Whilst the action in the other top European leagues has already started, Calcio fans are being forced to wait for a little longer, as per custom. Thankfully, the off-season is almost over, and the Italian football lovers can bring out the popcorn, as their favorite league is set kickstart this weekend.
Although the summer transfer market has been a major letdown thus far, the level of the clubs might just be closer than ever, paving the way for some strong competition on all fronts. So here are our own predictions for the final Serie A table for the 2021/22 season from the the top spots all the way to the rock-bottom.
The Relegation Battle
After an impressive first season in the top tier, Spezia could pay the price of losing their inspirational manager Vincenzo Italiano. The ugly breakup between the management and the newly-appointed Fiorentina coach proves the latter’s importance for the club. With the inexperienced Thiago Motta at the helm, they could well find themselves finishing last.
Salernitana and Venezia might be new exciting additions, but their lack of experience of their players and coaches at the top level could see their Serie A stay cut short, with the two newly-promoted sides finishing 18th and 19th.
For their part, Aurelio Andreazzoli’s Empoli found themselves back amongst the boys after winning the Serie B title, and their recent experiments in Serie A could hand them an extra boost which could be just enough for the Tuscans to avoid relegation with a 17th spot finish.
After losing their main star Rodrigo De Paul and his compatriot Juan Musso in one transfer session, Udinese could be set for a difficult campaign. The Zebrette might land as low as the 16th spot after 38 rounds.
Whilst the arrival of Leonardo Semplici saved Cagliari from the abyss last season, the Sardinians could be engaged in yet another relegation battle, but we expect them to survive once again by finishing 15th.
The Mid-Table
Following the departure of Ivan Juric, Hellas Verona might find it hard to adapt under the guidance of Eusebio Di Francesco, who adopts a completely different tactical approach. We expect them to land at 14.
After taking over at Fiorentina, Italiano has been given the opportunity to prove his worth at a bigger stage, but his project could take some time before flourishing, and this season, we tip the Viola to finish around the 13th position.
Davide Ballardini is arguably one of the most underrated tacticians in Serie A, and his arrival last season completely changed the fortunes of Genoa. We expect much of the same this campaign, perhaps with 12th spot finish.
Torino probably chose the right commander when they appointed Juric. Therefore, we tip them the Croatian to take out the best from the players at his disposal, and finish the season in an encouraging 11th position.
After the departure of Roberto De Zerbi towards Shakhtar, Sassuolo have appointed another young and progressive tactician in the form of Alessio Dionisi. Even though the latter is expected to do well, he might not be able to reach the heights of his predecessor – especially following Manuel Locatelli’s departure. Nonetheless a respectable 10th place finish would be a decent return.
Despite the arrival of a new technical staff, Sampdoria are making little changes in the squad that was at Claudio Ranieri’s disposal in the last couple of seasons, which could be a positive aspect for Roberto D’Aversa, who will be able to rely on a stable foundation. Finishing 9th would be considered a significant achievement for the Blucerchiati.
The European Scramble
In the previous seasons, Bologna have been threatening to evolve into a force to be reckoned with in Serie A, and the project led by Sinisa Mihajlovic has been slowly and but steadily developing. The Rossoblu could finally close in on the European spot, but might fall just short with an 8th place finish.
With Maurizio Sarri at the helm, Lazio will be set for a “go big or go home” type of campaign. With the lack of new arrivals thus far, the Tuscan tactician could face a similar problem to the one he had at Juventus, being stuck with players who don’t fit within his unique tactical philosophy. A disappointing 7th place could be on the table.
Until this point of the summer, Napoli have managed to maintain their major stars (Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz and Lorenzo Inisigne), but they are yet to present a single new player for their new manager Luciano Spalletti. The Partenopei will be hoping for a Top four finish, but they might have to settle for a 6th spot.
Roma had sent a major shockwave through the football world when they announced the appointment of José Mourinho. Although the Special One’s landing in the capital will surely provide a certain boost for the morale, it might not be enough to secure a Champions League spot, as the Giallorossi could end the season at 5th.
Following the departures of Antonio Conte, Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, the reigning champions are facing an uphill battle to defend their throne. Nonetheless, the presence of a strong defensive unit, plus stars like Lautaro Martinez and Nicolò Barella could be just enough to keep Inter afloat, and land them the 4th spot.
The Scudetto Battle
After three consecutive third place finishes, this could finally be the season where Atalanta launch a serious assault for the Scudetto. Even though we tip them to give it a fight, at the end of the day, they may have to settle for yet another 3rd place finish, leaving the crown for the more traditional superpowers.
This leaves us with the classical rivalry between Milan and Juventus. The two sides could be the most equipped in Serie A – maybe not because of their work in the current summer transfer market, but rather due to the lack of improvement (and even the decline) of the other major powers.
The Rossoneri have been steadily improving under the reign of Stefano Pioli, but the return of the Max (as they call it in Turin), could offer a slight edge for the Bianconeri, who now possess a six-time Scudetto winner on their dugout – not to mention the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala on the pitch.