Where Sunderland rank among BEST promoted clubs
Black Cats join a select group of clubs to qualify for European football in their first season as a promoted club
Prior to 2025/26, the Black Cats had spent eight seasons away from the top flight, which included four seasons in League One, and they were widely tipped to struggle on their Premier League return.
However, by finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe for the first time since 1974, they enjoyed one of the greatest seasons achieved by a promoted club.
How rare is Sunderland’s achievement?
In earning a spot in the UEFA Europa League next season, Sunderland have become only the fifth promoted club to qualify for Europe through league position in their first season back in the Premier League.
As the table below shows, their seventh-place finish is one of the highest EVER from a promoted club. Four of the other six teams to finish in the top seven qualified for European football.
Unfortunately for Blackburn Rovers (in 1992/93) and Sunderland themselves (in 1999/2000), their excellent league seasons did not result in European football due to there being fewer qualification spots available in those seasons.
Best finishes by promoted clubs
| Season | Team | Final position |
| 1993/94 | Newcastle | 3rd |
|---|---|---|
| 1994/95 | Nott'm Forest | 3rd |
| 1992/93 | Blackburn | 4th |
| 2000/01 | Ipswich | 5th |
| 1999/00 | Sunderland | 7th |
| 2018/19 | Wolves | 7th |
| 2025/26 | Sunderland | 7th |
Newcastle - 3rd in 1993/94
Under the guidance of Kevin Keegan, a Newcastle United side dubbed "The Entertainers" qualified for the UEFA Cup. Much of the success came from their formidable strike duo of Andy Cole and Peter Beardsley.
Cole’s 34 Premier League goals that season still ranks second on the all-time list for a single campaign.
Nottingham Forest - 3rd in 1994/95
Having gained promotion under Frank Clark, Nottingham Forest went unbeaten until late October and weathered a poor mid-season run by finishing the campaign without defeat in their final 13 games.
Stan Collymore was the star of the show, scoring 22 league goals before joining Liverpool after the season.
Ipswich - 5th in 2000/01
Tipped by many to go straight back down to the Championship, George Burley’s side earned European football for the first time in almost two decades. For much of the season, they sat third and were firmly in the hunt for a UEFA Champions League spot, but faded in the final weeks.
Wolves - 7th in 2018/19
Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota were two standout players as Wolves took advantage of Manchester City winning all three domestic trophies to claim a Europa League spot for seventh.
Led by Nuno Espirito Santo, they also made the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 21 years.
What are the greatest seasons by promoted clubs?
No promoted teams have ever exceeded the 77 points secured by Newcastle in 1993/94 and Nott'm Forest the following year. But those were, of course, claimed in the era of 42-MATCH seasons.
Highest points totals by promoted sides
| Team | Season | Points |
| Newcastle | 1993/94 | 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Nott'm Forest | 1994/95 | 77 |
| Blackburn | 1992/93 | 71 |
| Ipswich | 2000/01 | 66 |
| Leeds | 2020/21 | 59 |
| Sunderland | 1999/00 | 58 |
| Wolves | 2018/19 | 57 |
| Reading | 2006/07 | 55 |
| West Ham | 2005/06 | 55 |
| Sheff Utd | 2019/20 | 54 |
| Sunderland | 2025/26 | 54 |
Since the Premier League was reduced to 38 matches, Ipswich’s tally of 66 points in 2000/01 is the highest, followed by Marcelo Bielsa’s entertaining Leeds United side, who claimed 59 points to finish ninth in 2020/21.
In fact, this year is not the first time Sunderland have made a splash in their first season back in the Premier League, having finished seventh in 1999/2000 with 58 points thanks largely to Kevin Phillips, who scored 30 goals to earn the European Golden Shoe.
The inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93 also saw a standout campaign from Blackburn, who were the final team to gain promotion to the new competition through the Division Two playoffs and then went on to finish fourth, bolstered by Alan Shearer’s 16 goals in 21 games before a season-ending injury.
Aside from those teams already mentioned, Sunderland’s 2025/26 points tally of 54 has only also been exceeded by Reading (55 for eighth in 2006/07) and West Ham (55 for ninth in 2005/06).
How did Sunderland do so well?
Sunderland's resurgence under Regis Le Bris has been extraordinary. Appointed before the 2024/25 campaign, he immediately guided them to promotion through the Championship playoffs and has now secured Europa League football against the odds.
Much must be credited to their transfer dealings last summer, when they brought in 15 new players.
Notable among them were the hugely influential captain Granit Xhaka, striker Brian Brobbey, defenders Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, goalkeeper Robin Roefs and midfielder Noah Sadiki.
Aided by a vocal home support, they turned the Stadium of Light into a fortress, not losing a single home league match until mid-February, as well as completing a memorable league double over local rivals Newcastle.
Victory over fellow European hopefuls Chelsea on the final day of the season secured seventh place.
They also punched above their weight, ending the season in the relegation zone of Opta’s Expected Points table, which uses Expected Goals (xG) for and against to simulate results.
Having last played in Europe in the 1973/74 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, it is no wonder Le Bris has been nominated for the Premier League's Manager of the Season award.