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A top football club in one of the five major leagues in Europe typically plays between 50 to 60 games in a regular season. That is because apart from their league engagements, they also compete in various domestic tournaments and in Europe.
Last season, treble-winning Bayern Munich played 52 games in four different competitions. The corresponding numbers for Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan were 59, 57, 51, 52 and 54 respectively. All these teams finished in the top-two in their respective leagues and made the quarter-finals in at least one of the domestic or European Cup tournaments they competed in.
Top five football clubs with the strongest squad depth
Thus, it is quite apparent that to stay competitive in all tournaments at the business end of a season, a football club needs to have adequate depth in their ranks. Key players in the team need to be suitably rested so that they do not suffer from burnout or exhaustion at the end of a long season when they are needed the most.
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Over the years, it has been seen that the most consistent teams across the continent's top five football leagues and in European competitions have had quality and sufficient cover in all positions on the pitch. On that note, let us have a look at the five best football clubs in Europe with the strongest squad depth.
#5 Inter Milan
Antonio Conte's Inter Milan have one of the most balanced rosters in European club football.
The Nerazzurri had an impressive domestic and European campaign last season, finishing just a point adrift of champions Juventus and falling short in a five-goal thriller against Sevilla in the Europa League final.
Inter's long-serving custodian Samir Handanovic, who kept 13 clean sheets in the Serie A last campaign, is undoubtedly the Milan club's rock as the last line of their defence. In 34-year-old Daniele Padelli, the Nerazzurri have a capable campaigner to take over if Handanovic is injured or needs to be rested for key games.
The 18-time Serie A champions have one of the finest defences in European club football.
Their centre-back trio of Stefan de Vrij, Milan Skriniar and Atletico-import Diego Godin form a formidable rearguard ably shielded by the fabulous Marcelo Brozovic. In Andrea Ranocchia, Under-21 sensation Lorenzo Pirala, new Atalanta signing Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan have decent cover in the centre of their defence.
The Inter full-backs Danilo d'Ambrosio and Ashley Young provide width to the Inter attack while also fulfilling defensive obligations, with the side possessing good backup in the form of Kwadwo Asamoah and the versatile new arrival Achraf Hakimi.
Inter's midfield is brimming with quality. The Italian football club have Brozovic pulling an impressive shift along with Roberto Gagliardini as capable defensive midfielders. The Nerazzurri also have the likes of Nicolo Barella, Antonio Candreva, Stefano Sensi, Christian Eriksen and new arrival Arturo Vidal.
The forward line of the Italian giants consists of two of the most prolific strikers in world football in the form of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez while Alexis Sanchez, despite his recent indifferent recent form, is a quality backup.
#4 Chelsea
After impressively finishing in fourth place last season despite a bevvy of academy players in their roster, Chelsea have plunged into the transfer market this summer and have embarked on one of the most expensive squad overhauls in modern football history.
The Bundesliga duo of attacking midfielder Kai Havertz and striker Timo Werner, along with Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell and Ajax's right-winger Hakim Ziyech, arrived for a cumulative transfer of €223 million. Couple that with the Ligue 1 defensive pair of Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva joining on a free transfer, the English football club managed to add significant depth in key areas of their squad.
Except for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has struggled massively with his form and confidence, Chelsea have decent backup in almost all other positions.
Werner, along with the returning Michy Batshuayi, brings proven quality and adds significant bite to Chelsea's striking duo of Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, with the German slotting right into the London football club's starting line-up.
In midfield, Havertz complements the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Willian, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho while there is decent backup in the form of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus Cheek.
Chelsea's embattled defence, which conceded goals galore last season, has been significantly strengthened by the additions of Chilwell, Sarr and Silva as the London club looks for a better campaign than last season.
#3 Liverpool
Premier League champions Liverpool have the most expensively-assembled squad in world football at the moment. One of three football clubs with a squad value of over €1 billion in the transfer market, Liverpool have quality and depth in all areas of the pitch.
In Alisson Becker, the English football giants have one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Brazilian custodian played 37 games in all competitions last season, keeping 15 clean sheets (in 29 games) that was key to Liverpool winning their first Premier League title. Spanish veteran Adrian slotted in admirably in the games Alisson Becker did not play.
Liverpool kept a league-low 34 goals en route to their first league title in English football in over three decades. That was possible in no small part due to the presence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in the centre of defence. In Joel Matip and the 18-year-old Sepp van den Berg, the reigning Premier League champions have decent cover.
Arguably the world's two finest full-backs at the moment - Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson - lend width to the Liverpool attack while also donning their defensive responsibilities with aplomb. New signing Konstatinos Tsimkas at left-back and Neco Williams are more than capable of slotting in if one of the two marauding full-backs needs to be rested or is injured.
The arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich will add more solidity and depth to a Liverpool midfield consisting of Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, captain Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the likes of Curtis Jones providing decent backup options.
In the attacking third, Liverpool have Divock Origi and the trio of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who form one of the most feared attacking triumvirates in world football, while the newly-signed Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino are more than capable alternatives.
In other words, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are well-staffed in every area of the football pitch and could take some beating this season.
#2 Manchester City
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have been a dominant force in domestic football in recent times even if they have not been able to solve the Champions League conundrum with their expensively-assembled squad.
City, like their Premier League rivals Liverpool, have impressive quality and depth in all departments.
Ederson Moraes, the Manchester-based football club's undisputed number one, has serious quality while the returning Zack Steffen and on-loan Scot Carson are capable alternative options should the Brazilian get injured or requires to be rested ahead of a key game.
Despite an injury-ravaged season last campaign, Frenchman Aymeric Laporte, who is a formidable presence in the heart of the City defence, is ably supported by Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones. New arrival Nathan Ake from Bournemouth lends more depth to a stout City rearguard.
Benjamin Mendy and the versatile Oleksandr Zinchenko who can play both in midfield or as a left-back, along with Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo, are quality full-back options on either side of the pitch.
Rodri and captain Fernandinho are more than capable defensive midfielders while in the centre of the park, Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan and the mercurial Kevin De Bruyne make for a world-class midfield.
On the wings as well, Manchester City are brimming with quality. The wide trio of Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez has been complemented well by the arrival of the prodigious Ferran Torres from Valencia.
Up front, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero more than pack a punch, while the addition of the talented 18-year-old Italian centre-forward Pablo Moreno is both an investment for the future as well as a ready backup option.
With the impressive array of personnel at their disposal, coupled with the tactical nous of Pep Guardiola, Manchester City are one of the football teams to beat both at home and abroad.
#1 Bayern Munich
Bavarian giants Bayern Munich arguably have the best squad in all of Europe's top five football leagues.
The record Bundesliga champions, who won 24 of their 25 matches in all competitions this year, swept to their second continental treble by winning their 20th DFB Pokal, 29th Bundesliga and 6th Champions League title.
Under Hansi Flick, Bayern Munich have evolved into one of the most free-scoring sides in world football, thanks in no small part to the presence of the prolific Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, with the duo cumulatively accounting for more than half of the German football club's 155 goals in all competitions last season.
The arrival of Leroy Sane from Manchester City has added a cutting edge to the Bayern Munich attack, with veteran Thomas Muller enjoying a new lease of life under the new manager and thriving in his second-striker role. Kingsley Coman is more than capable with his abilities on the wing as he demonstrated a few times in the latter half of last season.
In midfield, Bayern Munich have Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich, with Goretzka particularly excelling in his role by making significant goal-scoring contributions despite operating from a deep-playing role. The returning Adrien Fien, who was on loan at Hamburg, along with Javi Hernandez, Michael Cuissance, Corentin Tolisso and Adrien Fien are all capable backup options.
The German football giants are also well-staffed in defence. Niklas Sule and David Alaba formed a formidable central defensive pair last season, while the likes of veteran Jerome Boateng, Lucas Hernandez and the newly-signed Tanguy Nianzou provided adequate depth.
Alphonso Davies and Benjamin Pavard are Bayern's first-choice full-backs. As backup, the German football giants have the versatile duo of Hernandez and Alaba as more than potent options.
As the last line of defence, Manuel Neuer is one of the finest goalkeepers in the game while long-standing deputy Sven Ulreich and the newly-signed Alexander Nubel are more than capable to slot in and do a decent job in the absence of the former due to injury or tactical reasons.
With such quality, depth and impeccable blend of youth and experience in their ranks, Bayern Munich have an enviable squad at their disposal that could dominate the German and continental club football landscape like the way Barcelona did a decade ago.
