The Azzurri went out of Euro 2016 with their heads held high after losing to world champions Germany in the lottery of a penalty shootout. The tournament was ultimately unsuccessful on the pitch but it was certainly a success in the world of social media.

Up until the team’s elimination, the Azzurri’s social media channels recorded the best performance out of all participating countries with growth that outstripped every other side in the competition. The Italy social media channels were in first place for ‘digital media growth’ after all three rounds so far (group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals).

According to the German web-data agency Result Sports, the Vivo Azzurro on-line community has seen the largest overall growth of any team with 855,626 new subscribers on its various digital platforms. France and Germany are in second and third place but both have qualified for the semi-finals.

Overall, compared to the start of the tournament, 550,344 more people now follow the Azzurri on Facebook; 185,316 more on Instagram; 75,255 more on Twitter (@Vivo_Azzurro + @azzurri); and 41,963 more on Youtube. That puts Italy in first place regarding Facebook, in second place regarding Instagram, in third place regarding Youtube and in fourth place regarding Twitter.

Photo: figc.it