Regimes, borders and countries changed, but these clubs endured: 10 historic teams that stood the test of time

Before today’s borders were drawn, before independent countries raised their flags and before their names appeared on Europe’s modern political map, these clubs had already put on their shirts, walked onto the pitch and begun writing their own histories.

Some of Central and Eastern Europe’s most historic teams emerged in a world that no longer exists. They were founded under empires, in Yugoslavia or in the Soviet Union. Decades passed, political systems changed, borders moved and new states appeared. The clubs remained, carrying memories of another era while creating new ones in countries that had just been born.

Slavia Prague was founded on November 2, 1892, initially as a sports club created by Czech students. It soon became one of Bohemia’s leading football institutions. Slavia won its first officially recognized championship in 1913 and the Central European Cup in 1938. After the Czech Republic was established on January 1, 1993, the club needed only three years to win the league in the new country, taking the 1995-96 title. Further championships followed in 2008, 2009, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025.

Sparta Prague followed a year later, on November 16, 1893. Originally called Athletic Club Královské Vinohrady, it soon moved to Prague and adopted the name that would become known across Europe. The “Iron Sparta” built a powerful tradition in Czechoslovakia, winning league titles and two Central European Cups during the interwar period. It won the last championship of unified Czechoslovakia in 1992, then claimed the first Czech league title in 1993 and continued with successive championships and Champions League appearances.

Budućnost was founded in Podgorica in 1925 and quickly became one of Montenegro’s major sports clubs. It competed in local competitions in its early years and won its first Montenegrin championship in 1932. The broader list follows clubs whose histories began long before the independence of the countries they now represent.