Inter Milan’s record-setting 0–5 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final not only shocked fans globally but also joined a list of heavy defeats suffered by Italian teams in UEFA history.
Italian teams are often associated with tactical discipline, defensive mastery, and tournament success. Clubs from Italy have a storied presence in European competitions, with illustrious triumphs from AC Milan’s golden eras, Juventus’ dominance, Inter Milan’s treble, and AS Roma’s flair adding to the nation’s rich footballing history.
However, football is never one-dimensional. Alongside glorious victories lie moments of unimaginable defeat, matches that stunned fans, disrupted legacies, and exposed vulnerabilities.
Across the decades of UEFA competition, both from the old European Cup and from the modern Champions League, Europa League, and Super Cup, Italian teams have not only delivered emphatic 5+ goal victories but have also been on the receiving end of devastating losses.
These extreme results often carry stories beyond the scoreline: tactical brilliance, managerial genius or collapse, mismatched squad depths, psychological capitulation, and the weight of expectations.
Bsgistnews brings the history of Italian clubs’ experiences in UEFA competitions when the margins were greatest.
Whether basking in dominant wins or reeling from humiliating defeats, these matches have become part of Italian football’s folklore. By examining both sides, victories and losses, we get a more complete portrait of Italy’s complicated, volatile, and ever-evolving relationship with European football.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan 5–0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Date: 17 August 2020
Competition: UEFA Europa League Semi-Final
Venue: Düsseldorf Arena, Germany
In 2020, under Antonio Conte, Inter Milan looked like a team reborn. Reaching the Europa League semi-final, they faced a technically gifted Shakhtar Donetsk side. Inter executed a high-pressing, counter-attacking gameplan with clinical precision.
Lautaro Martínez scored twice, Romelu Lukaku added another brace, and Danilo D’Ambrosio’s header completed the rout. Though they would lose the final to Sevilla, this match stands out as a high point in Inter’s recent European history.
Inter Milan 0–5 Paris Saint-Germain
Date: 31 May 2025
Competition: UEFA Champions League Final
Venue: Olympiastadion, Berlin
Fast forward to 2025, and Inter’s fortunes took a catastrophic turn. Facing a PSG side firing on all cylinders, with a front three that combined pace, intelligence, and ruthless finishing, Inter were outplayed in every department. Their midfield was overrun, the defense collapsed under pressure, and the attack was ineffective.
PSG’s dominance culminated in a record-breaking final scoreline, the largest ever margin of victory in a UEFA Champions League final. The defeat left Inter and Italian football reeling and sparked calls for structural overhauls in Serie A clubs’ European competitiveness.
AS Roma
Roma 1–7 Manchester United
Date: 10 April 2007
Competition: UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final (Second Leg)
Venue: Old Trafford, England
Roma’s performance at Old Trafford in 2007 remains one of the most shocking collapses in Champions League history. Despite winning the first leg 2–1 in Rome, the Giallorossi entered the Theatre of Dreams and lived a nightmare.
Manchester United, led by a sensational Cristiano Ronaldo and orchestrated by Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, dismantled Roma’s setup with precision. Sir Alex Ferguson’s tactical switch to a fluid 4-4-2 allowed his team to exploit Roma’s high line mercilessly.
The 7–1 defeat wasn’t just a loss, it was a psychological disintegration that may have been haunting Roma fans ever since.
Roma 1–7 Bayern Munich
Date: 21 October 2014
Competition: UEFA Champions League Group Stage
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Seven years later, history repeated itself, but this time in front of Roma’s home fans. Facing Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, Roma once again suffered a humiliating 1–7 defeat.
Bayern’s positional play, quick transitions, and devastating efficiency left the Italian side chasing shadows. Despite the presence of seasoned internationals like Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, Roma had no answer to the German juggernaut.
Juventus
Juventus 7–0 Olympiacos
Date: 10 December 2003
Competition: UEFA Champions League Group Stage
Venue: Stadio delle Alpi, Turin
Juventus’ 7–0 demolition of Olympiacos was a masterclass in offensive football. Every attacking player contributed, showcasing the depth of talent at Marcello Lippi’s disposal. Goals from David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero, Marco Di Vaio, and others reflected the synergy in the squad.
It was a statement of intent from a club that had reached the final just six months earlier, and although they didn’t go on to win that season, the result remains one of their most complete performances in Europe.
Juventus 6–1 Paris Saint-Germain
Date: 15 January 1997
Competition: UEFA Super Cup First Leg
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
Long before PSG became the Qatari-financed powerhouse, Juventus humbled them in their own backyard. The 6–1 away win in the 1996 UEFA Super Cup first leg featured dominant performances from Christian Vieri, Zinedine Zidane, and Alen Bokšić. PSG were overwhelmed by Juventus’ fluid midfield play and deadly finishing.
This result essentially sealed the title before the return leg and remains one of the most brutal away victories in Super Cup history.
Juventus 0–7 Wiener Sport-Club
Date: 1 October 1958
Competition: European Cup First Round
Venue: Vienna, Austria
In one of the most astonishing early upsets in UEFA history, Juventus were annihilated by Austrian side Wiener Sport-Club. The 7–0 result is still the worst defeat in Juventus’ European history.
Though it came during the infancy of continental competitions, it revealed how far Italian teams still had to go in adapting to international football dynamics.
The loss forced Juventus to rethink their recruitment and tactical approach, eventually contributing to their rise as a dominant European power in the decades that followed.
AC Milan
AC Milan 8–0 US Luxembourg
Date: 12 September 1962
Competition: European Cup Preliminary Round
Venue: San Siro, Milan
In what remains the largest victory by an Italian club in UEFA competition, AC Milan tore through Luxembourg’s champions with relentless energy and technical superiority.
The disparity between professional and semi-professional sides was evident, but Milan’s professionalism and ruthlessness ensured that they capitalized fully.
This win set the tone for their European ambitions in the 1960s, a golden decade for the club.
AC Milan 6–0 Copenhagen
Date: 20 October 1993
Competition: UEFA Champions League Second Round
Venue: Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
During Fabio Capello’s tenure, Milan were arguably the most feared team in Europe. Their 6–0 rout of Copenhagen on the road was a testament to their tactical brilliance and attacking depth.
The goals flowed from multiple players, and the result reflected Milan’s growing aura, which culminated in a 4–0 win over Barcelona in the 1994 final. This match, though largely forgotten today, demonstrated Milan’s clinical efficiency and ruthless desire to destroy any opposition.
AC Milan 0–6 Ajax
Date: 16 January 1974
Competition: 1973 UEFA Super Cup Second Leg
Venue: Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam
Having secured a 1–0 win in the first leg, Milan entered Amsterdam with confidence. But what unfolded was one of the most brutal collapses in their history. Johan Cruyff’s Ajax, at their peak under manager Stefan Kovács, unleashed a relentless assault.
Total Football’s zenith exposed Milan’s tactical rigidity. The 6–0 loss resulted in a 6–1 aggregate humiliation which stunned football fans and lovers alike.
Lessons from Italian Teams
Football’s beauty lies in its unpredictability, and nowhere is this more evident than in the shocking highs and lows experienced by Italian teams on the European stage. Whether through crushing victories or catastrophic defeats, these 5+ goal margin matches tell the story of Italian football’s fluctuating fortunes in UEFA competitions.
They expose tactical errors, celebrate managerial brilliance, and underscore the evolving nature of European football. More importantly, they remind fans and pundits alike that even the most prestigious clubs are never too far from either glory or disaster.
As Italian teams continues to experience an era of modernization and restructuring, these matches offer a sobering and inspiring lens into what has been, and what could still be.
