The Italian top-flight is finally exciting to watch again, after years of domination by Juventus, four different clubs have lifted the Scudetto title since 2020.

Those triumphs were thanks to exceptional tacticians at the helm, none more so than Antonio Conte who returned to win the fifth Serie A title of his managerial career. 

Elsewhere, Simone Inzaghi left UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan to join up with Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Hilal, meaning up to 12 Serie A teams will begin the 2025/26 campaign with a new manager in charge.

This indicates that the upcoming season will be a very entertaining one, with Christian Chivu replacing Inzaghi, Massimiliano Allegri returning to AC Milan and a fascinating shuffle involving stalwarts like Gian Piero Gasperini, Ivan Juric and Igor Tudor. Yet, there is fresh blood in the form of former Arsenal assistant manager, Carlos Cuesta, who will lead Parma as the youngest ever manager in Serie A history.

Vincenzo Italiano impressively led Bologna to the Coppa Italia last season while Como also retained Cesc Fabregas who is proving to be one of the most exciting young coaches in European football. 

Pertinently, this mix of modern ideas with tried-and-trusted veteran methods in the dugouts will make for an eye-catching campaign all round. This article, hence, takes a look at the coaching landscape going into next season’s Serie A campaign.

Gian Piero Gasperini – AS Roma

Gian Piero Gasperini leaves his beloved Atalanta after nine successful years to join AS Roma who went through three managers last season with Claudio Ranieri moving to an advisory role after his six-month stint as interim Head Coach.

Gasperini comes with a wealth of experience and pedigree after leading Atalanta to the 2024 UEFA Europa League title. Now he is tasked with restoring long-term success to the Italian capital after transforming La Dea from relegation battlers to regulars in European competitions.

The 67-year-old is the best candidate for a rebuild, however long it may take, and Roma could reap long-lasting benefits should they stick to the attack-minded tactician. 

Massimiliano Allegri – AC Milan 

The six-time Italian champion returns to the Rossoneri where he managed from 2010 to 2014, winning a Serie A title. AC Milan appointed Allegri after a disastrous campaign in which they finished eighth and failed to qualify for Europe. 

Indeed, the 57-year-old represents a safe hire being a serial winner in Italian football, and the aim will undoubtedly be to return Milan to the Champions League. Allegri’s tactical regimen could work wonders for an underwhelming side and their lack of European football puts them at an advantage over domestic rivals who have to compete on multiple fronts.

Maurizio Sarri – Lazio

One of the most revered tactical minds in modern-day Italian football makes a shock return to Lazio where he resigned in March 2024 after a poor run of form and heavy criticism of the club’s transfer policy. 

Under Marco Baroni, the Biancocelesti finished seventh last season to miss out on European qualification and they appear to have reached a compromise with Sarri, who led them to second place in 2022/23 which is their best league finish since 1999/2000.

Lazio are keen to compete favourably against heavyweight rivals and their hopes will rest heavily on Sarri’s tactical acumen. Despite financial difficulties at the club, they would look to capitalise on any slip-ups amidst the uncertain landscape due to multiple managerial changes.

Cristian Chivu – Inter Milan

After a rare trophyless campaign during which they missed out on the Serie A title by a point and lost their second Champions League final in three years to a rampant Paris Saint-Germain side, Inter took the huge gamble of replacing the much-heralded Inzaghi with Christian Chivu.

Despite being a mainstay of their treble-winning side of 2009/10, the Romanian has a mere 13 Serie A games under his belt with Parma. Chivu has big shoes to fill and lots to prove as he aims to keep the Nerazzurri ticking at the top end of the standings regardless of his lack of experience.

Nevertheless, the 44-year-old is used to the high standards expected, having risen through the ranks of Inter’s academy as a youth coach. A bulk of the core squad has also been retained, giving Chivu a stable platform to implement his ideas, and he is keen to make Inter less predictable from Inzaghi’s trademark 3-5-2 system.

Cesc Fabregas – Como

There is an even less experienced coach at Como where Cesc Fabregas has made a smooth transition into management. The Lariani not only stayed up in their first top-flight campaign in 21 years, but a tenth-place finish was also their highest Serie A position since 1987.

Consisting of largely young talents across Europe with a backbone of experienced heads, Fabregas has put his bold ideas to good use. They did well to retain one of Europe’s most exciting young managers despite interest from other clubs, and will be looking to earn a continental spot in only his second full season as a head coach. 

Antonio Conte – Napoli 

The former Italy manager won yet another title in his first season at Napoli, making him the first man to coach three different clubs to Serie A triumph after doing so at Juventus and Inter.

Much like he has done for most of his career, Conte got his squad to overperform and they have bolstered the side with Kevin De Bruyne and while being linked with Dan Ndoye, Federico Chiesa, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling.

Conte will also aim for tangible success outside of domestic competitions where he has yet to truly prove himself amongst the continent’s elite.

Igor Tudor – Juventus

The Croatian earned a contract extension after steering the ship during an encouraging spell as caretaker coach following Thiago Motta’s sacking in March.

Tudor guided the Old Lady to fourth place and he is tasked with keeping the side challenging for the league title. Jonathan David is the sole major arrival while they are looking to sell a few stars to raise funds and potentially recruit the likes of Jadon Sancho and Nicolas Jackson. 

It promises to be a gripping Serie A campaign all the way through, and sackings as the season goes on will only change the narrative and title landscape even further.

Napoli are perhaps favourites to defend their Scudetto, but one of the chasing pack is also poised to emerge with refreshed ideas and an unbeatable system.