Significant coaching changes among many Serie A clubs, particularly the leading teams, are set to define the 2025-26 season. How will these shifts influence the upcoming Italian league campaign?
These widespread coaching changes are generating significant interest regarding their potential impact on the upcoming season`s competition, particularly the title race. Many observers and prediction platforms are now assessing how these new leaderships might alter team performance and league dynamics.
Among the usual top eight contenders in Serie A, only Antonio Conte at Napoli and Igor Tudor at Juventus are confirmed to continue in their roles for the 2025-26 season. Conte led Napoli to the Scudetto title in the preceding 2024-25 campaign, his first year with the club. Tudor, meanwhile, took over at Juventus in March 2025.
Notably, nearly all of Napoli`s main rivals, with the exception of Juventus, have appointed new head coaches. Inter transitioned from Simone Inzaghi to Cristian Chivu. AC Milan welcomed back Massimiliano Allegri after a significant eleven-year absence. Gian Piero Gasperini moved from Atalanta to Roma, while Atalanta appointed Ivan Juric as his successor. Fiorentina is also expected to soon officially name Stefano Pioli, replacing Raffaele Palladino.
In total, only eight clubs across Serie A will begin the 2025-26 campaign with their coaching situation already settled. These include Bologna with Vincenzo Italiano, Como with Cesc Fabregas, Udinese with Kosta Runjaic, Genoa with Patrick Vieira, Verona with Paolo Zanetti, Sassuolo with Fabio Grosso, along with Napoli and Juventus as mentioned earlier.
AC Milan Under Allegri
AC Milan under Allegri is expected to be a team under close scrutiny. The Rossoneri will be aiming to qualify for the Champions League and will not participate in any European tournaments during the 2025-26 season, allowing them to focus on domestic performance.
“To achieve results, we must be united, moving in a single direction, with the responsibility of being part of a prestigious club like Milan. We share day-to-day operations with the directors and other members. A fantastic journey begins now. I’m very happy and excited,” Allegri said during his unveiling press conference earlier this week. “My job is to put the players in the best conditions to deliver strong performances. The club must be a united force, and I’m sure it will be. Milan have an excellent squad, and the club is monitoring everything. What matters is to reach August 31 in the best possible shape. The first six months are crucial for preparing for March, when the seasons are determined. “The first goal is to return to the Champions League; we need to be in those spots in March.”
Parma`s Bold Choice
Perhaps the most unexpected managerial decision was made by Parma, who appointed Carlos Cuesta, previously an assistant coach at Arsenal, for his first role as a senior head coach.
“I want to thank President Krause and Arsenal for allowing me to be here. I thank Mr Fabio Pecchia and Cristian Chivu for the job they did, which laid the foundation for the present and future of Parma,” Cuesta said in his first press conference at the Stadio Tardini. “I’m honoured to be part of a high-level club in Italy and abroad. It was a natural choice, as I had felt great trust from the very start of the negotiations. Age can be a surprise, but it’s always been this way for me. Age is just a number. I don’t want it to be an excuse, I want to be assessed as the Parma coach and do my best as I’ve always done in my life.”
The Race for the Scudetto
The upcoming Serie A title race will feature several managers new to their clubs, including Cristian Chivu at Inter, who recently experienced a test in the Club World Cup where his team was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Fluminense.
“Overall, you could all see what our energy levels were,” Chivu, a 2010 Inter treble winner under Mourinho, said after the elimination. “We tried to the end to turn it around, and were also unlucky hitting the woodwork twice and with that Stefan de Vrij chance. At the end of the day, we conceded two goals with the only two real shots on target. “I will take the three weeks that allowed me to get to know the group. I got to know their strengths, weaknesses, their personalities and the attitude of a group of lads who after a difficult season had to scrape the bottom of the barrel.”
