Antonio Conte guided the Nerazzurri to glory but quit just a few days later
SERIE A
‘INTER WERE THE ONLY SIDE TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT THE SEASON WHILE OTHERS FELL BY THE WAYSIDE’ achievement of the now-departed Conte in whipping Inter into shape. Il Biscione were good value for their title triumph. A home derby defeat and an away loss to Sampdoria were their only losses until a controversial 3-2 reverse at Juventus came after they had mathematically won the league. Simone Inzaghi has replaced Conte in the San Siro dugout and it remains to be seen if the former Lazio trainer can inspire Inter in the manner of his predecessor. Juventus parted ways with Maurizio Sarri last summer despite the chain-smoking, Charles Bukowski-reading tactician overseeing the Old Lady’s ninth straight Scudetti. He was replaced by novice Andrea Pirlo, himself let go by Juve at the conclusion of the season and replaced by Max Allegri after limping into the Champions League places on the final day of the season. Pirlo’s side underwhelmed in 2020-21, winning only 23 of their 38 matches. A shock 1-0 home defeat to relegated Benevento in March was probably the lowest point, coming shortly after Juve exited the Champions League in the last 16 against Porto. Pirlo was heavily criticised for his stubbornness in refusing to change his style of play despite it not appearing to suit his
SERIE A SUMMER TRANSFERS Serie A summer transfers The transfer market is often busiest in Italy but the summer of 2021 stands to be one of the most complicated in years as clubs prioritise balancing their books…
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SOCCER360 JULY • AUGUST 2021
players, and dropped points against Crotone, Hellas Verona and Benevento – who took four points off Juve – meant they never got going. Dropping Cristiano Ronaldo for the must-win final game of the season may also point to an unhappy relationship with the Portugal striker, who has been linked with a move away from Turin this summer. Milan finished the season in second place having been the Winter Champions and remained unbeaten until early January, when they lost to Juventus. That defeat was followed up by three more, against Atalanta, Spezia and, most damagingly, Inter in the Derby della Madonnina. Coach Stefano Pioli arguably overachieved this season by delivering Champions League qualification for the first time since 2014 and few last August tagged Milan as title challengers. The presence of veteran superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic certainly helped, bringing confidence and experience to what is a young side. Milan were also helped by the award of 20 penalties, converting 15 of them. Atalanta again impressed in finishing third with 78 points, the same total as Juventus but La Dea topped the head-to-head record between the teams. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have
The experience of Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped Milan but the Rossoneri still fell away in the spring
This could possibly be the most confusing transfer market in recent Serie A history with the carousel of coaching changes that began hours after the final whistle of the 2020-21 campaign the main catalyst for upheaval. The uncertainty of who will arrive or depart several of the bigger clubs in Italy – be it due to the pandemic, Euro 2020 or clubs’ parlous finances – make this a difficult window to predict. The early transfer saga involved Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, as his contract ran down at San Siro and he became available on a free transfer. Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain were both linked with the
Azzurri international but Max Allegri’s return to Turin reportedly left PSG free and clear, as Allegri is said to be happy with current No 1 Wojciech Szczesny. Fans have of course been absent from Serie A stadiums for more than a year and the resulting loss of revenue is part of why clubs are looking for cheaper options, including those out of contract at their current clubs. Napoli pair Nikola Maksimovic and Elseid Hysaj should have a host of suitors, and the same goes for Milan’s Turkey international Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolas N’Koulou of Torino and Inter’s utility man Danilo D’Ambrosio. Probably
