Inter favourites to retain Serie A title with rivals under new management
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Serie A – Inter Milan v Hellas Verona – San Siro, Milan, Italy – May 17, 2026 Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning Serie A REUTERS/Remo Casilli/ File Photo
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Aug 18 : Italy’s Serie A is preparing to kick off on August 22 with the Scudetto race more open than in recent years as champions Inter Milan face a sweeping generational change.
While Inter on paper look like the favourites to retain their Scudetto trophy, Cristian Chivu’s side are changing the old guard for a team built on new foundations.
The club has parted ways with keeper Yann Sommer and veteran Ivan Provedel has arrived from Lazio and will likely begin the season as back-up for Josep Martinez. New signings John Stones, 32, and Manuel Akanji, who played together at Manchester City, along with Djed Spence, are set to anchor the defence.
The 31-year-old Swiss Akanji has joined permanently after a spell on loan last term and will welcome the arrival of England internationals Stones and Spence, helping to offset the departures of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid and Stefan de Vrij to Panathinaikos.
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Up front, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram will again lead an attack that drove Inter to a Serie A and Coppa Italia double.
However, Chivu is well aware that Inter won a lacklustre title race through stability and delivering when it counted.
Napoli and AC Milan suffered mid-season drops in form, giving Inter the breathing space to rotate their squad and secure the two trophies but this season could be much tougher.
MILAN RESET
While Inter appear to have squad changes under control with solid replacements, the situation is more chaotic at Milan.
Following a late-season collapse, head coach Massimiliano Allegri was sacked after a disappointing campaign. Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has taken the reins, promising a much more aggressive style of play.
That ambition has been backed up by the signing of striker Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain, a clear sign that the team’s biggest problem last term – a lack of goals from forwards Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic – has been addressed.
With veteran midfielder Luka Modric staying for another season and Spanish centre-back Mario Gila arriving from Lazio, Milan have an experienced spine to work with.
PRAGMATIC NAPOLI
Feelings were mixed in Naples when it became clear that Allegri would take over at Napoli from Antonio Conte.
Conte’s pragmatic defensive style hardly fitted the identity of a club that had produced attacking magic first through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen in 2023 and then with Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku two seasons later.
Belgium striker Lukaku has left the Campania coast for Turkey’s Fenerbahce after an injury-hit season, with Rasmus Hojlund left to take over the reins as the main striker.
Luciano Spalletti’s long-term project at Juventus has been allowed to continue despite a disappointing campaign, with the club’s board committed to a rebuild, with forward Randal Kolo Muani returning as the biggest close-season signing in Turin.
Meanwhile, Como and AS Roma are looking to build on last season’s momentum. Cesc Fabregas’ Como side defied all expectations to qualify for their first Champions League and are now putting together a squad who can compete at that level.
They have signed Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea, though their biggest achievement may have been retaining star prospect Nico Paz despite Real Madrid’s interest in re-signing him.
The Argentine serves as a tactical focal point for Fabregas by anchoring Como’s transitions, helping create overloads out wide and unlocking space between the opposition lines.
Roma finished the season in fine form as they stormed into third place with a seven-match unbeaten streak, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini now targeting a deep Champions League run.
Source: Reuters
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