Tag
Leeds United
A term used to describe a club that was once at the top of the football pyramid, with title wins and pedigree but has since fallen on tough times. A sleeping giant has a big fanbase, stadium and potential to get back to the top but are currently suffering. There are plenty of examples of sleeping giants in England in recent years, some that have returned to the Premier League after years down in the Football League.
Leeds was a sleeping giant in the 16 years it spent out of the top flight, going down as low as League One. It was a far cry from the glory days of winning titles, cups, and competing in European finals through the 1970s until the early 2000s. In the 2020s Leeds is back to being a regular Premier League club with higher ambitions.