What is Second-Season Syndrome in Soccer?

Table of Contents

• So, what is second-season syndrome in soccer?
• Is second-season syndrome a real thing?
• Recent examples of second-season syndrome in soccer
• Why does second-season syndrome happen?
• How to avoid second-season syndrome in soccer?
• Recap: Second-season syndrome in soccer

If it’s your side’s first season competing in a division that is of a perceived high standard, you can catch many other teams, who won’t be that familiar with you, by surprise. 

Assuming your first season in the aforementioned division is relatively successful, surely it spells progress for the second season… right?

This article will look at second-season syndrome, answering the common questions and misconceptions relating to it.

So, what is second-season syndrome in soccer?

Second-season syndrome is the theory that a side who has performed at least reasonably well in their first season in a division of high quality will not be able to sustain the same level of performance going into the second season in the same division.

Usually, second-season syndrome only applies to league systems that have promotion and relegation formats. So, if a club was promoted from the English Championship to the Premier League, second-season syndrome would only be discussed if they managed to avoid relegation in their first Premier League campaign. 

The term is typically reserved for clubs across soccer and not usually given to individuals, as is the way with the “sophomore slump” of North American sports, even if this is commonly applied to work or academia.

The way MLS operates (no promotion or relegation) might be why the term isn’t common in the USA. Theoretically, if an expansion franchise were to perform above expectations in their debut season, they could be labeled with the second-season syndrome tag if they underwhelmed in the following season. 

Yet expansion teams rarely significantly outperform expectations in North American sports (Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL being an exception as they made the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, but even then the term was bandied around by pundits for their second term).

The factors behind how and why second-season syndrome happens to any club varies depending on a unique set of circumstances, but often relates to a lack of quality to consistently perform, other sides catching onto their tactics, or a level of complacency.

Is second-season syndrome a real thing?

Although the phrase is well-known throughout the soccer world, particularly in parts of Europe, there are those who don’t believe that it exists at all.

First instance, those doubters would claim that it’s purely coincidental a side might get relegated in their second season up, putting the cause of this relegation down to other reasons entirely than what they consider a myth.

Because there is no tangible evidence to suggest that a second season is actually the reason a team has been relegated, it’s hard to prove one way or the other.

However, others in the game feel that it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that a side that is extremely motivated to shine on the biggest stage for the first time simply won’t have the desire to keep that level of motivation up.

Like many curiosities that are either unprovable or can’t be disproved, there are believers and non-believers.

Recent examples of second-season syndrome in soccer

A well-documented recent example of the second-season syndrome tag being given to a side is Sheffield United in the English Premier League.

In the 2019/20 season, the Blades finished 9th in their first season back in the Premier League after promotion the campaign prior, employing innovative tactics and achieving an admirable league position for a side that most expected to be relegated.

However, the 2020/21 campaign saw them finish rock-bottom of the table and drop down to the Championship. Many people found this curious because of how similar their squad was to the season before.

It must be said that Sheffield United’s home, Bramall Lane, is a raucous cauldron of atmosphere that spurs the Blades on. Yet, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all Premier League games were played behind closed doors until near the very end of the 2021/21 season.

Many people point to this as a big reason why they got relegated rather than second-season syndrome. Others argue that every club had to have empty stadiums, making this factor irrelevant.

Notably, Reading were another side to receive the dreaded second-season syndrome label.

Their 2006/07 campaign saw them finish in 8th place, extraordinarily high for a side who’d never been in the Premier League before, attracting the praise of greats like Sir Alex Ferguson.

Perhaps the expectations had grown in the stands and the pressure got to those players because they couldn’t match the achievements of that first season up, slumping to relegation the following year courtesy of an 18th place finish.

Why does second-season syndrome happen?

There are countless reasons a team might not perform as well in their second season in a division as they did in their first, like injuries, fixture schedule, economic circumstances, change of playing personnel etc.

But why second-season syndrome occurs specifically is often attributed to an insufficient amount of motivation to sustain those high standards set the season before.

The quality that each individual possesses will remain largely the same, but intrinsic motivators might not be as strong, meaning they won’t be as driven to either achieve certain goals or prove doubters wrong.

It might also be down to complacency creeping into a squad’s psyche. If the team has received lots of praise for who they played in their first season up, they could begin to believe the hype that surrounds them, or think the division is actually easier than many people say it is.

How to avoid second-season syndrome in soccer?

Here are some tips to fend off second-season syndrome for the side you play for:

1. Find what motivates you – people are motivated by an array of factors: praise, critique, money, love, brotherhood. Whatever it might be, discovering your motivator can keep you spurred on.
2. Fend off complacency – starting to think that your work is easy is rarely a recipe for achieving high performance. Remind yourself that other teams are going to battle hard and you need to be prepared every game.
3. Encourage others – if you find that you’ll still be motivated to perform well this season, but your teammates appear complacent, drill the message into them that the new standards must be met consistently through hard work as a team.

Recap: Second-season syndrome in soccer

Whether it really exists or not may always be a mystery, but there are some notable occurrences when sides have played far worse in their second season in the big time than they did in their debut season.

Bear second-season syndrome in mind when making your pre-season predictions for future campaigns!