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Clubs per capita(l)

Ozren Podnar reports...

Slovenia: ...and then there were none

Ljubljana is the only European capital without a single team in the top flight - Division One, Premier League, Serie A - however that league is called from country to country.

That is the finding of a survey conducted by the Slovenian Sportal magazine. The survey also shows that Athens and Moscow boast as many as seven teams in the elite competition, while London shares fourth to seventh place with six representatives. The most centralized competition is the Armenian Division One, where six out of nine clubs hail from capital Yerevan.

The last Ljubljana club in the Si.Mobil Liga was Olympia, but last year it was declared bankrupt and its amateur squad currently competes in the fourth level. Olympia, the Green Dragons, used to be the biggest Slovenian club and in fact the only one of any kind of relevance in that part of the former Yugoslavia, which is dominated by Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian clubs.

Here is a list of European capitals and their clubs:

Seven clubs

Georgia (16 teams in the top league) - Tbilisi: Dinamo, WIT, Ameri, Lokomotiv, Dinamo Sokhumi, Spektakl, Tbilisi
Greece (16) - Athens: Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK, Atromitos, Egaleo, Ionikos, Kallithea
Russia (16) - Moscow: CSKA, Moskva, Spartak, Saturn, Lokomotiv, Dinamo, Torpedo

Six clubs

Armenia (9) - Yerevan: Ararat, Banants, Kilikia, Lernayin Artsakh, Pyunik, Dinamo Zenit
Azerbaijan (14) - Baku: Baku, Inter, Karabakh, MOIK, Nefchi, Olimpik
England (20) - London: Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic, Fulham
Serbia and Montenegro (16) - Belgrade: Crvena zvezda, Partizan, Vozdovac, OFK Beograd, Rad, Obilic

Five clubs

Ireland (12) - Dublin: St. Patrick's, Shelbourne, Dublin City, University College, Bohemians
Hungary (16) - Budapest: Ujpesti ZE, MTK, Honved, Ferencvaros, Vasas
Romania (16) - Bucharest: Steaua, Rapid, Dinamo, National, Sportul Studentesc

Four clubs

Belarus (14) - Minsk: Dinamo, Lokomotiv, MTZ RIPO, Zvezda BGU
Bulgaria 16) - Sofia: CSKA, Levski, Lokomotiv, Slavia
Cyprus (14) - Nikosia: APOEL, Omonia, Akritas, Olympiakos
Iceland (10) - Reykjavik: Valur, Fylkir, Fram, Throttur
Macedonia (12) - Skopje: Rabotnicki, Vardar, Macedonia, Cementarnica

Three clubs

Albania (10) - Tirana: Dinamo, Partizani, Tirana
Andorra (8) - Andorra la Vella: Lusitans, Principat, Rangers
Bosnia and Herzegovina (16) - Sarajevo: Sarajevo, Zeljeznicar, Slavija
Croatia (12) - Zagreb: Dinamo, Zagreb, Inter
Estonia (10) - Tallin: TVMK, Flora, Ajax Lasnamae
Lithuania (10) - Vilnius: Algiris, Vilnius, Vetra
Moldavia (8) - Chisinau: Zimbru, Dacia, Politechnica
Northern Ireland (16) - Belfast: Linfield, Glentoran, Cliftonville
Portugal (18) - Lisbon: Sporting, Benfica, Belenenses
Spain (20) - Madrid: Real, Atletico, Getafe

Two clubs

Austria (10) - Vienna: Austria, Rapid
Belgium (18) - Bruxelles: Anderlecht, Molenbeek
Czech Republic (16) - Prague: Slavija, Sparta
Faeroes (10) - Torshavn: B36, HB
Italy (20) - Rim: Roma, Lazio
Latvia (8) - Riga: Riga, Skonto
Norway (14) - Oslo: Lyn, Valerenga
Poland (16) - Varava: Legia, Polonia
Scotland (12) - Glasgow: Rangers, Celtic
Slovakia (10) - Bratislava: Artmedia Petrzalka, Inter
Sweden (14) - Stockholm: Djurgardens, Hammarby
Ukraine (16) - Kiev: Dynamo, Arsenal

One club

Denmark (12) - Copenhagen: FC Copenhagen
Finland (14) - Helsinki: HJK Helsinki
France (20) - Paris: Paris SG

No club

Slovenia (12) - Ljubljana: none

Ozren Podnar

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