Tuv Azarganuud set the record for the worst ever start to a season in top-flight football

Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football.Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football.
Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football. | Mongolian Football Federation
“You’re nothing special, we lose every week.”

It’s a chant often said in jest by fans of teams down on their luck. Losing streaks are common in football and it can be tough for fans and players alike to put on a brave face after losing every weekend.

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But Tuv Azarganuud is a club that has taken losing every week to a whole new level. Playing in the Mongolian Premier League, the team has lost every game so far this season, scoring just two goals in the process.

That doesn’t sound too bad, but having conceded a whopping 111 goals in that time, they sit on zero points with a goal difference of -109. In fact, it is the worst ever start to a season for any top-flight team in the world.

Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football.Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football.
Tuv Azarganuud have had the worst start to a season in the history of top-flight football. | Mongolian Football Federation

It’s not like Tuv Azarganuud is a newly-promoted side that are out of their depth either. They won one match 9-0 last season, but since then have lost a key player. Forward Tsedenbalyn Tumenjargal, who was putting up Haaland-esque numbers for the Mongolian outfit, left for rivals Brera Ilch FC, and now the goals have dried up.

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The two clubs met on Sunday, October 20 in a game that resulted in a 20-1 thrashing, despite Brera Ilch being reduced to 10 men early in the match.

According to Transfermarkt, Tuv Azarganuud has just 11 players on the books, with one 18-year-old with them on loan and everyone else being past their prime. The harsh winters in Mongolia also mean the players are giving 90 minutes each week in a blizzard.

On social media, the club has gained somewhat cult status, with some making jokes at the team’s expense and others praising them for toughing it out despite the poor results.

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One Instagram user joked: “It’s like when you play against your little brother in FIFA,” while another commented: “Finally we have the club version of San Marino.”

Posting on Reddit, one user said: “Honestly, props to those players for turning up and playing a full 90 despite the weather being s***, there being nobody in the stands, and them being fully aware of what the outcome is likely gonna be.”

Another replied: “The fact they are playing out from the back makes it even funnier.”

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We are firmly in the second camp - the fact these guys have been turning up to play each week and are still giving it their all is actually quite heartwarming. With temperatures in Mongolia now in the -20s, the Premier League is on a winter break. Here’s hoping Tuv Azarganuud can turn things around when they get back on the pitch.

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