Clubs competing in European tournaments use fewer players domestically than clubs without European commitments, despite facing a heavier schedule
The first months of a football season reveal how differently managers use their squads. Some rely heavily on a relatively small core of players, while others spread playing time across a much broader group. With clubs participating in European tournaments also facing additional midweek fixtures, one obvious question is whether that heavier schedule pushes managers to use more players in their domestic leagues.
To find out, Winsportsonline analysed all 132 clubs from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Liga Portugal, recording the number of different players each club had used in domestic league matches up to October 20, 2026. We then compared clubs participating in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League with those without European tournament commitments, while also looking at differences between the seven domestic leagues.
Utrecht have used more players than any other club in the study, fielding 29 different players across nine Eredivisie matches, with Ajax, NEC Nijmegen and Willem II following on 28. At the opposite end, Augsburg and Freiburg have used only 19 players, while Liverpool and Bayern Munich are among the clubs relying on the narrowest group despite competing in the Champions League, with just 20 players appearing across their first domestic matches.
Yet the broader comparison goes against what the heavier schedule might suggest. Clubs participating in European tournaments have used 23.31 players on average in domestic league matches, slightly fewer than the 23.55 recorded by clubs without European tournament commitments. The picture also varies considerably between leagues, showing that the additional demands of European football have not produced a consistent pattern in domestic squad usage.
Key Takeaways:
- Utrecht have used 29 different players, more than any other club among the 132 analysed
- Four of the five clubs with the highest totals are from the Eredivisie, with Ajax, NEC Nijmegen and Willem II all using 28 players behind Utrecht
- Augsburg and Freiburg have used the fewest players, with 19 each, although Bundesliga clubs have played only six domestic league matches so far
- Liga Portugal has the highest average at 24.33 players used, ahead of the Eredivisie at 24.17 and Serie A at 24.00, while the Bundesliga has the lowest at 21.94
- Clubs participating in European tournaments have used slightly fewer players domestically, averaging 23.31 compared with 23.55 among clubs without European commitments
- The impact of European participation varies sharply by league: clubs playing in Europe average 2.00 more players used in the Eredivisie, but 1.98 fewer in Serie A
Teams in Europe’s Top 7 Leagues
Using the Lowest and Highest Number of Players
in their Domestic Championship
Augsburg and Freiburg Use the Fewest Players, Utrecht the Most
At the bottom of the ranking, Augsburg and Freiburg have used just 19 players each, fewer than any other club in the study. Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich, Lorient and Zwolle follow on 20, although the number of league matches played differs considerably between them: Augsburg, Freiburg and Bayern have completed six domestic fixtures, while Zwolle have already played nine. Liverpool’s figure is particularly notable given their Champions League commitments, while Real Madrid have also relied on a relatively small group, using only 21 players across nine La Liga matches despite competing in Europe.
The numbers rise sharply at the other end of the table. Eight clubs have already used 27 players, with Crystal Palace, Bologna, Cagliari and Monaco reaching that figure after only seven domestic league matches, while Casa Pia, Estoril, Nacional and Rio Ave have done so across eight.
The Eredivisie dominates the very top of the ranking. Ajax, NEC Nijmegen and Willem II have each used 28 players, while Utrecht sit above everyone else after fielding 29 different players across nine league matches. As a result, four of the five highest totals in the entire study belong to Dutch clubs.
Squad Usage Across Europe’s Top Seven Domestic Leagues
Liga Portugal leads the seven competitions, with its clubs using 24.33 players on average. The Eredivisie follows narrowly at 24.17, while Serie A is third at exactly 24.00.
The different number of matches played means these averages should not be viewed in isolation. Bundesliga clubs have played six league matches, compared with eight in Liga Portugal and nine in the Eredivisie, giving clubs in those competitions more opportunities to use additional players.
The Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 provide the cleanest direct comparison because every club in all three leagues has played seven domestic matches. Serie A clubs have used 24.00 players on average, compared with 23.22 in Ligue 1 and 22.70 in the Premier League. The average Serie A club has therefore used 1.30 more players than the average Premier League club despite the same number of matches being played.
The additional workload created by European competition might be expected to result in managers using a larger number of players domestically. The figures so far show no such overall pattern.
Comparing Average Number of Players
Used by Clubs in Each European Tournament
The 48 clubs participating in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League have used 23.31 players on average in their domestic leagues. The other 84 clubs have averaged 23.55, leaving the clubs participating in European tournaments slightly behind.
Champions League participants have actually used the fewest players of the four groups, averaging 22.92. Clubs participating in the Europa League have the highest average among the three European tournaments at 23.87, followed by Conference League participants at 23.50.
This does not mean that participation in European tournaments causes clubs to use fewer players. It shows that, up to October 20, the additional fixtures have not produced a general tendency for those clubs to use a broader group of players in domestic league matches.
Average Number of Players Used by Clubs
With and Without European Tournament
Commitments in Each League
The strongest positive difference appears in the Eredivisie. Clubs participating in European tournaments have used 25.50 players on average, compared with 23.50 among those without European tournament commitments.
Ligue 1 and the Premier League show much smaller differences in the same direction. In France, the averages are 23.57 and 23.00 respectively, while Premier League clubs participating in European tournaments average 22.89 players compared with 22.55 among the remaining teams.
The pattern reverses in the other four competitions. The largest gap appears in Serie A, where clubs participating in European tournaments have used 22.71 players on average, almost two fewer than the 24.69 averaged by clubs without European tournament commitments.
The figures underline how little the overall number of players used can be explained by participation in European tournaments alone. Clubs facing similar domestic schedules and comparable additional commitments are still taking very different approaches to how broadly they use their squads.
Methodology:
Winsportsonline analysed the number of different players used in domestic league matches by all 132 clubs competing in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Liga Portugal. The data covers league matches played up to October 20, 2026.
Only appearances in domestic league matches were counted when calculating the number of players used. Matches played in domestic cups or UEFA competitions were not included in that figure.
Clubs are classified as participating in European tournaments if they are part of the 2026/27 main phase of the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.