The 2025-26 Serie A season was a turbulent one for Italian football, marked by national team failure, European humiliation, and domestic controversies. Yet, amidst the chaos, Inter Milan rediscovered their dominance, Como scripted a fairytale rise, and Scott McTominay proved indispensable for Napoli.
A Season of Contrasts
Italy's men's national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, while Serie A clubs struggled in Europe. Inter, Champions League finalists the previous year, were eliminated in the playoff round by Bodø/Glimt. Juventus conceded seven goals to Galatasaray, and reigning champions Napoli failed to advance from the group stage. Atalanta salvaged some pride by overturning a two-goal deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the last 16, only to be thrashed 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich.
In the Europa League, Bologna knocked out Roma before losing 7-1 to Aston Villa. Fiorentina were 4-0 down in their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Crystal Palace before a late consolation made the scoreline more respectable.
Domestic Ugly Incidents
The season was not without its unsavoury moments. Alessandro Bastoni's exaggerated contact to get Pierre Kalulu sent off in the Derby d'Italia sparked outrage, especially when Bastoni celebrated his deception. He later received a red card in Italy's World Cup qualifying playoff defeat to Bosnia, with some calling it karma.
A refereeing scandal saw the designator of match officials suspend himself in April. The penultimate round was marred by a scheduling clash between the Rome derby and the Italian Open tennis final, resolved only after court and political intervention.
Inter's Double Triumph
Inter bounced back from their European disappointment to claim their first domestic double since 2010. Under new manager Cristian Chivu, who had only 13 games of senior management experience, Inter overcame a slow start to win Serie A and the Coppa Italia. They scored 89 goals, the highest in the league, with Federico Dimarco setting a record for assists (18) and adding seven goals, earning him the Serie A MVP award.
Como's Remarkable Rise
Como, playing in the fourth tier as recently as 2019, qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history. Managed by Cesc Fàbregas, they played attractive football and developed young talents like Nico Paz, Jacobo Ramón, and Martin Baturina. However, their success was funded by billionaire owners and relied almost exclusively on foreign players; only one Italian, Edoardo Goldaniga, featured for 14 minutes all season.
British Presence Grows
The number of British players in Serie A continued to increase. Jamie Vardy joined Cremonese in September, scoring seven goals, but could not prevent relegation. Kieron Bowie moved to Verona in January and scored four times, also suffering relegation. Lennon Miller made 24 appearances for Udinese at age 19, while Keinan Davis scored 10 goals for the same club. Scott McTominay was the most impactful, scoring 10 goals from midfield to help Napoli finish second despite injury crises.
Other Notable Stories
Roma finished fourth under Gian Piero Gasperini, who survived a power struggle with Claudio Ranieri. Fiorentina, bottom at Christmas, turned around their season under Paolo Vanoli. Genoa also improved after replacing Patrick Vieira with Daniele De Rossi. Giovanni Simeone scored double figures for Torino, and Udinese achieved their first top-half finish in over a decade.
End-of-Season Awards
Goal of the Season
10) Vitinha's 30-yard strike after winning back possession. 9) Jeff Ekhator's backheel finish for Genoa. 8) Strahinja Pavlovic's goal for Milan. 7) Semih Kilicsoy's solo run. 6) Jonathan Rowe's overhead kick. 5) Nico Paz's free-kick or backheel assist goal. 4) Francisco Conceição's rocket. 3) Vasilije Adzic's 91st-minute Derby d'Italia winner. 2) Piotr Zielinski's first-time finish from a corner. 1) Michael Folorunsho's incredible goal that seemed unrealistic even for a video game.
Player of the Season
Federico Dimarco was named Serie A's official MVP and also receives this award. His 18 assists and seven goals from left wing-back were crucial for Inter. Other contenders included Scott McTominay, Nico Paz, Lautaro Martínez (17 goals), and Donyell Malen (14 goals in half a season).
Team of the Season (3-4-1-2)
Mile Svilar (Roma); Jacobo Ramón (Como), Bremer (Juventus), Evan Ndicka (Roma); Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Nicolò Barella (Inter), Federico Dimarco (Inter); Nico Paz (Como); Donyell Malen (Roma), Lautaro Martínez (Inter).
Manager of the Season
Cesc Fàbregas wins for leading Como to the Champions League with an attractive style, despite spending over €200m on transfers. He developed young talents and instilled a clear identity. Cristian Chivu (Inter) and Gian Piero Gasperini (Roma) were also strong candidates.
Other Awards
Most pleasant stroll: Petar Sucic through Fiorentina's defence. Most toxic ex: Rolando Mandragora. Assist of the season: Nico Paz's through ball for Tasos Douvikas. Save of the season: Mike Maignan saving Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty. Game of the season: Juventus 4-3 Inter (October). Greatest culinary scandal: Jonathan David grating parmesan on pasta with clams. Quote of the season: Gasperini on dreaming: "Let's pretend to wake up, but instead go back to sleep."
