⚽️🇮🇹 Serie A returns with new stars, coaches & teams!
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're looking ahead to a brand new season of Serie A, featuring new talent on and off the field!
✍️ De Bruyne, Modrić and Conceição bring star power to 2025-26 Serie A campaign
There has been no shortage of activity in this summer’s Calciomercato, with plenty of new star players arriving at Serie A clubs for the 2025-26 season!
🔥 Reigning champions Napoli may have pulled off the signing of the season by strengthening their midfield with Kevin De Bruyne. The six-time Premier League winner has joined Antonio Conte’s side on a free transfer - and even had the unheralded honor of wearing Napoli’s hallowed No.10 for preseason training.
💪 Napoli has also strengthened in defense, bringing in central defender Sam Buekuma from Bologna.
😮 Milan has invested in its defensive midfield with the arrival of highly rated Swiss star Ardon Jashari, while their San Siro neighbors Inter have bolstered their wide options via Brazilian winger Luis Henrique.
👏 Roma has signed Jamaica winger Leon Bailey on a season-long loan from Aston Villa. Bailey will complement the arrival of Irish forward Evan Ferguson, who has already put his name on the scoresheet a few times in preseason.
👋 After two campaigns in Turkey, Edin Džeko has made his welcome return to Italy with Fiorentina - his third Serie A club.
👉 Atalanta has confirmed its sixth summer signing to be forward Nikola Krstovic, who arrives from Lecce.
😲 Como has invested in its frontline by adding forwards Jesús Rodríguez, Jayden Addai, and Nicolas Kühn. They have also signed Spanish striker Álvaro Morata on loan from Milan.
👉 Juventus, meanwhile, has added Canadian forward Jonathan David to its ranks, while Milan has brought in Croatian superstar Luka Modrić. Keep reading for more on those two highly anticipated free transfers…
👉 Track all Serie A summer transfer business here
🇨🇦 ICYMI: Jonathan David’s first goal for Juventus was fantastic
The Bianconeri warmed up for their season opener against Parma on Saturday (2.45pm ET) with a friendly at Atalanta. Juve’s new Canadian star Jonathan David opened his account with a superb overhead kick.
⚽️ David, born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Ottawa, Canada, joined Juve from Ligue 1 side Lille in July. The 25-year-old forward scored 109 goals with 30 assists in 232 matches across all competitions for the French club, and is under contract in Turin until 2030.
👏 Juve went undefeated in preseason play, with a 2-2 draw against Serie B side Reggiana, and a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
🎉 Igor Tudor’s side also played its traditional preseason match against the Juventus Next Gen second team, which ended the same way it ends every season: a pitch invasion from the fans to celebrate the season ahead, which turned into a party!
🙌 Pulisic scores and Modric makes debut in Coppa Italia
Milan returned to competitive action at San Siro on Sunday in the First Round of the Coppa Italia. The Rossoneri’s 2-0 win over Serie B side Bari saw goals from Rafael Leão and USMNT captain Christian Pulisic.
👏 Pulisic, who also hit the bar in the match, doubled Milan’s advantage in the 48th minute with a well-taken shot-on-the-turn, following an exchange with Mexican teammate Santiago Gimenez.
🇺🇸 Pulisic was replaced in the 66th minute by his American compatriot Yunus Musah.
😃 Musah’s entrance to the field was soundtracked by a huge roar from the San Siro crowd, as Luka Modrić simultaneously entered the field for his Milan debut.
🫡 The 39-year-old Croatian legend counts the Ballon d’Or and six Champions League titles among his honors, and is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation.
✍️ Modrić - a childhood Milan fan - joined the Rossoneri this summer on a free transfer for the season, with an option to extend for a further year.
🫡 There are 12 new Serie A managers this season
The managerial roundabout has been spinning this summer: going into this campaign, 60 percent of Serie A teams will be led by a new Mister.
👉 The most recent coaching change has seen Stefano Pioli return to Fiorentina. The manager, who won the scudetto with Milan in 2022, played for the Viola for six seasons and coached the side between 2017 and 2019.
👉 Cristian Chivu has already led Inter in the FIFA Club World Cup, while Massimiliano Allegri has returned to the helm at Milan.
👉 Marco Baroni has moved from Lazio to Torino, Eusebio Di Francesco has switched from relegated Venezia to Lecce, and Ivan Jurić is back in Serie A with Atalanta.
👉 In Rome, Gian Piero Gasperini is in charge at Roma, while Maurizio Sarri has returned from a 15-month sabbatical to lead Lazio.
👉 Fabio Pisacane is taking his first-ever coaching role at the helm of Cagliari, while 30-year-old former Arsenal Assistant coach Carlos Cuesta is leading Parma in his first senior role.
👉 Newly promoted Pisa will now be led by Alberto Gilardino, while fellow newbies Cremonese will have Davide Nicola as their Mister (more on both shortly).
😲 As our friends at Football Italia note, when Antonio Conte starts defending Napoli’s league title, only four of the coaches he faced last season will still be with the same club.
⬆️ Sassuolo, Pisa, and Cremonese are back!
Let’s learn a little more about the three promoted teams this season, shall we?
👍 Sassuolo was promoted back to Serie A after just a year away, winning Serie B by a six-point margin.
👉 Led by Italian World Cup winner Fabio Grosso, the Neroverdi open their season tomorrow by welcoming current champions Napoli to Mapei Stadium (12.30pm ET).
👏 Pisa is back in the top flight after a 34-year absence, and much like Sassuolo, their coach is a 2006 World Cup winner and Serie A veteran: Alberto Gilardino. (Incidentally, Pisa were promoted last season under yet another 2006 World Cup alum - Filippo Inzaghi.)
🆕 Among Pisa’s new signings is Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado, playing for his seventh Italian team.
😲 If you’re planning a trip to Italy this year, a visit to Pisa’s Arena Garibaldi will be highly worthwhile - it’s in the shadow of a certain Leaning Tower…
👏 Cremonese ended two years away from the top division after winning the Serie B playoffs.
👉 The Grigiorossi announced new coach Davide Nicola in July, and will kick off against Milan at San Siro tomorrow (2.45pm ET).
🤓 While the three promoted teams may all go straight down again in some other leagues, in Serie A this is a rarity: it has happened only once, and it was 40 years ago.
🎥 Major changes coming to VAR in Serie A this season
The VAR (Virtual Assistant Referee) system will see a significant change this season, with on-field announcements coming to all Serie A stadiums.
🎤 Starting this season, in accordance with IFAB’s approval, match referees will announce VAR decisions directly to fans in stadiums and on television broadcasts.
🏟️ In-stadium announcements were trialed in the Coppa Italia last season, and you may have seen them used in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
🗣️ Speaking earlier this month, Serie A and B referee designator Gianluca Rocchi noted that on-field decisions from the officials will take priority over technology: "The best referees are those who make decisions on the pitch, regardless of VAR. We will reward those who have the courage and clarity to take responsibility without leaving everything to technology. Technology must be used well and at the right time, but it must not relieve match officials of their responsibility. We will continue to emphasize this aspect, especially with the younger ones."
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👑 Who will be crowned Serie A MVP this season?
Napoli’s Scott McTominay is the current Serie A MVP - but who will stand above the rest this season? Give us your early predictions on our Instagram page!
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports, Paramount+, DAZN, and select games on FOX Deportes
Friday, August 23rd
Sassuolo v Napoli (12.30pm ET)
Genoa v Lecce (12.30pm ET, also on Fox Deportes)
Milan v Cremonese (2.45pm ET, also on Fox Deportes)
Roma v Bologna (2.45pm ET)
Saturday, August 24th
Cagliari v Fiorentina (12.30pm ET)
Como v Lazio (12.30pm ET, also on Fox Deportes)
Juventus v Parma (2.45pm ET)
Atalanta v Pisa (2.45pm ET)
Sunday, August 25th
Udinese v Verona (12.30pm ET, also on Fox Deportes)
Inter v Torino (2.45pm ET, also on Fox Deportes)
🇨🇦 Watch ALL Serie A games live on Fubo and select games with Italian-language commentary on TLN 🇨🇦
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Ciao ciao!
Great!
Hey guys, I wrote about the Milan striker situation a few days ago
https://open.substack.com/pub/federicotomadin/p/ac-milan-report-why-a-new-striker?r=4k9oj2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Also, check out my notes for quick recaps of the games during the weekend