termed as world class, challenging for the league has been difficult. Enough money has been spent on acquiring talent from around the world, but the results have been constantly missing.

The inconsistency, from what it seems remains prevalent both on and off the pitch. A question that comes to one's mind is that can Liverpool still be called a "top" club if they fail to win the league for a few more seasons at least? While the answer to that might be subjective, one thing remains certain. The respect and power the club possesed will certainly cease to exist if Liverpool fail to win a league title soon.

#1 AC Milan

As things stand, Milan's way back on top seems a long way off

There has not been a more prominent fall from grace story than AC Milan's tale. Eighteen-time Serie A winners, seven-time Champions League winners, the Rossoneri have both seen and been at the pinnacle of World Football for a long time. The fall, however, has more gradualness to it.

Bad transfer dealings, constant backroom changes and squad unrest have all hampered Milan's seasons in the past. The last seven seasons have been awful, especially for a club which, for a number of years now has been accustomed to winning. The club has almost succumbed to mediocrity with just two top-four finishes in the last seven seasons.

The inconsistency though is not something that has just come into the club domestically. Carlo Ancelotti managed the Rossoneri for eight seasons, where his side were a force to be reckoned with in European competitions. The scenario in the domestic competitions, however, was completely different. One league title in eight seasons does somewhat demean Ancelotti's reign at the club. A competent side who were just found to be inconsistent week-in-week-out. Thus consistency in the club with regards to the Serie A has been there for some time now.

Just two league titles since the turn of the century has been a disappointing return for Milan. Especially from a side that has for most parts of the century been glittered with stars. Milan's poor domestic run in recent years has meant that the club have not played in the UEFA Champions League since the 2013/14 season now, a competition where they've done extremely well. AC Milan is certainly not the giant it used to be, possibly another case of panicking into changes when things didn't work out. Milan are currently struggling and will take some effort to get them out of this situation.