A season of new faces
The 2026-27 Serie A season gets underway on Saturday, marking the league's 125th edition. The campaign opens with four games: Inter-Monza, Udinese-Como, Parma-Cagliari, and Genoa-Napoli. As reported by Yardbarker, the summer transfer window remains open until September 1, a fact that many coaches are said to be unhappy about, meaning most teams are still far from complete.
Expectations of another northern title are strong: since 2001, Inter, Juventus, and Milan have won all but two Serie A titles, as Al Jazeera notes. Napoli and Roma are seen as the main challengers from the south.
Inter's rebuilt defence
Inter begin the season as defending champions, having completed a league and Coppa Italia double in May under Cristian Chivu, who is entering his second season as manager. According to a Yardbarker report based on SempreInter, Chivu has 'reshaped' the squad he inherited, focusing on refreshing an ageing side.
The defence has seen the most significant overhaul. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez is expected to take over following Yann Sommer's departure, while veterans Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, and Stefan de Vrij have also moved on, as reported by Yardbarker. John Stones and Djed Spence have arrived as part of the defensive rebuild, and Manuel Akanji has completed a permanent move after joining on loan last season. Denzel Dumfries has left for Real Madrid.
In midfield, Inter are pursuing Liverpool's Curtis Jones, according to both Al Jazeera and Yardbarker. Al Jazeera also notes that Aleksandar Stankovic has been brought back from Club Brugge and is expected to join Jones in the middle of the park.
Up front, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram are set to continue leading the attack, with Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny among the forward options, as reported by Yardbarker. Inter are targeting a third league title in four seasons. The club will also be looking to improve on a European campaign that ended in the knockout play-off round against Bodo/Glimt.
There is a note of uncertainty around Martinez, who Al Jazeera reports 'may be a target for Barcelona.' The outlet describes him as the Serie A leading scorer last season with 17 goals. If he departs, scoring duties would fall to Thuram, Bonny, and Esposito, according to Al Jazeera.
Milan's fresh start under Amorim
AC Milan have turned to Ruben Amorim after finishing fifth last season, with the Portuguese manager arriving after being sacked by Manchester United in January, as reported by Al Jazeera. Milan have also been active in the transfer market. According to Al Jazeera, they signed Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain for €74 million ($84.5m) and brought in Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, with the latter expected to replace Rafael Leao. Yardbarker adds that Milan have also signed Mario Gila at the back.
Milan begin their campaign away at Torino at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, a match that features two new managers: Amorim and Torino's Ignazio Abate, a former Milan fullback, as Yardbarker reports.
Torino had a perfect pre-season, winning all three games and beating Carrarese 1-0 in the Coppa Italia with a goal from Giovanni Simeone. Milan finished their pre-season with a 4-2 friendly win over Manchester United in Poland, with goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Alphadjo Cisse, Goncalo Ramos, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Last season, Milan defeated Torino twice, including a 3-2 win at the San Siro with goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Adrien Rabiot, and Youssouf Fofana, as Yardbarker notes.
The match kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT in the United States and 8:45 p.m. local time in Italy, according to Yardbarker.
Juventus, Napoli, and Roma's ambitions
Juventus are aiming to improve after finishing sixth last season, as Yardbarker reports. Al Jazeera adds that the club is hoping Luciano Spalletti can contend for the scudetto, which they last won in 2019-20. Juventus have given up on Dusan Vlahovic and acquired Randall Kolo Muani, Jhon Lucumi, and Guglielmo Vicario on loan, according to Al Jazeera.
Napoli finished second last season and are beginning the campaign under new management following Antonio Conte's exit, with Massimiliano Allegri now in charge, as reported by both Al Jazeera and Yardbarker. Al Jazeera suggests Napoli's fortunes depend on Allegri's ability to juggle domestic and European schedules. The outlet also notes that Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Scott McTominay drive Napoli's midfield, with Rasmus Hojlund doing the scoring.
Roma, under Gian Piero Gasperini, have added Portuguese midfielder Rodrigo Mora and Argentinian forward Santiago Castro, according to Al Jazeera. Yardbarker adds that Roma's Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo Mora are expected to feature regularly in the starting XI.
The coaches across the league
Beyond the top clubs, several other Serie A sides have new coaches for the upcoming season. Yardbarker reports the following appointments: Maurizio Sarri at Atalanta, Domenico Tedesco at Bologna, Vincenzo Grosso at Fiorentina, Gennaro Gattuso at Lazio, Ivan Juric at Monza, Massimiliano Allegri at Napoli, Alberto Aquilani at Sassuolo, and Ignazio Abate at Torino. Ruben Amorim takes over at Milan.
Fiorentina are expected to field six new regular starters, while Milan's new signings Mario Gila, Diego Moreira, and Goncalo Ramos are anticipated to become immediate starters, as Yardbarker reports.
Como's remarkable rise
One of the most intriguing storylines of the season is Como's continued ascent. Al Jazeera reports that Cesc Fabregas joined Como as a minority investor and player in 2022-2023, then advanced to become assistant and head coach. Last season, he guided the club to its first winning record in Serie A since 1952. Como set a club record with a fourth-place finish and qualified for the Champions League, a remarkable achievement for a team playing at the 12,000-seat Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.
Como's attacking style features players like Baturina, Douvikas, Nico Paz, and Morata, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also notes that goalkeeper Jean Butez led Serie A with 19 shutouts last season, and Trevoh Chalobah and Yan Couto are expected to reinforce the back line.
A league in transition
Serie A enters the season with a sense of both anticipation and concern. Al Jazeera points out that with 12 Champions League titles, Italy ranks third behind Spain and England, but no Italian club has won the competition since Inter in 2010. The league's decline has been attributed by some to ageing stadiums, lack of player development, improved outside competition, and diluted internal competition caused by too many teams at the top level. Serie A expanded to 20 teams in 2004, and proposals to return to 18 have been rejected.
Last season, scoring in Serie A fell from 973 goals in 2024-25 to 922 goals (2.42 per game), the lowest among the top eight European leagues, according to Al Jazeera. Only three Italian players – Federico Bonazzoli, Riccardo Orsolini, and Gianluca Scamacca – reached double figures in goals, each with 10.
Amid this backdrop, Pio Esposito is expected to revive the reputation of Italian strikers, as Al Jazeera reports. The 6-foot-3 forward emerged during the 2025 Club World Cup, setting up a goal in his Inter debut and scoring against River Plate in his second game. He totalled seven goals in 35 appearances (15 starts) for Inter last season. Recent Italian national team Serie A Golden Boot winners include Mateo Retegui in 2025, Ciro Immobile in 2018, 2020, and 2022, and Fabio Quagliarella in 2019.
Inter led Serie A with 89 goals last season, 24 ahead of Como, according to Al Jazeera.
Napoli's enduring project
The league also sees the continuation of Aurelio de Laurentiis's Napoli project. Al Jazeera reports that de Laurentiis rescued the club from bankruptcy and relegation to Serie C in 2004. Since then, Napoli have won Serie A twice, including the 2025 title, despite selling Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Last season, Napoli dropped to second place and failed to advance in the Champions League, with their defence weakened by injuries to Amir Rrahmani, according to Al Jazeera. De Laurentiis has enticed Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Luciano Spalletti, and now Massimiliano Allegri to manage the club; Allegri has won six Serie A scudetti with Juventus and Milan.
Milan's Modric storyline
Luka Modric's move to Milan has been one of the season's subplots. Al Jazeera reports that Modric went to Milan and quickly found his footing, with the team losing its Serie A opener last season before going on a 24-game unbeaten streak. Modric turns 41 on September 9, sustained a broken cheekbone in a clash with Juventus's Manuel Locatelli late last season, and returned to play in his fifth World Cup for Croatia.
As the season begins, the balance of power in Serie A seems familiar, but the paths taken by the top clubs are new. With the transfer window still open and several teams in transition, the picture may shift before the first matchday is complete.