The new season is upon us and we get introduced to the clubs who will be filling the newsreels and storylines in 2011-12.
There is life in Italy beyond Milan, Inter and Roma. There are excellent clubs in Spain outside Barcelona and Real Madrid. There is great football being played in Eastern Europe and both Germany and France have exciting champions who are well worth watching.
With most of the newsprint and web real estate devoted to the Premiership and the big clubs in Europe, we bring you ten other clubs worth following as the season unwinds. They may not be household names and the folks at Fox Soccer and CNN are unlikely to give them much time, but keep them in mind and watch their fortunes.
Ten Clubs to watch this season:
Borussia Dortmund
Who - German Bundesliga club from the city of Dortmund in the industrial heartland of the country. Play in yellow shirts with black trim/stripes. Sell out practically every home game.
Nickname - The Black and Yellows.
Home Ground - Signal Iduna Park.
Last year - Won the 2010-11 Bundesliga title at a canter and on a budget.
This year - One of the favourites to retain their league crown and should impress in a return to the Champions' League.
Recent Pedigree - Won the Champions' League in 1997, won the German title in 1995, 1996 and 2002.
Why - The league's youngest team, packed with exciting, largely unknown players who play with speed, attacking flair and an enthusiasm you last saw on a school playground.
Manager - Jurgen Klopp - Eclectic, Eccentric and Electric. Gets the mazimum pump-per-nickel. (I'll get my coat).
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Valencia
Who - La Liga club from city of Valencia on the Southeast coast of Spain. Play in white shirts and black shorts. One Spain's biggest clubs from outside Madrid and Barcelona.
Nickname - The Guys.
Home Ground - Mestella.
Last year - Threatened third place in the league before finishing fourth. Reached last four in Europa League.
This year - Should win the local league and cup double again. Could reach last eight in Champions' League or last four in Europa League
Recent Pedigree - Champions' League Runners up 2000 and 2001, La Liga Champions 2002 and 2004.
Why - Financially stricken club with a crazy board and history of poor player harmony that still manages to do well both in Spain and abroad. Some of La Liga's best players have found their feet at this club. The Logo has a bat above the shield. Yes, a bat.
Manager - Unai Emery - One of the faces of Spain's latest coaching generation - he is a miracle worker who has pacified the board, quelled player revolt, made a sparkling young squad go the distance on a tight budget. Also, with his good looks, extremely popular with the ladies.
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Lille
Who - French Ligue 1 club from the city of Lille in the North, near the Belgian border. Play in dark red shirts with black shorts, vocal but small home crowds of 8000.
Nickname - The Mastiffs.
Home Ground - Stade Lille-Metropole.
Last year - Won French League and Cup double.
This year - Could be challengers for the title again and go far in Europe. However have seen a key striker, midfielder and defender transferred out.
Recent Pedigree - 2004 Intertoto Cup Winners. 2000 Ligue 2 Champions.
Why - The fittest, fastest and most positive team in the league. Eden Hazard, Europe's most electric winger. Unfashionable working class club that puts the cat amongst the pigeons.
Manager - Rudi Garcia - Talented, excellent man-manager who is able to play stylish football on a budget.
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Udinese
Who - Italian Serie A club from the city of Udine, between Milan and Rome. Play in white shirts with black stripes.
Nickname - The Zebras.
Home Ground - Stadio Friuli. No, not named after the strawberry flavoured beer.
Last year - Finished fourth in Serie A.
This year - Should finish in the top six while playing stylish football with one of the continent's most cultured and cosmopolitan squads, could go far in Europe.
Recent Pedigree - 2000 Intertoto Cup Winners. Eight seasons of European Football in last 14 years.
Why - The most resourceful of Italian sides, they pass the ball around as much as they burst up and down the wings to pump it in the box.
Manager - Francesco Guidolin - Experienced, cerebral Italian manager who thinks outside the box.
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Athletic Bilbao
Who - Absolutely mental La Liga club from city of Bilbao in the Northern autonomous Basque region in Spain. The biggest club outside the big two of Real and Barcelona. Athletic (not Atletico) are a symbol of Vasconian nationalism and pride. They have never been relegated from the top flight.
Nickname - The Lions.
Home Ground - San Mames.
Last year - Impressive sixth place finish.
This year - Should finish in top six at home again, could reach last 16 of Europa League.
Recent Pedigree - La Liga Runners-Up 1998, last 16 of Champions League in 1999, Copa Del Rey Runners up in 2009.
Why - They only field Basque players. Ever. With a small catchment area and a limited population they are one of Europe endearing success stories having won the league and cup several times despite this limitation.
Manager - Marcelo Bielsa - Clever, artistic and experienced Argentine manager who is a noted tactical and motivational genius while being a temperamental eccentric.
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Napoli
Who - Italian Serie A club from the city of Naples, in the South. Play in light blue shirts with white shorts.
Nickname - The Blues.
Home Ground - Stadio San Paolo.
Last year - Finished third in Serie A.
This year - Should finish in the top four with powerful, attacking football. Could reach last eight in Europe.
Recent Pedigree - Maradona's old club, won the title in 1987 and 1990, UEFA Cup Winners in 1989. Souther Italy's strongest and proudest sporting talisman.
Why - Exciting and potent with class acts all over the pitch, they play to win and win often. Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, some of South America's brightest forwards.
Manager - Walter Mazzari - The current beau ideal of Italian managers, a celebrity respected both on and off the pitch.
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Everton
Who - English Premiership club from the city of Liverpool in the Northwest. Play in blue shirts with white shorts, fanatic home support.
Nickname - The Toffees.
Home Ground - Goodison Park.
Last year - Finished seventh in the league.
This year - Could finish in the top six, could finish in the bottom six. No one knows really but they have the talent to do the former and the menality to do the latter
Recent Pedigree - Finished fourth in 2005, 2009 League Cup and 2010 FA Cup finalists. FA Cup Winners in 1995. No club has played more seasons in the top flight.
Why - The league's biggest anomaly, able to beat the best and lose to the worst. Physical, athletic and pacy, Everton are arguably the most feared team to visit outside the top two of Chelsea and Manchester United. Also annoy and terrify Liverpool in equal measure.
Manager - David Moyes - Motivational, manic and borderline mental. Repeatedly gets a shoestring and undermanned squad to over perform. Also looks like Lucius Verinus from Rome (The crazy legionary).
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Shakhtar Donetsk
Who - Ukrainian club from the city of Donetsk in the industrial region to the East. Play in orange shirts with black stripes.
Nickname - The Miners.
Home Ground - Donbass Arena.
Last year - Won Ukrainian League for the second year in a row along with domestic cup. Beat Arsenal and Roma enroute to last eight in Champions' League.
This year - Should win the local league and cup double again. Could reach last eight in Champions' League or last four in Europa League
Recent Pedigree - 2009 UEFA Cup Winners, first ever side from Ukraine to win. Seven league titles in last 10 years.
Why - Experienced and well drilled team full of classy players who play with plenty of poise and shape. Intimidating home record at DonBass Arena.
Manager - Mircea Lucescu - The most successful, experienced and respected Romanian Manager in active duty, he has been at the helm since 2004.
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Villarreal
Who - La Liga club from small town of same name on the coast, south of Barcelona. They got promoted to the top flight in 1998. They play in an all yellow strip.
Nickname - The Yellow Submarine.
Home Ground - El Madrigal.
Last year - Threatened third place in the league before finishing fourth. Reached last four in Europa League.
This year - Top four in Spain, Should reach last 16 in Champions' League or go deep in Europa League.
Recent Pedigree - La Liga Runners-Up 2008, Champions' League final four in 2006, eight straight top 8 La Liga finishes.
Why - Team of unknowns, youth and lesser lights who regularly punch about their weight, beat the bigger clubs and generally do well while playing flowing football. And they play in all yellow. All yellow.
Manager - Juan Carlos Garrido - Textbook yet tactically flexible manager who is an example of loyal persistence. He managed the club's reserve sides for 12 years before taking over the first team.
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Zenit St. Petersburg
Who - Russia's most aristocratic ambitious club from the port city of St. Peterburg. Also, arguably the best club East of Elbe river.
Nickname - Blue-White-Light Blue.
Home Ground - Petrovsky Stadium.
Last year - After a dominant fall and winter, threatened to win the Europa League before suprise elimination. Won Russian League and Cup double at a canter
This year - Should win the local league and cup double again. Could reach last eight in Champions' League or last four in Europa League.
Recent Pedigree - UEFA Cup Champions 2008.
Why - Aristocratic and continental club with a perfect blend of board power, money, loyal home support and a balanced, talented team with local roots. European Dark horses.
Manager - Luciano Spaletti - One of Serie A's premier coaches that invented the no forward system at Roma, lured abroad to start the latest Russian revolution involving foreign players and managers raising the profile and quality of the domestic game.
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