Italy climbed to eighth in the UEFA country ranking after a mixed Tuesday for its clubs. Inter won and AS Roma lost, which was enough to lift Italy up a place. The gap to second place, though, moved the wrong way. Italy started the three-day run of cups in ninth place, 785 points behind Germany in second place, and now sit 786 points behind.
Italy's place after Tuesday
Italy's current tally is 6.785 points. Germany are second on 7.571, so the gap is still substantial even after the climb to eighth. The top two nations at the end of the season get an extra place in the Champions League in the following season, and Italy are still a long way from that cut-off.
Seven Italian clubs are still in contention in Europe, so the race is not over. But Tuesday did not close the distance to Germany, and the coefficient chase remains a long one.
Inter and Roma on the same night
Inter's win gave Italy the lift up the table. Roma's defeat took some of that edge away straight away.
That split result is the basic story of the evening, and it is why the ranking moved up without really improving the broader position. One side of the draw helped Italy, the other side cancelled some of it out.
Italy still have 6,785 points, Germany remain second on 7,571, and the country is eighth in the ranking after Tuesday's results.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
