5 questions for the new Serie A season

Credit: Photo by Icon sport

The return of suspense?

Napoli two years ago and Inter last season crushed Serie A. On the starting grid, the defending champions are comfortably ahead. With no key players gone, three key recruits to complete the squad (Zielinski, Taremi, Martinez), continuity guaranteed by Simone Inzaghi and now the financial solidity of its owner (Oaktree instead of Suning)… Inter may even be the only team with its sights firmly set on the title.

The end of the miracle for Bologna and Atalanta?

Atalanta are no longer miraculous, having spent almost a decade at the top of the table, and Gasperini is still on the bench, but injuries to Scamacca and Scalvini and the probable departure of Koopmeiners are complicating matters. For Bologna, it already looks like the end, with the departures of Thiago Motta, Zirkzee and Calafiori – their coach and their two best players, not to mention Ferguson, who is still out of action for a while.

Juve and Milan the only outsiders?

Milan are even Inter’s main rivals, with a well-completed squad this summer and a convincing summer preparation under new coach Paulo Fonseca. Juve, for their part, are in the process of rebuilding, but have done their utmost to attract Thiago Motta to their bench. Napoli complete their trio, for one simple reason: Antonio Conte.

Anything new in the Top 10?

“There are two championships, the first part of the table, and the second. We’ve finished 1 and 2 in the second league for the last two years.” This is how the eminent Adriano Galliani valued his Monza team’s 11th and 12th places in Serie A, while reminding us that the hierarchy is fixed. So, which team can upset the odds? A look at Udinese and their Thauvin-Sanchez duo.

Who will finish top scorer?

Last year’s top scorer, Lautaro Martinez, will be up against a worthy opponent. Roma have recruited Artem Dovbyk, top scorer in last year’s La Liga season (24 goals with Girona). It’s rare for a striker who has won this distinction in a Top League to subsequently transfer to Serie A. Without going back too far, the most recent antecedents are Ronaldo and Bobo Vieri, who moved respectively from Barca to Inter and Atletico Madrid to Lazio, in 1997 for the Brazilian and 1998 for the Italian.

Bonus question: where can I watch Serie A in France?

Incredibly, we still don’t know, and that’s just 24 hours before the start of the new season!