Belgium

Royal Antwerp FC, Belgian First Division A

After 13 years outside of the Belgian top flight, the oldest club in the country is hoping to do slightly more than just stay up. We don’t have the financial backing of the league’s biggest clubs, but hopefully the club’s supporters can spur them on this season. It’s started well at least with a fine 1-0 win away to Gent on the opening day of the season. Relegation would be a bitter blow, but anything other than that is basically a success. We’re just so happy to finally be back. Alexander Gilis

Czech Republic

Zbrojovka Brno, Czech First League

A top-half finish would be definite progress this season. After a couple of years flirting with the drop and losing our best players in every transfer window, all citing the club’s lack of ambition, manager Svatopluk Habanec has no excuses. Brought in at the start of last season because of being seen as a young, dynamic manager, he oversaw 0-0 and 1-1 draws until our eyes bled. Now he’s been given his choice of players, some decent youth prospects and a full pre-season. Entertainment is the bare minimum.

We’ve finally got some wingers which is a thrill in itself. Musefiu Ashiru impressed last term playing anywhere and everywhere behind the frontman. Adding Dutch winger Alvin Fortes and the fact that Milan Lutonsky finally appears to have found some self-confidence will also help. At the back Petr Pavlik and Lithuanian international Tadas Kijanskas have formed a solid enough partnership and, as always, Dusan Melicharek will be class in goal. David Szmidt

Cyprus

APOEL FC, Cypriot First Division

The target is winning the domestic league in Cyprus, as well as qualifying for the Champions League group stage. The 4-1 aggregate win against Romanian outfit Viitorul was impressive, but Slavia Prague should pose more of a challenge in the next round. But any season which results in winning the league back home is a successful season. Our key player is Australian midfielder Tommy Oar. Everything good in terms of build up play goes through him in the middle of the park. Alex Kirmitsis

Facebook Twitter Pinterest APOEL Nicosia fans are hoping for another successful season Photograph: Yiannis Kourtoglou / Alamy Stock/Alamy Stock Photo

France

Angers SCO, Ligue 1

Our league campaign started with an entertaining, albeit frustrating, 2-2 home draw against Bordeaux. The fear is that we might get dragged into relegation fight for a period, as there are plenty similar sides around us. With Famara Diediou cashed in on with a sale to Bristol City, it remains to be seen if the replacements bring us up a notch. Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi was one of last season’s better players. He has plenty to offer this season too. Just staying in Ligue 1 is good for the club, as we lingered in the lower leagues for so long. Ghislain Hofman

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Angers’ Malian midfielder Lassana Coulibaly vies for the ball against Bordeaux in Ligue 1’s opening fixture last weekend Photograph: Jean-Francois Monier/AFP/Getty Images

AJ Auxerre, Ligue 2

Last season was a tough one for every fan of a club seeking a return to its glorious past. Amid turmoil off the field, the team struggled in the league and we only secured our Ligue 2 place for this season in the last game. Having already won one and lost one so far, consistency might still hold us back. But there are good grounds to be hopeful. James Zhou has invested in the club and seems willing to build a team tailored for the French second division. The appointment of Francis Gillot is also very promising. All in all promotion to the first division may not be for this year but the basis is there.

With 12 incoming players and a new head coach an adaptation period should be expected although pre-season displays are encouraging. There is hope to grab one of the two promotion spots but more realistically a top-half finish is the minimum goal. Gillot has shown with Sochaux that he can manage good results in a similar environment. Signing a mix of experimented players from Ligue 1 like Romain Philippoteaux and Jordan Adéoti is definitively an upgrade to the team. It remains to be seen how the losses of Lorient bound Gaëtan Courtet, who was responsible for 15 goals last season, and right-back Ruben Aguilar now at Montpellier will be handled.

Philippoteaux is the main arrival of the summer and should be the technical leader of the team. But the club maintains a culture of homegrown players and François-Xavier Fumu-Tamuzo is one of the good products still at the club. Guillaume

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Auxerre coach Francis Gillot has a rebuilding job to do at at the club this season Photograph: Anthony Dibon/Icon Sport via Getty Images

Olympique Lyon, Ligue 1



At the end of last season, following our inspiring displays especially in Europe, I had high hopes for the new campaign. That was until the departures. Alexandre Lacazette’s exit was inevitable and the young arrivals in Bertrand Traore and Mariano Diaz will help soften the blow. This could also be the season Nabil Fekir really sets Ligue 1 ablaze. But the losses of Maxime Gonalons, Corentin Tolisso and Mathieu Valbuena leave us short in midfield to say the least. Things seemed to click well into place in our opening day 4-0 win over Strasbourg, but there will be bigger tests to come.

We won’t have another wonderful European run and the loss of key players might hit us hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if poor form from early season to winter sees Bruno Genesio out the door. Kia

Olympique de Marseille, Ligue 1



It’s not easy to make prediction for this season in a fairly competitive Ligue 1. But having watched our first game of the season, an impressive 3-0 win over Dijon, I think and hope Marseille will battle with Lyon and Nice for third place and Champions League qualification. PSG and Monaco both look too strong to aim any higher. It will also be the first full season in charge for both the new owner, Frank McCourt, and head coach Rudi Garcia. Therefore, beside the league position it will be important to continue the process of stabilising the club after the last hectic couple of seasons, when problems off the pitch had a bad influence on football performances.

Luiz Gustavo is the one player I’m looking forward to see on the pitch. His ability to both protect the defence and to build the game with quality passes is what we desperately missed last season. His introduction into OM’s midfield will also be crucial in helping Maxime Lopez, our most talented youngster, to reach his full potential. Pablo Chiesa

FC Metz, Ligue 1

Our opening game resulted in a 3-1 home defeat against Guingamp which was very disappointing. We might struggle in the top division if that performance is anything to go by, but I’d still like to see Metz remain a settled Ligue 1 side. Some entertaining cup runs in both the League Cup and French National Cup would be more than welcome too. Nolan Roux should be one of the main strikers in the league this season, and there are also high hopes for Argentine midfielder Gerónimo Poblete who is a new arrival. Mathieu Rollinger

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nolan Roux is already off the mark, scoring against Guingamp on the opening day of the season, but Metz might still have a tough campaign Photograph: Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images

FC Nantes, Ligue 1

It was a season of two halves last year; the first half under René Girard saw a well drilled defensive team that didn’t score enough turn into a poor team defensively that scored even less. Sérgio Conceição turned things around magnificently. If we’d had him for the whole season, we’d have been pushing for a European slot. Clauido Ranieri is in some ways a dream appointment, one that harks back to what the club used to be and could well be. Lille proved too strong for us on the opening day of this season, but if we perform as well as we did the back end of last year, we’ll be pushing all the way for a Europa League spot.

The club has had a good transfer window so far. Losing keeper Remy Riou is a bit of a blow but hopefully not the end of the world, with the only other loss being the talented youngster Amine Harit, who played 30 first team games last year. I’m looking forward to seeing how Alexander Kačaniklić performs now he’s settled. Valentin Rongier hit some great form before his horrible injury halfway through last season. The likes of Porto are already circling so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what he can do if we can keep him. Josh Owen Morris

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Claudio Ranieri will hope for better days than the 3-0 opening day defeat suffered by his Nantes side against Lille Photograph: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

OGC Nice, Ligue 1

We lost 1-0 at the weekend to St Etienne, but I’m still hoping we can hit the top three in Ligue 1 again. We need to have a special season that could be a lasting testament to Lucien Favre’s coaching.



I’m still hoping Hatem Ben Arfa will return to the only club who really understood him. He will shred it playing number 10 just behind Mario Balotelli, who will have his best season ever. But having signed Allan Saint-Maximin and Wesley Sneijder, there’s no doubt we have a lot of exciting quality going forward. I also think there’s more to come from our Ivorian midfielder Jean Seri. Olivier P

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Following the signing of Mario Balotelli last season, unfashionable Nice have done it again to secure the services of another marquee signing in Wesley Sneijder Photograph: Yann Coatsaliou/AFP/Getty Images

Germany

1860 München, Regionalliga Bayern

After the disaster of last season, relegated and then dumped into Regionalliga Bayern, we start the new season with predominantly youth team players.We’ve moved back to our spiritual home Grünwalder Stadion for the first time since 1995. There’s been enough nonsense around the club now and I expect promotion and a few new stars to be born. Nelly

Facebook Twitter Pinterest 1860 Munich players sit on the pitch after losing the German Bundesliga 2nd division relegation match against Jahn Regensburg in the Allianz Arena Photograph: Peter Kneffel/AP

FC Augsburg, Bundesliga

We always start the season well, and solid foundations until the Christmas break, will help with the inevitable loss of form in the second half of the season when we’ve been flirting with relegation on too many occasions.

Augsburg managed to extend the contracts of some of the club’s top players and the team chemistry should still be high as a result. Players who left the club have been replaced sufficiently. We’ve been managed well for years now. Austrian forward Michael Gregoritsch showed his potential at HSV, and I look forward to seeing him play well for us. Thomas

Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga

Without European football for the first time since the turn of the decade and, having lost our main goal threat with Chicarito departing for West Ham, creative force Hakan Calhanoglu and defensive stopper Omer Toprak this summer, expectations have been considerably scaled down compared with Roger Schmidt’s dynamic, vivacious young team of the last few years. Much will depend on whether the low-key appointment of Heiko Herrlich fares better than last year’s failed stopgap Tayfun Korkut.

The yardstick of success would be a swift return to continental competition, and we still retain a promising squad, albeit one whose brighter lights have been hampered by injury. With the likes of Schalke, Wolfsburg and Mönchengladbach looking to recover from similarly underwhelming 2016-17 campaigns, and questions marks about how Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Köln and Hertha will cope with raised expectations and the demands of European competition, the spots below Bayern and Dortmund look fascinatingly wide open.

With a nod to the outstanding 20-year-old German international Benjamin Heinrichs, most eyes with be on a man two years his junior: the attacking midfielder Kai Havertz. Breaking club records as the youngest debutant and scorer last season in a campaign yielding four Bundesliga goals and five assists, the fact that Havertz missed the Champions League second leg knockout tie with Atletico due to school exams is remarkable. The fact that the team truly missed his presence is all the more extraordinary and says it all about how highly the club regard this teenage talent. Richard Forsythe

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Will Kai Havertz continue to impress at Bayer Leverkusen this season? Photograph: Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images

Bayern Munich, Bundesliga

It will be a massive surprise if we don’t win the Bundesliga for a sixth consecutive time, and there will be extra motivation to win the cup after last year’s disappointment. Internationally it is harder to say. At the very least an improvement on last year is necessary, meaning a Champions League semi-final or final spot.

I’m hoping that this season will see our numerous talented youngsters like Kingsley Coman, Joshua Kimmich and Renato Sanches given playing time to develop and integrate more into the squad. The past couple of years have been transitional for Bayern, with many of the old guard (Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Alonso, Ribery, Robben) leaving and new faces taking their places. Following how smooth this transition will prove to be should be intriguing. New signing Niklas Süle is young, solid and was very impressive at the Confederations Cup. His presence should introduce welcome cover and competition into the centre of our defence, which has been repeatedly hampered by injuries at key points in the season for several years now. J Weiss

Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga



I think this will be a tough year again for Dortmund. We’re not capable of breaking Munich’s stranglehold on the division. We’ll comfortably get into the top four though. I also don’t think Dortmund are strong enough to get far in the Champions League. I think they’ll get knocked out in the quarter-finals again. The DFB-Pokal is once again our best chance of a trophy. Marco Reus is always a firm favourite of mine and it’s always gutting to see him get injured as he is such a talent when he stays fit. Christopher Hann

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Will the German Cup be Dortmund’s only chance of domestic success again this season? Photograph: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images

Eintracht Frankfurt, Bundesliga

I expect the season to be a long one for us. Frankfurt’s transfer departures will definitely decimate the overall quality of the squad. Defensively, we are extremely insecure, and especially with Jesus Vallejo, who caused a sensation in the Bundesliga last season, going back to Real Madrid, I expect the defence to struggle in the upcoming season. Unless of course Croatian manager Niko Kovac can once again motivate the players with some influencing words of wisdom.

Gelson Fernandes and Taleb Tawatha will be the ones to look for this upcoming season. Fernandes has been a very crucial signing for Eintracht, with Omar Mascarell and Marc Stendera constantly sidelined with injuries. Makoto Hasebe’s age is clearly not helping either. Fernandes can help stabilize the midfield, something that was missing when Mascarell got out injured. Marco Fabian will be club’s main playmaker and the addition of Jonathan de Guzman provides more creativity. However, I expect Frankfurt to deteriorate next season. We’ve been rather poor in pre-season and this newly built team under Kovac surely needs time to settle. Anas Ali Molla

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Niko Kovac will hope his new recruits can hit the ground running this season Photograph: Armando Babani/EPA

Hannover 96, Bundesliga

Having just won promotion to the Bundesliga at the first attempt, this season is about staying up. Our squad looks decent so there’s hope of cementing ourselves back in the top tier. Waldemar Anton and Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee are two immense talents that will help our cause significantly this season. V. Gerhards

Schalke 04, Bundesliga

It’s not likely to be great this season. We have a new coach again this year in Domenico Tedesco, who is our fourth coach in five years. We have lost of a lot of players again this year such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Sead Kolašinac and replaced them with young hopefuls such as Armine Harit and Pablo Insua. More investment in star quality is needed as in the past years we have lost players such as Joel Matip and Leroy Sane who have not been properly replaced. A lot of responsibility will fall at the feet of Swiss striker Breel Embolo, who has returned to form quickly after a long injury layoff.

Leon Goretzka will be one of our best players this season. He had a habit of going missing in games, but last season he really seemed to kick on towards the end and was our best player. He took his form into the Confederations Cup and is developing into a top quality player. Sadly if rumours are to be believed Bayern Munich want to add him to their ranks. If they don’t we will lose him at the end of the season on a free anyway. Bryan Martin

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Breel Embolo is ready to lead the line for Schalke 04 this season Photograph: GmbH/REX/Shutterstock

FC St. Pauli, 2. Bundesliga

I would say we should be aiming to be in the top five. If we’re lucky we’lll be in line for promotion. We’ve kept hold of our best players from last season, while signing new promising players. None more so than Tunisian striker Sami Allagui. Robin

VfB Stuttgart, Bundesliga

I’m hoping that it won’t be a battle against relegation. The fans seem to be optimistic with 31,000 season tickets sold - including me. If we can find a good central defender before the transfer windows closes, I will be more optimistic. A good start to the season is essential. The fixture computer has been quite kind to the club. All in all, a mid-table place at the end of the season is feasible.

Success will depend on a solid defence. The signing of Ron-Robert Zieler as the number one goalkeeper could be a positive factor. All eyes will be on Simon Terodde, the top scorer in the 2nd Bundesliga last year. I am keen to see how he fares in the 1st Bundesliga. If coach Hannes Wolf gets his team selection and tactics right, we should be alright. David Crellin

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Bundesliga

I think we’ll do well this season. We’ll be the surprise package of the Champions League, with our blend of pace, enthusiasm and canny tactics should see TSG take a couple of big scalps. Staying in the Bundesliga top six should be achievable and for a tiny club like ours would be an incredible achievement. I’m once again expecting a sackful of goals from Andrej Kramarić. Andy

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Will there be more to celebrate for Hoffenheim’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann this season? Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

Werder Bremen, Bundesliga



We will do better than last year in terms of consistency, but will still end up somewhere in No man’s land between 12th and 8th. The club have spectacularly missed out on bringing any promising talent to the club. That’s pretty bad for a club that used to play Champions League not so long ago and brought up players like Mesut Özil, Claudio Pizarro, Miroslav Klose and and Per Mertesacker. If Max Kruse stays, he’ll play a massive part in our season. Martin Postler

Italy

AC Milan, Serie A

We need to aim for a top four finish, and secure a long awaited return to Europe’s top table. Yonghong Li bought the club from Silvio Belousconi in April. A new CEO, Marco Fassone, and Sporting Director, Massimo Mirabelli, were appointed and set about building a new look AC Milan for boss Vincenzo Montella. Optimism has been hard to come by at the San Siro in recent years, and the Rossoneri hit a low point finishing 10th two years ago. Now 190 million euros has been spent this window so far on young exciting players like Franck Kessie, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu and Andre Silva.

Milan also made a statement of intent with the acquisition of Leonardo Bonucci from rivals Juventus as well as the contract renewal of teenage sensation Gigi Donnarumma. Even now there is still talk of players like Renato Sanches and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining the Milan ranks to further bolster the team. Bought from Porto for 38 million euros, Andre Silva is an exciting young prospect that has been touted by many to become a world class forward in the years to come. Mentored at international level by Cristiano Ronaldo, fans can not wait to see what this player can deliver in the famous red and black. Christopher Penn

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Will a new look AC Milan impress this season? Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

Benevento, Serie A

Survival is the only thing on our minds. This is our first ever season in Serie A and we must at least try and enjoy it. A mid-table finish would be sensational. Amato Ciciretti will be key to our chances of achieving that. He was one of the stars of Serie B last season. Romanian George Puscas is still on loan from Inter, and he will always be remembered for his form in the play-offs and scoring the goal that got us here. Dinardo

Cagliari, Serie A

My hope and expectation is that Cagliari will avoid relegation. If they finish in mid-table again, I will be very happy. We’ve re-signed Marco Boriello, who despite his age performed very well last season. We have some exciting young players developing well including Nico Barella and Kwang Song Han. It’s a bummer that we lost Mauricio Isla to Fenerbache. He was a good player. Nicolo Barella will be another player to look out for this season. Julian Carta

Genoa, Serie A

I’m hoping for a quiet season, with a mid-table finish. Simply avoiding the threat of relegation, that was weighing us down last season, would be progress. Negotiations to sell the club are ongoing, with current president Enrico Preziosi taking care of the transfer market before the sale to SRI Group, which will likely be finalised in September. We have lost our club captain Nicolás Burdisso who did not renew his contract, but no further major players have left so far, even though the likes of Giovanni Simeone and Diego Laxalt might end up leaving if the right offers arrive.

Maintaining our spot in Serie A and claim a couple of big teams’ scalps seems a realistic goal, especially if the team show good form at home. New signing Gianluca Lapadula from AC Milan will be willing to show that he is a prolific goalscorer in Serie A after a difficult season. I’m also very happy to see Andrea Bertolacci coming back (again from Milan), as the midfield partnership with Miguel Veloso was very promising last year. Carlo Abbona

Hellas Verona, Serie A

Hellas bounced back to Serie A at the first time of asking under the guidance of former Rafa Benitez lieutenant Fabio Pecchia last year, and built on that success by securing a number of astute additions. Alessio Cerci was a highly coveted commodity two summers ago, and arrives at the Bentegodi with something to prove following poor stints with Atletico and Milan. The club also adeptly recruited Martin Carceres and Thomas Heurtaux. In 2015 Verona fell from the top flight as the club wagered on the goal scoring prowess of the ageing and magnificent Luca Toni. Entering 2017, success could ultimately rest on the similarly aged shoulders of club captain and one-time Football Manager phenom Giampolo Pazzini. However, with the additions of Cerci and Roma loanee Daniele Verde, it appears that they may have learnt the lessons of their past failures.

One time Manchester City next-big-thing Bruno Zuculini has joined the club on a permanent basis, forming an unlikely Zuculini-Zuculini midfield pairing with Franco Zuculini. Any signing that brings about a reminder of Eric Djemba-Djemba deserves ample enthusiasm. Samuel Wills

Internazionale, Serie A

Before Inter’s pre-season tour of China and Singapore there was a great deal of concern, scepticism and almost resignation amongst supporters for the season ahead, due to the scars left behind by the horrors of last season and the club’s subsequent inactivity in the transfer market. Surprising victories over Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, however, have since rekindled a smidgen of optimism and reminded everyone that, even without the avalanche of summer signings that most had hoped for and expected, Inter have a decent squad which is capable of much better than last season’s 7th-place. With the new head coach Luciano Spalletti there is reason to believe things could be slightly different this time around. Now that Italy has regained its fourth Champions League qualification spot there’s a reasonable chance Inter can squeeze back into a competition they’ve been out of since the 2011-12 campaign.

While new signings Milan Skriniar and Borja Valero both look very promising acquisitions on the strength of their performances in pre-season, the player I’m most looking forward to following this season is one who was already here last year. Joao Mario was signed towards the end of last summer’s transfer window for around €40m, and despite a few stellar performances here and there he didn’t exactly repay Inter’s faith in him during his first season. His talent and class remain indisputable though, and after just a month of pre-season training under Spalletti the Portuguese midfielder is already looking like a different player. Will Beckman

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Eder and Joao Mario celebrate during the International Champions Cup match against Bayern Munich Photograph: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images for ICC

Juventus, Serie A

We should win the league and cup again, despite Milan buying everyone in sight, but our real barometer of success is in the Champions League. Going one better than last season would obviously be considered a success but making the semi-finals should be our aim. If the defence maintains the high standards of last season, we should be fine. We have strengthened in a few areas which were badly needed, with wingers and full-backs added. Gonzalo Higuaín remaining prolific is a must, as are big performances from Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic.

We obviously won a lot of games last year but the feeling was it was all very workman-like. An upward trend in the entertainment department would be nice. There’s a question mark over our goalkeeping situation too. This might be the last season for Gianluigi Buffon, who will be a huge loss. There are also question marks over the departed Leonardo Bonnucci’s replacement Medhi Benatia, and whether he can consistently perform. New signing Federico Bernardeschi might be one to watch this season. He’s young, Italian, and already established in Serie A after having his best season yet. He should fit into the side as a number 10 or a winger and could yet be a bargain if he fulfils his potential. Dave Long

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain will be keys to success again for Juventus this season Photograph: Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Getty Images

SSC Napoli, Serie A

We should be challenging for the Scudetto again this season, but staying on course for another Champions League campaign would be a bare minimum. There’s been a continuation of the fine work done by coach Maurizio Sarri and players that have played together for a couple of seasons now. This year could be the apex of a team built five years ago. Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Kulibaly will once again be crucial if we’re to challenge Juventus for the top honours. Stefano

AS Roma, Serie A

Fundamentally, Roma didn’t end the season empty-handed because the players weren’t good enough; they ended the season empty-handed because there weren’t enough good players. And as ever with Roma it’s been a summer of both large steps backward, selling Mohamed Salah, Antonio Rudiger and Leandro Paredes with coach Luciano Spalletti leaving, and several more, smaller steps forward with seven new signings and Eusebio Di Francesco taking over as manager.

The question is whether the net result will be progress, regression, or jogging on the spot. Despite big sales, only Salah is a major loss. Rudiger is a raw talent but prone to costly errors and Paredes was more about potential than delivery. Aleksandar Kolarov, Grégoire Defrel and Maxime Gonalons are smart buys who increase the quality and depth of the side, while Cengiz Under, Rick Karsdorp and prodigal son Lorenzo Pellegrini give us an injection of youthful attacking flair. Totti may no longer be with us but there’s lots of exciting attacking potential in this side. Michele Lucentezza

Facebook Twitter Pinterest AS Roma’s new player Cengiz Under poses with his new jersey Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

SPAL, Serie A

Two seasons ago SPAL were playing Serie C football at the likes of Rimini and Lupa Roma. Add in the fact that realistically you have be in at least your mid-fifties to have witnessed the last time (12 May 1968) Serie A football was played in Ferrara. For those reasons alone this season can’t be a failure for anyone involved at SPAL. Sadly the club haven’t got the budget to compete with most of the other Serie A clubs, so avoiding relegation will seem like success of sorts.

Leonardo Semplici has mostly opted for loan signings with striker Alberto Paloschi, perhaps the best known, mainly for his five year spell at Chievo. His experience and ability to link up with last seasons top scorer Mirco Antenucci will be crucial. Those that did come at a price will play in defence; Finnish international Sauli Väisänen was signed from AIK in Sweden. Making a somewhat shorter journey to Ferrara is Brazilian defender Felipe dal Belo picked up from Udinese. Both will be aware they are in for a busy season. Dan Almond

Netherlands

Ajax, Eredivisie

I expect Ajax to challenge for the Eredivisie title, though the title race is hard to predict considering that the Feyenoord and PSV squads have both had quite a make-over, while Ajax has lost a very important player in Davy Klaassen and also some defensive options. Internationally, it depends on Ajax qualifying for the Champions Leage or the Europa League. Though they aim to qualify for the former, I doubt they will make much of a dent there. The Europa League is a better fit and they could get far, though we can hardly expect them to reach the final again.

Pre-season has of course been awful. We lost an important player and leader with Davy Klaassen, and though the likes of Donny van de Beek and Frenkie de Jong seem ready to replace him as a player, it remains to be seen if Joel Veltman can provide the necessary leadership. With three reserve defenders leaving this summer, options at the back look thin if there are injuries or suspensions, and a defensive signing doesn’t look imminent. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is back at the club, and he will both be a valuable mentor for Kasper Dolberg in his difficult second season as a starting player and a quality back-up striker. With so many questions unanswered it is impossible to predict whether the season will be a success or a failure, but there is plenty of reason for positivity. Maurits

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ajax’s Kasper Dolberg speaks to the media Photograph: Lukas Schulze - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Portugal



Academica da Coimbra, LigaPro

After a slow start to last season following relegation, the team picked up mid-season before collapsing spectacularly against supposedly weaker teams. Stability is hard to find, as decent loan players will be back at their home clubs and replaced by the next batch of loanees, while the managerial merry go round will kick in again at some point in the season once there’s a string of bad results. The biggest hope will be that the newly relegated clubs struggle, though pre-season results and performances haven’t exactly been encouraging. Club captain Marinho is the spirit of the team. How he wasn’t picked up by another club last season is a wonder, but the transfer window is still open sadly. Karl

Benfica, Primeira Liga

I am cautiously optimistic. We have become adept to successfully replace our top players as they depart in big money moves, but this year we have sold half of our back four plus the goalkeeper. A lot of changes at the back at the same time can be a dangerous move, and no replacements have been signed for Ederson and Victor Lindelof so far. On the other hand, we have attacking talent in spades, and our options only got better with the arrival of Haris Seferovic.

I think that if we do claim a fifth successive league title it will be down to our attacking potency. No other club in the Portuguese league compares in terms of talent up front, and our strikers alone guarantee 40 goals per season. On the other hand, if our defence doesn’t settle quickly we might be made to pay. André Vale

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Benfica’s forward Haris Seferovic is already up and running this season Photograph: Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

Fc Porto, Primeira Liga

We can hopefully, finally, take the title back from Benfica. Its been four long years and, with Benfica opting for mass sales this transfer window, the balance of power should be about to swing back to Porto. We wont miss André Silva, who looked uninterested in the second part of the season, but we could do with stepping into the market to strengthen. A new goalkeeper and someone to share the burden of goalscoring with Francisco Soares would make us favourites for the league this season. Head coach Sérgio Concieção has changed the spirit of the team. Sid

Romania

Dinamo Bucharest, Liga I

I’m quietly confident, though the first home game didn’t go to plan losing 1-0 to Botosani. Last season ended positively, we were in with an outside chance of the league going into the final matches and won the League Cup. I’m going for top three again, hopefully above the team with the clip art badge from Bucharest. A run to the Europa League group stages would have been great, but Bilbao proved far too strong for that dream to become reality.

For me holding onto players like Sergiu Hanca and Steliano Filip, while getting consistently good performances from Adam Nemec are key. When he joined, Nemec hadn’t scored for a couple of years and finished with a respectable 13 in 31. After initially wondering what he was going to bring to the team, he surpassed expectations. Mark

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dinamo Bucharest’s Rivaldinho vies for the ball with Athletic Bilbao players in their recent Europa League qualifier Photograph: Miguel Tona/EPA

Scotland

Aberdeen, SPL

Coming second again will be tough due to Rangers having invested significantly over the summer. They’ve also taken our captain of course. But keeping our manager Derek McInnes is a huge bonus. I fully expected him to take the Sunderland job. He’s recruited well in the past and I have every confidence that the players he has brought in over the summer will succeed. Ryan Christie is a hugely talented player. I’m delighted we’ve been able to renew his loan from Celtic for the whole season. He’s a delight to watch on the ball. We can finish second, though I think third is more likely. William Hern

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Derek McInnes will be hoping for another positive season at Aberdeen having turned down the Sunderland job in the summer Photograph: Steve Welsh/Getty Images

Celtic, SPL

Celtic will roll to the title again and, while anything can happen in cup competitions, should be targeting another Treble. The side have only gotten stronger over the summer, adding some steel in the midfield in Olivier Ntcham and some depth out wide with the versatile Jonny Hayes. The only departures of note were either anonymous (Kris Commons), on the verge of being too old (Kolo Toure), or obsolete (Gary Mackay-Steven, Efe Ambrose, and Emilio Izaguirre). There’s no reason to think they can’t repeat as Invincibles domestically, but the real measure of success will be in Europe. The Champions League group stage is a must, and they should be targeting third and a spot in the Europa League knock out stages. Ian McCann

Dundee, SPL

No-one has really been able to predict a Dundee season since World War II. Anything could happen. We could win the Scottish Cup, play Celtic on the moon, sign Edgar Davids or go into administration for an historic third time, keeping Bryan Jackson permanently in the process. It’s been over 40 years since Dundee won anything of significance (save for our glorious Tennents Sixes win in 1988) and we have been plumbing the depths of entertainment for much of the time since so, “success” should be relatively easy to attain. Not getting relegated will do nicely. Dutch winger Randy Wolters shouldn’t have to do much to become a hero. DarkBlue

Hearts, SPL

We will do better than we did last season now that Ian Cathro has departed. Success is always hard to define as well as predict but a top four place should be a minimum. Kyle Lafferty, who was a star at Rangers and has scored goals wherever he’s been, will be important for the team this season. He knows what it is to win trophies and at 31 he will be hungry to prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with, especially against the likes of Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibs who will be our main rivals. As long as he keeps calm he’ll be ‘The Man.’ Harry Woodward

Rangers, SPL

Early signs weren’t good after our embarrassing Europa League exit to Progres Niderkorn, however I’m hopeful that the arrivals of Bruno Alves and Graham Dorrans will add some much needed experience. Dorrans certainly made his mark on the first league game, a fortunate 2-1 win over Motherwell. Realistically a second place finish and a domestic trophy would be a good season after last year’s shambles. A stronger spine to the side will see that we do better in the tough away matches in which we were absolutely pathetic last year. Teams shouldn’t be able to bully us this time around. Colin

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rangers’ Graham Dorrans celebrates after scoring his first goal during at Fir Park against Motherwell Photograph: Ian Rutherford/PA

Serbia

Partizan Belgrade, Serbian SuperLiga

The fact that this is the first time in almost 25 years that we kept last season’s team in place tells me that we will be champions of Serbia again. The opposition (Red Star Belgrade) will throw everything on and off the field at us, because if we win the league we will overtake them in number of titles for the first time since 1949. Any season without the title is effectively a failure. Guinean midfielder Seydouba Soumah, signed from Slovan Bratislava for a club record of 1.65 million euros should help us win the title again. SRD

Spain

Athletic Club Bilbao, La Liga

We’re in for a season of transition. With a new manager José Ángel Ziganda, an ageing but excellent goalscorer in Aritz Aduriz and a number of exciting young talents including goalkeeper Kepa and forward Iñaki, we will repeat a cycle that has become overly familiar in recent seasons; briefly challenge for Champions League places before dropping off into the more familiar territory of the Europa League places.

Our lack of goals, especially in critical matches against inferior teams, plus fatigue from the Europa League, will ultimately cost us in terms of league position. This raises the question of whether the Europa League is a blessing or a curse for Athletic. Having bravely battled cancer since last season, the priority of Yeray Álvarez is a return to full health. At 22, he has the potential to be one the best defenders in La Liga. Ross

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Athletic Bilbao manager Jose Angel Ziganda looks on during the International Club match against Liverpool Photograph: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Atletico Madrid, La Liga

Realistically, we’re always going for third when you consider the financial might we’re flailing against. But with Barcelona having lost Neymar, second place might not be so inconceivable. We had a number of transfer targets, but the transfer ban meant Sandro went to Everton and Milan Skriniar was picked up by Inter. Diego Costa should come, but our board is so incompetent, they make straightforward deals into labyrinth nightmares. At least we’ve tied Saul and Koke, the heart of the midfield for the next generation, to the club for the foreseeable future.

Augusto Fernandez is probably going to be the most pivotal player this season, a good two seasons after signing. We missed him so much last season after his injury. The knock on effect was Gabi having to play way more than he should have to, and Koke sacrificing his offensive capabilities to partner him. Having Augusto back should allow Gabi well needed help defensively which he hasn’t had since Tiago stopped playing regularly. It should also free up Koke to start reaching his form of three seasons ago. JCD

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Antoine Griezmann during the pre-season friendly against Brighton and Hove Albion Photograph: Dean/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock

FC Barcelona, La Liga

With Ernesto Valverde in charge, who has a new mindset and new view, we will win the La Liga and at least get to semi-finals in the Champions League. We need to get our midfield working again. Ivan Rakitic and Andre Gomes need to step up from last season. Also the backline is critical and Gerard Pique needs to show why he is considered our best centre back.

Now that we have a new right back it hopefully will boost our defence and bring some stability. But Nelson Semedo is the newcomer and he needs to show he is good enough for Barcelona. Along with that his position is vital for success. Rakitic was amazing in his first season but his form really dipped in the last one. He is really important for the whole team to succeed. Philip

Malaga C.F, La Liga

After losing our three top players Sandro, Ignacio Camacho and Pablo Fornals this summer, I’m beginning to lose confidence in our chances of a top half finish. It feels like only yesterday, when we were competing in our magical Champions League quarter-final with Dortmund. Now we feel grateful on clinching a year loan for Swansea City’s Borja Baston. Hopefully Michel can turn things around from our winless pre-season just like he did at the end of last season, when Malaga demolished Barcelona’s title hopes with a 2-0 win.

If it weren’t for having one of the best academies in the world, we’d have failed to stay in La Liga last year. I feel it will be up to our youngsters again this season. I expect we’ll finish just above the relegation zone. Javier Ontiveros and Venezuelan attacking midfielder Juanpi have a huge year ahead. I suspect Premier League teams will keep a close eye on them both. Jack

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Argentinian midfielder Emanuel Cecchini poses for the media during his presentation as a new player of Malaga CF at La Rosaleda stadium Photograph: Daniel Perez/EPA

Real Madrid, La Liga

If last year was the first time we achieved a double in 59 years, this year will be our first treble ever. But with the departures of James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata, there is a huge hole in the squad and the super successful “B team” will be without its spearheads. I expect the team to sign a backup striker and Marco Assensio to step up and cover for James. He was exceptional in his cameos last season, and the experience he earned last season while being coached by Zidane and mentored by Modric, Ronaldo, Bale and Kroos, he is expected to have a great season and show us a glimpse of Real Madrid’s future star. As much as I love Ronaldo, I have to say, he is going to be our Messi. As always we have full confidence in the team. If last year was the first time we achieved a double in 59 years, this year will be our first treble ever. Mohit Sharma

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Will the UEFA Super Cup just be the start of a season full of trohpies for Real Madrid? Photograph: Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Real Oviedo FC, Segunda División

We’ve done a great job signing hungry players, and our new manager Juan Antonio Anquela also has pedigree in our division. I hope we get promoted to La Liga and are capable of winning our two first-time-in-15-years derbies against Sporting Gijon. Pelayo

Valencia CF, La Liga

We’ll do badly this year I’m afraid. Pre-season has been ok apart from the loss to New York Cosmos. Manager Marcelino has the tactics and knowledge but sadly not the players. There’s no cash available. Our three centre backs are all up for sale, with no replacements lined up so far. Our midfield is inexperienced apart from Daniel Parejo who has spent the past two summers trying to leave. Zaza doesn’t score enough goals, Nani and Santi Mina are not good enough.

The structure of the club still looks up in the air and Peter Lim would appear to have lost interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marcelino resigns before the season starts as the club are not signing the players he has requested and are looking to sell the players he wants to keep. Carlos Soler, José Gaya and Nemanja Maksimović need to have good seasons if Valencia are to stay out of any trouble at the wrong end of the table. Valbat

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Valencia’s coach Marcelino Garcia instructs Ruben Vezo during a pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen Photograph: Focke Strangmann/EPA

Villarreal, La Liga

It is impossible to break into the top three so fourth would be incredible. It would be nice to have a trophy at last so the Copa del Rey or the Europa League would be a just reward for a town that has the same population as Darlington. Our young midfielder Rodri who will be at Madrid or Barcelona before too soon. And I never tire of watching the much underrated Bruno. Given the resources and the small fan base every season in La Liga is a successful one. Anthony Hutchinson

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Villarreal’s new Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals trains with his new club Photograph: Domenech Castello/EPA

Sweden

Varbergs BoIS FC, Superettan

Given that the Swedish league season runs from April to November, what with December to March being a little bit brisk even for the hardiest of vikings, we are now at the halfway mark of the 2017 season. Varbergs BoIS languish in 10th in Sweden’s second tier of professional football, a division that plays host to only 16 teams. A mere five points from the relegation play-off zone and a full 10 points from automatic relegation leads me to believe BoIS can and will survive the drop. Again. If they can manage a second-half-of-the-season surge, they could realistically climb as high as, oooh... I’m going to go with 9th. Gripping, right?

The pre-season return to Varberg of Gabriel “Gabbe” Altemark-Vanneryr, after a couple of seasons plying his trade elsewhere, got local hearts a-flutter. Blood pressures soon returned to resting when it became clear he was not going to get BoIS into Allsvenskan (Sweden’s Premier League) single-handedly. He could still have a say in whether Varbergs BoIS stay up though. Jim Sanders



