10 European Sides Set to Soar Next Season

Now that the vast majority of places in European competition next season have been settled, clubs across the continent can start planning for their excursions abroad.

UEFA's two club tournaments will play host to most of the same major clubs as they do every season, plus those which either enjoy success more sporadically or regularly come up short in Europe.

Here are 10 clubs who, for one reason or another, have genuine cause for optimism that they will light up the European stage next season.

Securing back-to-back titles by virtue of being one of Europe's most lethal counter-attacking sides, you'd think Dortmund would already be a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

However, the 1997 European champions endured a humbling experience in the Champions League last season, finishing at the bottom of their group with just one win to their name—at home over Olympiacos.

Shinji Kagawa may be likely to leave the Westfalenstadion this summer, but the signing of Marco Reus and keeping other stars like Mario Goetze, Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic should see Jurgen Klopp's team be a far more formidable unit outside of Germany next season.

As soon as the Qatar Investment Group completed their takeover at the Parc des Princes last year, big things have been expected of Paris Saint-Germain. 

The only major club in one of the biggest cities in Europe, PSG have the potential to be a truly dominant force in Europe if they can continue to invest their new-found wealth wisely. 

Carlo Ancelotti's team look as though they will be beaten to the Ligue 1 title by relative minnows Montpellier this weekend, but a flexing of their financial muscle in the summer could see them start to make waves on the European stage.

Schalke, one of Germany's biggest and best-supported clubs, were Champions League semifinalists only a year ago. If you had forgotten their limp 6-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester United, don't worry—the Gelsenkirchen club's fans have been trying to do the same ever since.

After reaching the last four of the Europa League this term, Die Knappen finished third in the Bundesliga—well behind champions Dortmund and Bayern Munich. But Germany's favourable coefficient as one of the top leagues in Europe means they still go straight into the group stage of the Champions League.

Veteran striker Raul may be leaving for more lucrative pastures in Qatar, but with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar back to his fearsome best in front of goal (29 goals in the league and another 10 in Europe), young talent Julian Draxler in the middle and former manager Huub Stevens back at the helm, Schalke can look forward to making another big impact in Europe next season. 

Like newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City, Malaga are reaping the benefits of being backed by a Middle Eastern sheikh, in their case Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani of Qatar.

The southern coastal club, more used to celebrating avoiding relegation, finished fourth in the table last weekend and thereby earned a qualification playoff for next season's Champions League.

Even without European football to offer, they were able to attract the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jeremy Toulalan, Joaquin and the recently-retired Ruud van Nistelrooy. Now that a place in Europe's top competition is on the cards, there is no telling what they could achieve.

Napoli's run to the knockout phase of the Champions League in their first season in the competition was certainly a lot of fun. The Partenopei progressed through a group that included Manchester City, and they certainly gave Chelsea a run for their money before going out in the last 16.

Walter Mazzarri's side saw their form dip sharply after that European exit, but they got their act together in time to recover a position in the Europa League.

If they can keep their "Holy Trinity" of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik together, then they are extremely well equipped to take Europe's second competition by storm. 

Who would have thought 12 months ago that missing out on a Champions League place would have been seen as a disappointment for Newcastle? 

However, after a stunning year which exceeded all expectations and won Alan Pardew the Manager of the Year award, that is what happened when the Magpies "only" finished fifth in the Premier League on the final day of the season. 

As such, Newcastle will contest a playoff for a place in the Europa League come August, and the thought of Papiss Cisse being unleashed on the continent is just one of many reasons to make watching them on Thursday nights a worthwhile exercise.

This year's Europa League final may have been between two Spanish clubs, but Sporting Lisbon's involvement in the semifinals meant the last four was also a clean sweep for clubs from the Iberian Peninsula.

En route to the latter stages, Sporting topped their group above Lazio and eliminated Manchester City in the last 16. 

Finishing fourth in the Portuguese league secured them a playoff spot for next season's tournament—and with the talent in their squad, Carlos Freitas' side will be hoping to go at least one better.

After finishing second at the end of the regular season of an extended Russian Premier League campaign, a lacklustre run in the Championship group stage led to them being overtaken by city rivals Spartak.

As such, CSKA missed out on a place in the third qualifying round for next season's Champions League, and instead have to make do with a playoff to put them into the Europa League.

Assuming they can keep hold of talented forward Alan Dzagoev, playmaker Keisuke Honda and striker Seydou Doumbia—all three of whom have attracted attention from far and wide—then the Russian giants will fancy their chances of going far in that competition.

Unlike the last time they won the Europa League in 2010, this year Atletico Madrid lifted the trophy in real style. They had two of the competition's three top scorers, and they won 17 of their 19 matches in the competition (including their final 12).

The Rojiblancos narrowly missed out on a place in the Champions League on the final day of the season in La Liga, but will be optimistic of keeping hold of stars like Radamel Falcao, Diego and Arda Turan.

Atletico have turned not realising their potential into an art form, but the club will be confident that they can make a big impact on La Liga next season and mount a credible effort to finish in the top four domestically.

After dominating the Dutch Eredivisie in the last decade, PSV have gone four years without winning the title.

However, despite only finishing third last season, earning a Europa League playoff place in the process, the Eindhoven club were arguably the most exciting team to watch in Holland, finishing with three of their players among the division's top 10 goalscorers.

With former manager Dick Advocaat (who was a success in his first spell in charge in the 1990s) back at the helm, PSV can look forward to bigger things next term.