Serie A 2025-26 Power Rankings: Napoli to win again, AC Milan return to the Champions League, Como to surprise

The A-Season series of 2025-26 starts on August 23. Last season Napoli won the Scudetto on the last day of competition after an exciting race with Simone Inzaghis Under. Since then everything has changed and two months later we have a completely different scenario in the competition, because seven of last season’s top ten teams have replaced their managers. Antonio Conte decided to stay in Napoli, despite the interest of Juventus, because the Bianceri Igor Tudor confirmed as head coach after he had replaced Thiago Motta last season. Elsewhere Bologna have expanded the Vincenzo Italiano deal after winning the 2024-25 Coppa Italia. Apart from these three coaches, every other team has made a number of major changes. Inter separated with Inzaghi after a disappointing last defeat of Champions League and named former 2010 Champions League winner Cristian Chivu. Atalanta saw the end of the Gian Piero Gasperini era. He took the lead for the Nerazzurri in 2016, but left this summer and joined as Roma While former Southampton coach Ivan Juric Gasperini replaced. We also have three comebacks when Massimiliano Allegri joined again AC MilanMaurizio Sarri was again appointed as Lazio And Stefano Pioli came back Fiorentina After coaching Al-Nassr for one season. Let’s take a look at the Power Rankings prior to the new season:

Substitute of all 2025-26 Serie A managers: Antonio Conte at the top, Massimiliano Allegri, Maurizio Sarri, Meer

Francesco Porzio

Title candidates

Teams that will race to win the scudetto

1. Napoli

The Serie A champions from 2024-25 should be considered the front runners to win the Scudetto Agan this season when Antonio Conte decided to stay in the club and the selection was deeply improved. Former midfielder of Manchester City Kevin De Bruyne joined Napoli as a free agent next to Noa long from PSV, Yourself Beukema from Bologna, Lorenzo Lucca by Udinese And Vanja Milinkovic-Savic by Torino Make Napoli even stronger. This is a big advantage for Conte and his team, even more because most of their competitors decided to replace their coaches.

2. Inter

The Nerazzurri come from a disappointing end of the season where they did not win a trophy and in particular lost 5-0 in the Champions League final against PSG. Chivu, the new head coach, has little Serie A experience because he only coached 13 games last year with Parma To save the team from relegation, but it is difficult to predict whether he can bring the club back to success in the short term. The schedule is certainly still strong and competitive, but the lack of experience of the new manager can influence the performance of the team in its first full season as Serie A coach.

3. AC Milan

AC Milan can replicate the success of Napoli last year, when the Azzurri could win the title during a season in which they did not play European tournaments. However, it is very different from the Napoli situation last summer, because the Rossoneri sold some important players, such as midfielder Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City and Theo Hernandez to Al-Hilal and still in the phase of the team rebuilding for the new season. The return from Allegri to the club, after his Scudetto-triumph 2010-11 with the Rossoneri, the team greatly positions success, guaranteeing a Champions League qualification.

How usmnt -star Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric fit in AC Milan manager Max Allegri’s plans

Francesco Porzio

European contenders

Teams that will compete next season for a place in the European tournaments

4. Juventus

The Bianmanveri have decided to keep Igor Tudor after replacing Thiago Motta at the end of March and started another cycle in the club, because former sports director Cristiano Giuntoli also left Juventus this summer. The will to make some changes to the schedule before the end of the summer transfer window, but they are in a strong position compared to the competitors to end up at a Champions League place next year.

5. AS Roma

This is probably the most interesting appointment of the summer in the Italian Serie A, because Gasperini decided to leave Atalanta after nine years, where he was able to win the 2024 edition of the UEFA Europa League and will start a new chapter at AS Roma. After a disappointing season saved by Claudio Ranieri, who now serves as an advisor for the Friedkin family, the owners of the club, the Giallorossi, sought a manager of his caliber to lead them ahead. Can Gasperini replicate the success at Roma?

6. When

Como will be the surprise of the 2025-26 season, if we can call it a surprise. After having spent more than $ 100 million this summer to improve the schedule, CESC Fabregas is now ready to shine and bring his project to the next level. The club refused to let the manager join Inter this summer and they had more reasons to do it. It is now up to Fabregas to show the world why Como can be the next big thing in Italian football.

7. Fiorentina

Former AC Milan and Al-Nassr manager Stefano Pioli made his comeback in Fiorentina, where he was the head coach from 2017 to 2019 and there are now many expectations about this team, especially after holding a player like Moise Kean this summer. Fiorentina is expected to improve the performance of the last season when they ended up in sixth place and qualified for the UEFA Conference League.

8. Bologna

This season there will be even more busy for Bologna, after a qualification for Champions League Soccer two years ago and then winning the Coppa Italia under the management of Vincenzo Italiano last season. It is difficult to predict whether they can take that extra step now, but they have experienced players such as Ciro Immobile and signed Federico Bernardeschi To improve at international level.

9. Atalanta

The Nerazzurri will probably suffer a little after saying goodbye to a key figure such as Gasperini. The club decided to appoint a manager who could go in a similar direction and Juric worked for many years with the same Gasperini, both as a player and as a manager. However, it is a risky decision, since Juric failed during the 2024-25 season at both Roma and in Southampton. He will not have much time available to show that he can take on this role.

10. Lazio

Despite the Maurizio Sarri comeback, one of the best managers in the Serie A, Lazio’s transfer activities were deeply affected by some financial problems that the selection could not improve this summer. That is why it is difficult to say whether Sarri’s capacities can only bring the team back to Europe at the end of the season.

In the middle

Teams that don’t have to worry about relegation

11. Torino

They cannot be eligible for European tournaments in recent years, but at the same time they are never really risking or were involved in the relegation race. We don’t expect anything else this season despite a new experienced manager such as former Lazio Boss Marco Baroni.

12. Udinese

Last year Udinese had a quiet, normal season under the new coach Kosta Runjaic after a much challenging lake and this is why they now have to continue this way, while they also managed a few outputs, as their most important striker Lorenzo Lucca who left this summer and joined Napoli.

13. Genoa

It is a similar situation such as that of Udinese and Torino, because Genoa started a new cycle last year when Patrick Vieira was appointed as the new manager to replace Alberto Gilardino In the past season. For them it is probably too early to strive for a qualification in the European tournaments.

Vecht to prevent relegation

Teams that will race to prevent relegation in the Second Division

14. Parma

The Italian club took one of the most interesting but also risky decisions and named former assistant of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal Carlos Cuesta as the new head coach to replace Chivu who came to Inter this summer. Cuesta, 29, became the youngest manager in the history of Serie A and it is almost impossible to predict how he will perform in his first year as a professional first team manager.

15. Cagliari

Cagliari has a strong experience and managed to keep their place in the first division over the years, despite some changes in both management and schedule and this season they try it differently, because Cagliari promotes the former U19 manager and former defender Fabio Pisacane as the new head coach.

16. Sassuolo

After only one season in the second division, Sassuolo is back in the Serie A and given their financial potential, it is difficult to think that they cannot keep their place in the Serie A after losing it. We can now consider Sassuolo as one of the most consistent teams in the competition and they are now back.

17. Hellas Verona

Hellas Verona was able, thanks to the incredible job of the former and current manager, to retain their place in the competition, despite some major financial issues of the former ownership. On January 2025 the club was taken over by an American fund that will try to consolidate their position in the coming years and this is great news for fans and the team.

18. Cremonese

Despite the name of a new coach such as Davide Nicola who is considered one of the best when it comes to avoiding relegation, it seems that they should drastically improve the team in the last month of the summer transfer window if they want to have a chance.

19. Lecce

It will be much more difficult for Lecce to keep their place in the first division this year, especially because they have replaced their coach and have been appointed former Venezia Boss Eusebio of Francesco that replaced Marco Giampaolo At the club. Looking at the schedule, it can also be influenced by the last weeks of the summer transfer window, with a number of important players who are expected to leave for the deadline.

20. Pisa

Pisa is back in the Serie A after more than 30 years, but the team doesn’t look like it can survive compared to the competitors. They must definitely add a number of experienced Series A players to the Roster before it’s too late.