Serie A 2025/26 Predictions: Who Will Claim Scudetto? | OneFootball

Napoli pulled off an epic surprise in the 2024/25 Serie A season, beating defending champions Inter to the title in a photo finish. Antonio Conte returned to haunt his former club, showcasing why many regard him as Italy’s finest manager.

Despite being given minimal chances before the kick-off, Napoli clinched their second Scudetto in three years. Conte’s side narrowly edged out Inter, with a single point separating the clubs after 38 rounds. Despite being in contention for a coveted treble, the Nerazzurri finished the season empty-handed.

Atalanta and Juventus secured Champions League qualification at the expense of Roma, who finished only one point adrift of the Turin giants, thanks to the team’s resurgence under Claudio Ranieri. Fiorentina locked down the final European qualifying spot and will begin their UEFA Conference League campaign in the playoff round.

Milan, on the other hand, hit rock bottom. Despite a raft of big-name signings, the Rossoneri endured their lowest Serie A finish in ten years, ending the season in a disappointing eighth place. A heartbreaking loss to Bologna in the Coppa Italia final added insult to injury, condemning Milan to their first season without European football since 2019/20.

Empoli, Venezia, and Monza failed to protect their top-flight status and will compete in Serie B this season. Meanwhile, Cremonese, Pisa, and Sassuolo will replace them at the top table. Without further ado, let’s look at the likeliest final table at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

20th – Pisa

Filippo Inzaghi helped Pisa return to Serie A for the first time since the early 1990s. However, the club turned its back on the ex-Milan striker to appoint Alberto Gilardino as the new head coach in June.

Yet, a lack of finances has seen Pisa focus on loan deals during the summer. Michael Aebischer and M’Bala Nzola have joined the club from Bologna and Fiorentina, respectively, to help the Nerazzurri survive.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to shrug off the feeling that they will quickly return to tier two.

19th – Cremonese

Cremonese struggled in their only top-flight campaign this century, finishing second from bottom in 2022/23. They only won 27 points and posted five wins. It took them two years to bounce back as they hope to return with vengeance.

This time, they have put their fate into the hands of Davide Nicola, known as a ‘relegation specialist’ and a wartime manager. Yet, like Pisa, Cremonese desperately lack strength in depth and quality in multiple areas, which threatens to undermine Nicola’s bid to keep them afloat.

18th – Lecce

Lecce have been flirting with relegation for way too long. They secured survival last season by the skin of their teeth, bettering Empoli’s tally by three points. But this could be the end of the road for Eusebio Di Francesco’s side.

For years, they’ve been able to stave off relegation close to the buzzer, but when you fly too close to the sun… Writings have been on the wall for years. Unfortunately, Lecce’s transfer dealings suggest they have yet to get the message.

17th – Cagliari

Another season-long fight against the drop looms for Cagliari, who severed ties with Nicola at the end of last season before bringing in Fabio Pisacane to fill the vacant spot. Given the club’s perennial struggle to find a way out of Serie A’s lower reaches, this looks like a shot in the dark.

Pisacane has zero experience in senior management, and his appointment seems like a Hail Mary. Unable to sign players capable of making a difference at the highest level, Cagliari may have to fear for their top-flight status until the final day. Yet, they should succeed.

16th – Hellas Verona

Paolo Zanetti vastly exceeded expectations in his maiden season at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, inspiring Hellas Verona to a respectable 14th-place finish. However, the Gialloblu often punched above their weight to steer clear of the danger zone early.

Expecting them to repeat that success this season might be overly optimistic. Still, Verona must be feeling comfortable about their Serie A prospects after completing several exciting deals during the summer transfer window.

15th – Parma

Speaking of overachievers, Parma significantly overperformed bookmakers in their first season back in Serie A. Cristian Chivu did a miraculous work in the second half of the campaign to help the Crusaders secure back-to-back seasons in the elite division.

With the Romanian gone, it’s up to new boss Carlos Cuesta to pick up where his predecessor left off. Despite losing Ange-Yoan Bonny to Inter, Parma still boast better chances of avoiding relegation than many other bottom-half clubs.

14th – Sassuolo

Though this may seem ambitious for a newly promoted side, Sassuolo deserve the benefit of the doubt after everything they did during their previous stint in Serie A. Only a handful of the players from that team are still at the Mapei Stadium, including long-serving stalwart Domenico Berardi.

Unlike all the aforementioned clubs, Sassuolo can call upon an elite star to help navigate their road to survival. Whether head coach Fabio Grosso has what it takes to make strides in the top flight remains uncertain, but he fared well in Serie B last term.

Grosso’s lack of experience in senior management could be a potential setback. But it also adds to the uncertainty of how the team will perform in Serie A.

13th – Genoa

Patrick Vieira excelled in his first managerial season in Italy as he turned Genoa’s fortunes around after replacing Gilardino in November. Indeed, he saved the Griffins from a certain doom and helped them establish themselves as one of Serie A’s sternest defenses.

Genoa’s transfer activity this summer only underlines the club’s faith in the French manager. Aspirations are growing, but several personnel changes may be insufficient to move the Luigi Ferraris outfit away from last season’s 13th-place finish.

12th – Torino

If there’s a team in Serie A synonymous with mid-table, it’s Torino. Season after season, they consistently deliver solid yet unspectacular performances, rarely threatening the top or bottom of the table.

Mid-table may well be the ceiling of Torino’s ambition this season after standout performers Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Samuele Ricci left the club. We can see them finish narrowly below last season’s 11th place.

It will be exciting to see if Duvan Zapata’s highly anticipated return from injury could restore Torino to the upper half of the table.

11th – Udinese

Udinese have maintained a steady presence in Serie A for years, though they have seldom mounted a serious challenge for European qualification. This season should be no different. The squad is almost the same as last season, with one notable absence.

Star defender Jaka Bijol has joined Premier League newcomers Leeds United, leaving a sizeable hole at the back. Coach Kosta Runjaic has the resources to make the Slovenian’s exit go unnoticed and even steer the Friulians to a higher place in the standings.

10th – Bologna

Bologna underperformed in Serie A during Vincenzo Italiano’s first year at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. However, the former Fiorentina manager ended the club’s long title drought by beating Milan in the Coppa Italia final, resulting in Bologna securing Europa League qualification.

Unfortunately, limited resources have hindered Bologna’s activity in the transfer window. With most of their rivals frantically reinforcing their squads ahead of the new season, the Rossoblu have had to watch from the sidelines. That could come at a hefty price this term.

9th – Como

Como returned to Serie A after more than two decades last season and immediately started making waves in the elite division. After a statement campaign, we back Cesc Fabregas’ side to build on last year’s foundation and maintain their top-flight status once again.

Como’s project is among the most exciting in European football. And with Fabregas making his team pull together in the same direction, the club looks set to continue its steady progress. As such, a top-half finish seems increasingly likely.

8th – Atalanta

Atalanta’s downfall seems like a virtual certainty following the departure of Gian Piero Gasperini and several star players. With Matteo Ruggeri and Mateo Retegui gone and Ademola Lookman falling out of favor amid a drawn-out transfer saga, the future doesn’t look bright for La Dea.

As if the exits were not troubling enough, Atalanta have appointed Ivan Juric as the new head coach. Juric’s football philosophy is the polar opposite of what Gasperini spent the last decade building in Bergamo. Therefore, we wouldn’t be surprised if La Dea fail to qualify for Europe.

7th – Milan

Last season was a disaster for Milan, prompting substantial personnel changes during the summer. Standout performers Tijjani Reijnders and Theo Hernandez have left the club. Except for veteran superstar Luka Modric, the Rossoneri haven’t signed a big name.

Furthermore, they have turned back to Massimiliano Allegri to replace Sergio Conceicao despite the Italian coach’s disappointing second stint at Juventus. Without a potent out-and-out striker, Milan look destined to miss out on Champions League qualification again this season.

6th – Lazio

Lazio fell agonizingly short of a coveted sixth place last term, but they could go one better in 2025/26. Despite struggling to sign new players, the squad has remained intact, providing new coach Maurizio Sarri with a stable platform to work with.

The experienced tactician returns to Serie A after a short break, looking to pick up where he left off in 2024. Sarri boasts an impressive track record in Italy’s top division. As such, we can easily envisage Lazio qualifying for Europe this season.

5th – Fiorentina

Raffaele Palladino didn’t meet expectations last term despite guiding Fiorentina to UEFA Conference League qualification. After parting with the former Monza boss, La Viola have brought back a familiar face in the form of Stefano Pioli.

The Scudetto-winning manager returns to Serie A following a dismal short-term stint at Al-Nassr. Although he struggled in Saudi Arabia, Pioli knows Italian football inside out and understands Fiorentina’s culture, having previously managed the club between 2017 and 2019.

With that in mind, this could be a recipe for success.

4th – Roma

Gasperini made wonders in Bergamo, and it takes a brave man to bet against him in Rome. With several exciting additions, such as Neil El Aynaoui and Evan Ferguson, Gasperini will undoubtedly engineer a genuine top-four push.

What’s more, Ranieri laid the foundation for Roma’s return to prominence last season. Now it’s up to Gasperini to build on that groundwork, instill his high-intensity playing style, and turn Roma into a formidable force capable of returning to Europe’s elite competition.

3rd – Inter

While this may sound a bit disrespectful, given Inter’s recent campaigns, this is a brand-new era at Giuseppe Meazza. Long-serving boss Simone Inzaghi is gone, with Cristian Chivu taking his place despite having less than half a season in senior management under his belt.

Inter may have splashed north of €70 million on transfers, yet their signings have been anything but blockbuster. Chivu’s appointment is a double-edged sword, but we don’t fancy Inter’s chance in what promises to be another nail-biting title race.

2nd – Juventus

Juventus are enduring their longest Scudetto wait in the 21st century. While the arrivals of Joao Mario and Jonathan David are intended to bolster the quality of Igor Tudor’s squad, they’re still lagging behind reigning holders Napoli.

Plenty of flaws that plagued their performances last season still linger, meaning Juventus must show significant improvement to mount a serious title challenge. Whether Igor Tudor is the right man for the job is also questionable.

Nonetheless, they may leapfrog Inter in 2025/26.

1st – Napoli

It’s been six years since a Serie A team last defended its title. However, Napoli have what it takes to buck this trend and take home their fifth Scudetto.

Conte cemented his credentials last season with a stunning triumph, and his squad looks even more formidable after the arrivals of Noa Lang, Kevin De Bruyne, Sam Beukema, and Lorenzo Lucca.

This team stands head and shoulders above the rest of the league, making Napoli the leading candidate to clinch another trophy this season.