The value of Bodo's largely local squad may be less than Manchester City paid for Erling Haaland, yet the Norwegians count the 10-time English champions among a reel of recent scalps that also includes Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting. Como 1907 may well boast the richest owners in Italian football - where's the romance in that, you ask - but they are hardly steeped in Serie A heritage. Lens saw a huge turnover in their playing squad last summer but boss Pierre Sage has them in the hunt for a first Ligue 1 title in almost 30 years Just over a three-hour drive south, skirting the Rhine until you hit the Swiss border, heading into an Alpine gateway towards the turquoise waters of Lake Thun, footballing folklore is being scribed. Legia Warsaw, Poland's most-successful club, are on a six-game unbeaten run but find themselves in the relegation zone alongside Widzew Lodz, who last summer spent 20 times more on transfers than current leaders Zaglebie Lubin. It shouldn't be possible in today's climate for a team from the Arctic with an 8,000-capacity, artificially turfed stadium to be muscling in on Europe's elite, never mind one who less than a decade ago were in Norway's second tier. But if Kjetil Knutsen's team can hold on to their 3-0 first-leg lead against Portuguese giants Sporting on Tuesday, they will proudly stand among the continent's top eight having not even started their own league season yet.