As Italy’s top football division prepares to kick off its new campaign this weekend, all eyes are on defending champion Inter Milan, where rookie head coach Cristian Chivu’s unconventional, brotherly leadership style has emerged as an unlikely catalyst for continued dominance.
When Chivu was tapped last year to replace seasoned incumbent Simone Inzaghi at the San Siro, the appointment sparked widespread skepticism across the football world. The Nerazzurri were still reeling from a historic 5-0 Champions League final thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, and critics questioned how a coach with only 13 prior Serie A matches under his belt could steady a fallen giant. As Inter midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu recalled in a recent interview with beIN Sports Australia: “Everyone was thinking that Inter was, let’s say dying, after what happened.”
What followed defied all expectations. Chivu’s fresh tactical vision and people-first approach reinvigorated a demoralized squad, steering Inter to a historic domestic double of Serie A and Coppa Italia in his first full season in charge. Unlike more autocratic managers who separate leadership from personal connection, the 45-year-old Romanian has built his program on close, trusting bonds with his players. “With Chivu it is something different, he cares more about the person, not about the football,” Çalhanoğlu explained. “For him it’s more important how you are, how you feel, and he’s open to everything. He gives you the confidence to feel good. Of course, he has tactical things … but outside of the football he’s like a brother or a friend, you can talk to him about whatever you want, he’s always close to you. That helped me a lot.”
Inter has further strengthened its title credentials this offseason with a notable injection of English talent. The club has already secured the signings of England defenders Djed Spence and John Stones, and is closing in on a deal for Liverpool and Three Lions midfielder Curtis Jones to add further depth to its starting lineup. Inter will open its title defense at home against newly promoted Monza this Saturday, kicking off what is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable Serie A campaigns in recent memory.
While Inter enters the season as the favorite, multiple challengers are poised to push for the Scudetto, with off-season coaching changes reshaping the competitive landscape. Last season’s runner-up Napoli, who were held back by a crippling injury crisis that prevented them from mounting a closer title fight, is now led by Massimiliano Allegri, the veteran former Juventus and AC Milan manager. The appointment comes after Antonio Conte stepped down at the end of the last campaign, marking Napoli’s sixth head coaching change in just over three years. Allegri himself is returning to management after being fired by AC Milan last season following what the club called an “unequivocal failure” of a campaign.
AC Milan, which finished fifth last season after a late-season slump, has turned to Rúben Amorim, the highly rated young Portuguese coach whose stock dipped during a disappointing spell at Manchester United. The Rossoneri have already made a major statement in the transfer market, smashing their club record to sign Portugal forward Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain for more than €70 million ($80 million) to add much-needed attacking firepower.
Coaching turnover has hit other top half sides too: Lazio and Atalanta both appointed new managers this off-season, with long-time Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri switching to Atalanta in its first full campaign after legendary manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure. Former Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso has stepped into Sarri’s old role at Lazio.
Against this wave of change, two top contenders have leaned into stability to mount their title pushes. Roma, which secured Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018 in Gasperini’s debut season at the club, is retaining the veteran manager despite a high-profile public falling out with former special adviser and ex-coach Claudio Ranieri that ended in Ranieri’s exit from the club. Gasperini has added exciting young talents Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora to his squad, putting Roma in position to challenge for its first Serie A title in more than 25 years. At Juventus, Luciano Spalletti will lead the side in his first full campaign after taking over in October last season. Though the Bianconeri narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification and finished sixth, Spalletti earned a new two-year contract for the club’s strong late-season form.
The most surprising contender to watch this season is Como, the Cinderella side that shocked Italian football last term by pipping Juventus and AC Milan to fourth place and the final Champions League spot. It is a staggering rise for the 119-year-old club: just seven years ago, it was competing in Italy’s fourth division, and it had never qualified for any continental competition in its history until last season. This remarkable turnaround has come under the leadership of Cesc Fàbregas, the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Spain midfield legend who has taken the club to new heights in just two years in charge.
Last season’s success was no fluke: Como boasted the tightest defense in the league while playing an expansive, attacking style of football that won plaudits across the country. This off-season, Fàbregas has strengthened his backline with the €30 million signing of Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, and pulled off a major coup by retaining star playmaker Nico Paz for at least one more season. After last year’s historic overachievement, few are willing to count out an unlikely Como title push. The big unanswered question remains, however: how will the club’s young, inexperienced squad, almost all of whom have never competed in Champions League football, handle the increased physical and mental demands of balancing European and domestic competition?