Serie A: 2024-25 Preview (Part One)

Cue the operatic music, Serie A is back. Three new teams, too many new managers to think about and an almost infinite quantity of hopes and dreams to be fulfilled and shattered. 

In part one, we’ll take a look at ten teams and their outlook on this season, their managerial situation plus key players and ones to watch. You can find part two here.

Atalanta (Last season - 4th)

Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini. Achieved his crowning glory in Dublin’s Europa League final. He is the longest serving manager by some distant in the league right now and with good reason.

Returning to Champions League football after what must be considered their greatest ever campaign, finishing 4th, reaching the Coppa Italia final and winning the Europa League. Gianluca Scamacca’s ACL injury threatened to derail their season but Mateo Retegui is an impressive replacement. All eyes on midfield star Teun Koopmeiners who looks set to join Juventus. He will need to be replaced if Atalanta are to finish in the top four/five and retain their Champions League spot.

Key player: Ederson. His midfield buddy Koopmeiners looks set to leave, so he has to step up again. Atalanta always look like they have an extra man in midfield when he plays, such is his ability to be in the right spot.

One to watch: Ben Godfrey. A smart move for both parties. Suits the role as a wide centre-back and could really fit in well here.

Bologna (5th)

Manager: Vincenzo Italiano. Huge pressure to follow on from Thiago Motta after everything Bologna achieved last season. A talented coach but not without his detractors, who point to a lack of incision in his Fiorentina’s attacking play.

Victims of their own success. Coach Thiago Motta left for Juventus and tried to bring his two best players with him; Calafiori and Zirkzee. Both left for the Premier League and new coach Vincenzo Italiano has his work cut out to avoid seeing Bologna's past few years of hard work go to waste. Sporting director Giovanni Sartori has continued his tradition of ‘left-field’ recruitment to replace lost talent at a cut price but only time will tell if it works. If they reach January in Champions League contention and get Lewis Ferguson back fit, who knows.

Key player: Riccardo Orsolini. He’s the experienced attacking player in this team, with younger guys like Cambiaghi and Castro increasingly likely to look to him and the impressive Dan Ndoye to make things happen.

One to watch: Giovanni Fabbian. Highly rated young midfielder with an eye for goal. Everybody loves one of those.

Cagliari (16th)

Manager: Davide Nicola. Has the Midas touch when it comes to avoiding the drop. Will need it to make it happen for Casteddu.

Have set their stall out early by hiring Davide Nicola, the survival specialist. Claudio Ranieri’s final job before retirement was to keep them up against the odds and he succeeded. Nicola must follow suit with a team that lost key players in Sulemana and Dossena, plus faithful servant Nahitan Nandez. Sebastiano Luperto arrives from Empoli to plug the gap in defence. Keep an eye out for winger Mattia Felici. Having returned from an impressive loan spell at FeralpiSalo, he looks set to play a cameo role this season.

Key player: Zito Luvumbo. Attacking livewire whose growth in the last two seasons means he is primed for a big year.

One to watch: Matteo Prati. Another promising young midfielder. Has all the attributes to become a top player in years to come.

Como (2nd in Serie B)

Manager: Cesc Fabregas. Sat in the dugout as assistant to Osian Roberts as their team achieved promotion and now he’s stepping up into the big seat.

Promoted after spending serious money to build a team worthy of ascension, the pressure is on Como to show that their execution matches their ambition. Big names keep arriving on the Lake, having signed Raphael Varane, Andrea Belotti, Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno before making more sensible signings like Audero, Mazzitelli, Dossena and Engelhardt. OptaAnalyst tipped them as favourites to go down, which seems harsh, but it won’t be a straight road to survival. Expect they’ll spend what they need to stay up.

Key player: Patrick Cutrone. Hometown boy who returned to guide them to Serie A and redeem a stalling career. Might not be the leading light this year, but will be desperate to show he can do it at the top level.

One to watch: Alessandro Gabrielloni. Has been at the club for every step along the way to Serie A. Scored some crucial late goals last season. A cheaper version of Andrea Belotti, his new teammate. Hope he gets a run this season, he has earned it.

Empoli (17th)

Manager: Roberto D’Aversa. He’s back in a job only five months on from losing his job at Lecce for headbutting Verona striker Thomas Henry. Football is a silly industry.

To be Empoli is to survive improbably. They were propped up by loanees last season, who have almost all departed and been replaced by new temporary talent. Lorenzo Colombo and Sebastiano Esposito arrive from Milan and Inter respectively, and both look like promising attackers. They could be the difference in a long season ahead for Roberto D’Aversa’s men, one which could well end in a return to Serie B.

Key player: Jacopo Fazzini. A bit soon to thrust the title upon him but he’s another homegrown talent who may well be crucial in their midfield. 

One to watch: Lorenzo Colombo. It’s his time to shine at a ‘small’ club on his way to becoming a future Italy international striker.

Fiorentina (8th)

Manager: Rafaelle Palladino. A logical hire and the right step for him to take. Probably a move that got lost in a chaotic Serie A summer and you get the feeling that his team might fly under the radar.

A new era begins in Florence. Vincenzo Italiano leaves after three years in which he took his team to three cup finals, each of which they lost. A third year in the UEFA Conference League must end with them finally lifting the trophy. They face a congested field ahead in the race for the Champions League but can be confident their transfer business should see them improve as a squad. A top half finish is almost certain and it’s not unimaginable that Palladino does great things with this club, but the competition for European spots is so great that they really should focus on winning the Conference League.

Key player: Albert Gudmundsson. Arrived in Florence at the time of writing for his medical, but will be crucial alongside Andrea Colpani behind a striker. Really exciting move.

One to watch: David De Gea. Not a move anyone saw coming. Will he be the ‘keeper to finally displace Pietro Terracciano?

Genoa (11th)

Manager: Alberto Gilardino. Can only say good things about the job he’s done here. Took them up automatically in his first year, despite taking over mid-season, and did well last year. A similar season this year and big clubs will come calling.

After an impressive return to Serie A, it’s all about avoiding a serious drop off for Gilardino’s boys. Retegui has left for Atalanta and the Italian media had been dying to sell Gudmundsson since last September, who has finally joined Fiorentina. Will be very tough to replicate their impact but at least the Grifoni have cash to spend and have already agreed a deal to sign Andrea Pinamonti from Sassuolo. Should stay up, will stay up. Everything else depends on who replaces Gudmundsson.

Key player: Morten Frendrup. The midfielder should lead this team through their second season.

One to watch: Alessandro Marcandalli. Immense for Reggiana in Serie B last year, the young defender could be a breakout star, if he gets a chance.

Hellas Verona (13th)

Manager: Paolo Zanetti. This is a huge task for Zanetti. Keeping this team up would be impressive, though it feels a challenge beyond his powers.

Survived the last two seasons. Somehow. Marco Baroni saved them but now he’s gone. The fight to avoid finishing in the bottom three will be quite gruesome this year and it’s not hard to see Verona falling the wrong side of the line. 

Key player: Tomas Suslov. Creative spark. Will be desperately needed this year.

One to watch: Diego Coppola. Promising young defender with all the qualities to make it in the modern game.

Inter (1st)

Manager: Simone Inzaghi. Needs no introduction. The best manager in Italy and one of the best tacticians in Europe.

Champions and widely favoured to defend their title. It won’t be straightforward, as teams below them strengthen, but it seems unlikely that anyone can close the gap enough to truly threaten Inter’s dominance. Zielinski and Taremi are smart additions that should add a little more depth. Inzaghi continues his Inter odyssey with another title this year.

Key player: Lautaro Martinez. The goal machine. Will be crucial again and could do even better this year with more support in Taremi.

One to watch: Yann Bisseck. Looks better with each passing week. Physically imposing, yet graceful defender with the world at his feet.

Juventus (3rd)

Manager: Thiago Motta. Took the leap after a fantastic year with Bologna. Have to respect his bravery because this is a massive job. The pressure will intensify but that doesn’t seem to faze him.

A new era begins for Serie A’s most successful club. Motta will surely change from the old Juve way and implement his rather modern approach. It didn’t go down well when Maurizio Sarri tried it, but Motta is different, or at least he seems to be. He succeeded at Bologna away from the intense media spotlight that will surely follow him everywhere in Turin. Champions League football and entertaining football should be enough to convince the Juve faithful that Motta is the man to move them forward.

Key player: Bremer. Best defender in the league? Quite possibly. Either way, Motta has greatly enhanced defenders like Lucumi and Calafiori, as well as Kiwior at Spezia.

One to watch: Andrea Cambiaso. Increasingly important player with the sort of versatility that his new manager loves. 

Don’t miss part two here! Let us know who you think is winning the scudetto, taking the Champions League spots, going down or sticking around on socials.