Both Inter and Paris Saint-Germain have more players than any other club in the 2024 European Championship Round of 16.
According to Transfermarkt’s X report, 12 players from each club are now competing for their national teams in the tournament’s knockout round. This astounding number shows how talented the winning teams of Serie A and Ligue 1 really are.
Inter’s contingent includes five players who are part of the Italian national team, known as the Azzurri. These players are Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, and Davide Frattesi. In the Round of 16, Italy faced Switzerland, a team that features another Inter player, goalkeeper Yann Sommer. This matchup created an intriguing scenario where club teammates faced off against each other on the international stage.
Alessandro Bastoni, despite battling a fever earlier in the week, played in the last 16 for Italy. Meanwhile, Federico Dimarco was a major doubt due to injury concerns, having trained separately from the main squad on Friday morning.
PSG, similar to the Nerazzurri, boast a strong presence in the Round of 16. Their 12 players participating in the knockout stages reflect the club’s status as a powerhouse at the European stage.
Italy featured Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal against Switzerland. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele, Warren Zaire-emery, Bradley Barcola, and Randal Kolo Muani will suit up against Belgium on Monday. There are also three Parisians players in the Portugal squad, and one at Spain and Slovakia each.
Next in line with 11 players apiece are Manchester City, while Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern each have 10 players. Roma are the second Serie A club with the most players at Euro 2024, featuring eight players in the knockout stages. Arsenal matches Roma’s tally, also having eight players involved.
AC Milan and Bologna follow closely with seven players each. Leipzig have nine, and Manchester United, Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid each have seven players continuing their Euro 2024 campaigns.
Despite Italy’s strong representation from Inter, the Azzurri were knocked out of the tournament in a surprising defeat to Switzerland.
The Swiss team, which performed impressively during the group stage, managed to secure a 2-0 victory in Berlin.
Switzerland had narrowly missed the top spot in Group A due to a last-minute equalizer from Germany, but they quickly established dominance in their Round of 16 match against Italy.
The opening goal came from Remo Freuler, who made a decisive run into the box and scored with a slightly deflected shot past Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy’s hopes of a comeback were dashed just 30 seconds into the second half when Nicolo Fagioli lost possession, allowing Ruben Vargas to score a stunning goal from the edge of the box.
Italy came close to scoring on a couple of occasions, with Fabian Schar inadvertently heading the ball against his own post and Gianluca Scamacca hitting the woodwork from close range.
However, Luciano Spalletti’s side failed to mount a significant comeback, leading to their exit from the tournament. The Rossocrociati’s victory secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Euros for only the second time in their history. They now await the winner of the match between England and Slovakia.
Photo credits: IMAGO / Jan Huebner : IMAGO / Steinsiek.ch
