There was a time when they were a rarity but United States players are starting to be much more common in Italy. Giancarlo Rinaldi casts an eye over how they performed for their respective clubs.

When Alexi Lalas signed for Padova more than 30 years ago, it was something of a novelty. It has taken the best part of three decades for a real American revolution to happen in Serie A. This season there have been no fewer than five United States players in Italy’s top division – and they have enjoyed very differing fortunes up and down the table. With many clubs in American ownership – and more in the pipeline – it is perhaps something we will be getting used to in the years to come.

• Read more – Brilliant Bravehearts: Rating Serie A’s Scottish Stars

Christian Pulisic (Milan) – 8/10 In a season which left Rossoneri fans venting their frustration in no uncertain fashion, the former Chelsea man was surely exempt from their wrath. A scorer in their Supercoppa triumph, he enjoyed what was arguably the best campaign of his career with more than 20 goal involvements in the league. It was all the more remarkable because other big names around him notably failed to shine. If anyone deserves to be part of the latest overhaul at the Milanese giants going forward it is surely him.

Yunus Musah (Milan) – 5.5/10 It was a troublesome second season in red and black for the young midfielder as he flitted in and out of the side with alarming inconsistency. Some of that might have been down to the club’s chopping and changing of coaches but just the same he failed to really kick on after a good first term in Italy. He provided energy and drive but overall there was the impression that neither he nor his club would be too unhappy if he moved on in the summer.

Weston McKennie (Juventus) – 7/10 Considering that he looked surplus to requirements for the Thiago Motta era, his comeback to stalwart status was pretty remarkable. His adaptability and application were admirable and, in a Bianconeri side which underwhelmed again this season, he was a decent performer. Not the most spectacular, perhaps, but he chipped in a few goals – notably in the Champions League – which showed there was maybe more to his game than many had suspected.

Timothy Weah (Juventus) – 6/10 Sometimes, versatility can be a drawback for a player in terms of consistency, and that certainly felt like the case for the son of Serie A legend George Weah. He made most of his appearances at right back but played pretty much everywhere across the front line and midfield as he plugged gaps in a Juve side which struggled for a real identity. Nobody could fault his professionalism in playing wherever he was asked but it was probably counter-productive in terms of his impact across the campaign.

• Read more – Serie A 2024-25 Winners and losers: All clubs rated

Gianluca Busio (Venezia) 6.5/10 It felt like a bit of a setback season for the bustling midfielder who has been a star on the lagoons since he moved from Sporting Kansas City in 2021. Having been at the heart of their promotion push last term, it seemed like coach Eusebio Di Francesco lost a bit of faith in him as his team fought to avoid relegation. Nonetheless, he remained a decent performer for the Arancioneroverdi and there is more than a sneaking suspicion that he could have a future in the top division – even if his team does not.

Fiorentina striker Moise Kean was the best Italian player in Serie A this season, according to newspaper ratings, but goalkeepers dominate the top 10.

The 2024-25 Serie A campaign ended Sunday night with the final verdicts involving teams qualified for Europe and those relegated to Serie B.

Football Italia reviews the season in Italy’s top flight, and we have already provided the top 10 players in the league according to ratings from Italian sports papers*.

• Read more – Top 10 Serie A 2024-25 players: Como starlet tops rankings ahead of McTominay

As reported by Fantacalcio, Fiorentina star Kean finished the season with the highest average rating (6.5) for Italian players, even ahead of eventual top-goal scorer Mateo Retegui (6.47).

The Atalanta forward netted 25 goals in 36 Serie A matches, against Kean’s 19 in 32 games.

Title winners Napoli have one player in the top ten, their goalkeeper, Alex Meret. Alessandro Buongiorno also played a key role in the Partenopei’s Scudetto-winning campaign, but collected fewer than 75% appearances in Serie A.

Goalkeepers dominate the Italian top 10 as, besides Meret, Mattia Turati (Monza), Wladimiro Falcone (Lecce) and Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta) also feature in the rankings.

Top 10 Italian players in 2024-25 Serie A

Moise Kean (Fiorentina) 6.5

Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) 6.47

Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta) 6.41

Alessandro Bastoni (Inter) 6.38

Federico Dimarco (Inter) 6.36

Nicolò Barella (Inter) 6.33

Alex Meret (Napoli) 6.32

Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio) 6.28

Mattia Turati (Monza) 6.27

Wladimiro Falcone (Lecce) 6.25

*players with at least 75% league appearances

Despite finishing one point behind Serie A champions Napoli, Inter are the team with the most players featured in the top 10 performers of the 2024/25 Serie A season, followed by Atalanta, who had three players each in the ranking.

Milan’s Christian Pulisic made the top 10 despite his team’s underwhelming campaign, finishing as the Rossoneri’s top scorer with 11 league goals.

Napoli, on the other hand, had only midfielders Scott McTominay and Zambo Anguissa included among the top 10 players, based on the average ratings published by Italian sports newspapers, as reported by Fantacalcio.

Perhaps surprisingly, it is Como’s Nico Paz who tops the list, with an average rating of 6.53 among players who featured in at least 75% of the season’s matches.

Top 10 Serie A players – 2024-2025 season review

Nico Paz (Como) 6.53

Kean (Fiorentina), McTominay (Napoli) 6.5

Retegui (Atalanta) 6.47

Ndoye (Bologna), Milinkovic-Savic (Torino) 6.43

Carnesecchi (Atalanta) 6.41

Lookman (Atalanta) 6.39

Bastoni (Inter) 6.38

Dimarco (Inter), De Gea (Fiorentina) 6.36

Pulisic (Milan), Yildiz (Juventus) 6.34

Thuram (Inter), Anguissa (Napoli), Barella (Inter) 6.33

If one country can lay claim to having the most surprisingly significant impact in Italy this season it is surely Scotland. Giancarlo Rinaldi grades the famous five who flourished around the peninsula.

• Football Italia Season Review – Winners and losers: All clubs rated

Somewhere up in footballing heaven, Johnny Moscardini must surely be looking down with a smile. More than a century has passed since the Scottish-born striker plied his trade with Pisa and Lucchese, but suddenly it feels like all things Caledonian are all the rage in Italy. Long gone are the days when Denis Law found Serie A too tactically suffocating and his countrymen seem to be loving life in Naples, Turin, Bologna and beyond.

Not even the most optimistic, whisky-fuelled dream could have forecast what a year this would be for this Tartan Army. League titles, a Coppa Italia and an impressive number of goals were the order of the day as they took their surroundings by storm. With good food, fine weather and an excellent lifestyle – none of them seem likely to be suffering from homesickness any time soon. They seem to love Italy, and Italy loves them.

Scott McTominay (Napoli) – 10/10 Even his own most ardent fans would have struggled to predict the impact the former Manchester United man would have in Naples. Almost from day one he started to deliver match winning performances and goals as he thrived in the role carved out for him by Antonio Conte. Any sadness he might have felt at being shown the door at Old Trafford was surely more than made up for by celebrating a title in the Stadio Maradona. He is already a legend for the Partenopei even if he never scored another goal. He will surely find that his Italian tomatoes – which he famously professed his love for – are tasting even sweeter now.

Billy Gilmour (Napoli) – 7.5/10 It was a slow burn start for the midfield schemer, but when he was asked to step up in a more regular role, he more than delivered. Many thought he might be no more than an understudy for Stan Lobotka but he emerged as a key contributor in his own right and another vital cog in the Scudetto march. If any player looked ideally suited to the more tactical climes of Serie A it is surely him. Not the eye-grabbing performances of McTominay, perhaps, but the more astute observers understood that his contribution was a significant one too.

Lewis Ferguson (Bologna) – 7/10 Undoubtedly, the mark would be even higher if he hadn’t been so long on the sidelines with injury. Still, when he came back the former Aberdeen man was able to confirm the qualities he showed last term. Leading the Rossoblu to their first trophy in a lifetime in the Coppa Italia was the icing on the cake and secured another European campaign. His vision, organisation and drive were at the heart of his team’s efforts in the closing stages of the season and the club will hope they have him available full-time next term.

Che Adams (Torino) – 7.5/10 It was not a thrilling Torino season but the Scottish striker confounded his critics by delivering a double-figure goal haul between league and cup. There were also a few assists which was no mean feat as part of a team which only averaged just over a goal a game in Serie A this term. He might have hoped that his new employers might have finished a bit higher up the table but overall he made a pretty positive impact and will surely have sharpened his skills for when his country comes calling once more.

Liam Henderson (Empoli) – 6.5/10 Perhaps the forgotten man of the Scots in Italy but he is now a familiar face and accomplished performer. He will be frustrated that his team ultimately got relegated but few could point much blame in his direction after another solid season. A regular in the referee’s notebook, he was the kind of player nobody would relish coming up against with a determination and commitment that made him a stern opponent. It might be Serie B next term but there will be plenty of sides in the top division who would not be averse to having such a seasoned performer in their ranks.

It proved to be an epic year for Italian football with drama, controversy and excitement at every turn. Giancarlo Rinaldi gives out the grades for all 20 teams in the top division this term.

Say what you like about Serie A, it was not to be outdone for dramatic finishes this season. The Scudetto, European places and relegation matters all went down to the last day. We can sit here and argue about the overall strength of the league forever but what is not in doubt is its ability to deliver some gripping entertainment.

Where there are winners, though, there have to be losers. It is alway hard to assess how successful a team’s efforts have been – especially as it has to be seen in the context of expectation at a particular club. But what follows is an attempt to grade each outfit’s campaign while taking into consideration what they might realistically have hoped to achieve.

Napoli – 9/10 Everyone knew they underperformed last season, but few expected them to bounce back in such style. The Antonio Conte effect and inspired performances from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku meant they emerged as Inter’s only credible contender in the title fight. No European football helped, but they kept up their intensity impressively nonetheless, and ultimately delivered a fourth league crown which was celebrated in style and thoroughly deserved.

Inter – 7.5/10 The vote could go higher if they manage to clinch the Champions League but overall, it was still a good campaign from the strongest squad in Italy. There were a few slip-ups – notably in the Coppa Italia – but they maintained a high level of performance which surely earns Simone Inzaghi a right to be mentioned in European coaching’s elite. They will be annoyed to have missed out on another title but their continental exploits have provided plenty of compensation.

Atalanta – 8/10 If it is the end of the road for Gian Piero Gasperini, what a way to sign off. Another Champions League qualification comfortably achieved and outstanding campaigns from Mateo Retegui and Ademola Lookman among others. Yes, there were a few stumbles and grumbles along the way but, for a team which once hovered between Serie A and Serie B this is a golden age.

Juventus – 6/10 It was meant to be the start of a new era under Thiago Motta with both entertaining and winning football but he struggled to deliver either. In the end, he was shown the door and the rebuilding project started once again. Whoever gets the job needs to be given long-term security to start putting La Vecchia Signora back where she belongs. Their transfer strategy of regularly selling off quality young players needs some serious re-examination.

Roma – 7/10 If it was on the second half of the season alone then the mark would be just about a perfect 10. However, the period before Claudio Ranieri’s arrival was abysmal for a side with the quality of players the Giallorossi possessed. He steadied the ship and then set them flying high on a truly outstanding run of results. Whoever comes in will have a hard act to follow and there was not a dry eye in the house as he said goodbye to the Olimpico crowd.

Fiorentina – 6.5/10 It was another year of what might have been for the Viola as they strung together a great winning run and then a very drab streak of results. They missed out on a third Conference League final but somehow or another managed to seal a return to that competition on the final day. Moise Kean and David de Gea were highlights of an often frustrating side which may well be dismantled again in the summer.

Lazio – 6/10 A bit of mixed bag with some great results but there will be regrets that such promise failed to deliver Europe of any flavour. Marco Baroni looked happy at the helm of a bigger side for the first time but it remains to be seen how happy they are with him. If nothing else, they played a part in deciding where the title ended up with their draw with Inter late in the season.

Milan – 5/10 Yes, there was the Supercoppa but this was not a season at the levels the Rossoneri are used to competing at. There was the odd sign of life but overall it never hit the heights that the club would have hoped either under the puzzling Paulo Fonseca or his countryman Sergio Conceicao. Their big players did not deliver consistently either and the fans were understandably disgruntled at the overall outcome of this campaign.

Bologna – 8/10 They might have been bumped out of the Champions League and fallen down the league table but a Coppa Italia win showed that Vincenzo Italiano was on the right track. Despite losing their coach and players like Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori they still fought at the top end of the table and delivered a trophy after a lengthy drought. The trick will be to build on that success.

Como – 7/10 Another team like Roma who would be even higher if judged on the second half of the season alone. A spending splurge in January delivered an impressive upturn in form that saw them soar up the table. Cesc Fabregas has a lot of suitors and it is hardly surprising considering what he has delivered here. The club looks like it could become a Serie A reality for some time to come.

Torino – 6/10 A very vanilla season that fans of the Granata will have got used to by now. Paolo Vanoli showed signs of getting his team to produce a little more entertaining football but they never really kicked on. Che Adams proved a surprising source of goals, though, as the Scotsmen in Serie A continued to thrive. Still, a great club struggling for a real identity and the ability to trouble the top half of the table.

Udinese – 6.5/10 Another year of comfortable survival with some good performances along the way. Kosta Runjaic proved a pretty capable performer and his team did a decent job without ever truly setting the heather alight. Maybe rumours of new American owners can help them to take another step forward and try to challenge for Europe once again.

Genoa – 6/10 It wasn’t spectacular but they secured their continued presence in Serie A with some comfort which did not look a certainty early on. A switch from Alberto Gilardino to Patrick Vieira at the helm was enough to ensure survival although a gamble on Mario Balotelli certainly proved to be pretty ineffective.

Verona – 6.5/10 In the 40th anniversary of their famous Scudetto win, it was enough just to keep their heads above water. They were never in serious danger of going down and that in itself is impressive. Dreams of another league title do seem an awful long way off but they did well enough after losing their influential coach Baroni in the summer.

Cagliari – 6.5/10 Did just enough to survive without ever really producing anything spectacular. In the end, they managed to find a way to win some key clashes but they will hope to do a little bit better in the seasons ahead. Still, Davide Nicola underlined his reputation as the man to turn to if you want to stay afloat.

Parma – 6/10 They started off decently but it proved to be a bit of a slog to avoid dropping back into Serie B. Capable of some exciting football but they were unable to produce the kind of consistency that might have seen them finish a bit higher up the table. Pass marks, probably, but not much more.

Lecce 6.5/10 It looked like a forlorn task at times but a heroic performance on the final day saw them home. To grab a win in Rome over Lazio in order to survive was something very much out of the ordinary and no more than some of the most passionate fans in the top division deserved.

Empoli 5.5/10 There was a time when they looked like they could really be a surprise package but their slump was pretty brutal and their descent was rapid. Their efforts to give young Italian talents were to be admired but it was not enough to keep them above water. Still, they found some more interesting prospects for us all to admire.

Venezia 6/10 It was a bit of a miracle that they actually managed to get to the final day of the season with a shot at staying up. Selling off your star striker and talisman in January was a curious way to do business but it almost worked and Eusebio Di Francesco deserves some credit for giving most of their opponents a pretty tough test.

Monza – 3/10 Having been a bit of a revelation in the past two years, reality bit after losing some key players and their manager in the summer. Nothing seemed to spark a revival and a miserable season ended in relegation with a few rounds of the season left to play. It will be a slog to bounce back after one of the most miserable Serie A campaigns on record.

Serie A has a wealth of talented tacticians and three in particular have gone under the radar following their impressive work in the 2023-24 campaign.

Much has already been written about the top coaches in the Italian topflight, including Simone Inzaghi’s Scudetto winning work with Inter and Thiago Motta’s Cinderella story at Bologna, but looking further down the table there are a handful of other tacticians who’ve shined.

Three underrated Serie A coaches

With the 2023-24 season now drawing to a close in Serie A, which three coaches have quietly impressed this campaign?

1 – Ivan Juric (Torino)

First up on the list is Juric, who is ready to leave Torino this summer after failing to see eye to eye with club president Urbano Cairo. The 48-year-old has continued to shine in the Piedmont capital, doing well considering the limited resources available to him.

The Croatian is a tactically flexible coach, mostly deploying his side in a 3-4-1-2 formation, focusing on a tight press, fast counter attacks and build up on the wings, placing less attention on the centre of the pitch.

Juric is an ambitious and focused coach who is clearly ready for the step up in his career, and his departure will certainly weaken Torino heading into the 2024-25 campaign. With limited options availible in Italy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Croatian coach head abroad for his next club.

2 – Raffaele Palladino (Monza)

Palladino was thrust into the limelight last season after Giovanni Stroppa’s and he quickly found a rhythm at Monza, giving them a strong foundation in their first season in the topflight. He’s followed that up with another impressive season in Serie A, keeping the Biancorossi safe once again.

The Italian tactician has done well to get the most out of talents like Andrea Colpani, Valentin Carboni and Michele Di Gregorio, playing a positive brand of attacking football with a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 system.

Palladino has already started to attract attention from some more ambitious clubs and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him move up the ladder this summer, seemingly ready to have more resources at his disposal.

3 – Alberto Gilardino (Genoa)

Gilardino quickly impressed with Genoa in his debut season, guiding them back up to Serie A in his debut campaign, and he didn’t let the pressures of the topflight impact his positive style of attacking football.

The Ligurian outfit quickly impressed in Serie A this season, picking up early wins over Lazio and Roma, and the 2006 World Cup winner’s work allowed players like Albert Gudmundsson and Mateo Retegui to impress, keeping his side comfortable in the mid-table.

Gilardino recently agreed a new contract with Genoa, news that’ll come as a blessing to fans on the Ligurian coast, who should be excited to see what comes next under the former striker.

While some players grew and shined, others struggled to show their best in Serie A in the 2023-24 season, with three in particular proving disappointing.

A number of players emerged as key figures across the campaign, including Genoa’s Albert Gudmundsson, Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori and Torino’s Raoul Bellanova, but others couldn’t manage to produce the goods when it mattered for their teams.

Three disappointing Serie A players

With the 2023-24 season now drawing to a close in Serie A, which three players disappointed fans this term?

1 – Paul Pogba (Juventus)

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Pogba exists. Once a magical midfielder with skills, tricks and vision, he looked a shadow of his former self when he returned to Juventus back in July 2022. Whilst his first year back was wrought with injury after injury, his second went even worse.

Benched for the season opener against Udinese, he came on as a substitute for the following two matches against Bologna and Empoli, where he showed nothing of note. Then it all went wrong.

Pogba failed a doping test taken after that opening game with the Friulian side and was ultimately handed a four-year ban, a decision that may end his career even if the Frenchman has revealed that he will lodge an appeal. In the months since, he’s slipped out of relevance, and will eventually be a player lost to the annals of time, a disservice to the talent he once showed.

2 – Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli)

The captain of the 2022-23 Scudetto winners, Di Lorenzo was unfortunately a contributing factor behind Napoli’s dire post-league success, failing to impress on the pitch and not managing to be enough of a leader when it counted off of it.

As the team’s form continued to tumble and fall, the 30-year-old was unable to help turn things around and his performances on the right side of the pitch left a lot to be desired, disappointing fans in the Campania capital.

Heading into the summer, Di Lorenzo has asked Napoli to let him leave, and considering his poor work this season, this may come as a something of a relief for supporters.

3 – Ciro Immobile (Lazio)

Once one of the most prolific strikers in Serie A, Immobile has looked on the decline in the Italian capital this season, managing just seven goals across 30 league appearances, looking far off the player who won four Capocannoniere titles earlier in his career.

A frustrating figure, the 34-year-old is clearly approaching the twilight of his playing days and his lack of leadership in the Lazio squad saw him become a figure of ire amongst supporters in Rome, who grew tired with his lack of responsibility and humility despite his poor form.

With Valentin Castellanos keen to take on the starting spot in Igor Tudor’s frontline, it’s hard to see where Immobile goes next, needing to somehow prove himself once again after a difficult 2023-24 season.

Serie A is continuing to have an increasing American influence, with four USMNT players impressing on the pitch in Italy this term.

The Italian topflight already has a heavy American influence off the pitch, with seven of the 20 clubs owned by businessmen or funds from the United States – Atalanta, Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Milan, Parma and Roma.

Four Americans in Serie A

On the pitch, four Americans have become regular features in Serie A, two at Milan and two at Juventus, giving them an opportunity to impress in the seasons building towards the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

1 – Christian Pulisic (Milan)

The 25-year-old arrived at Milan from Chelsea back in July 2023 in a deal worth around €20m, a bargain price considering his strong debut season in Serie A. He quickly managed to impress for the Rossoneri, carving out a regular spot for himself in the squad.

In his first year in Italy, Pulisic saw 3611 minutes of action across 50 total appearances for Milan, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists, proving to be one of their best signings of that summer’s transfer window.

2 – Weston McKennie (Juventus)

After a difficult 2022-23 season, the 25-year-old returned to Serie A with a vengeance this season, looking to be one of the better performers in a fairly lacklustre Juventus, trying to control proceedings from the midfield.

This term, McKennie provided 10 assists across 2950 minutes of action across 38 matches for the Old Lady, seemingly doing enough to earn himself a new contract in the Piedmont capital.

3 – Yunus Musah (Milan)

A diamond in the rough, the 21-year-old also arrived at the Rossoneri in the summer of 2023, joining from Valencia for around €20m. Whilst his debut campaign was less explosive than Pulisic’s, he still showed a number of positives for the Milanese club.

Musah played 2239 minutes of football for Milan in his first year at the club, providing two assists and showing his tactical flexibility in a number of roles across the midfield.

4 – Timothy Weah (Juventus)

Following in the footsteps of his father, the 24-year-old landed in the Italian peninsula last summer to join the Bianconeri from Lille in a deal worth circa €11m, giving the club another option on the right side of the pitch.

For Juventus, Weah scored one goal and provided two assists across 35 matches, seeing just 1380 minutes of action for the club. Whilst he struggled to show his best under Massimiliano Allegri, things could change under his likely successor Thiago Motta.

After choosing their ideal XI for the 2023-24 Serie A campaign, Football Italia writers also picked their all-Italian team for the just-ended campaign.

With Euro 2024 just around the corner, we could not end the season without an all-Italian Serie A XI for 2023-24.

Several Azzurri, such as Federico Dimarco, Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori have already been mentioned in our Best Serie A XI for 2023-24, but they also feature in the all-Italian team.

Almost every Football Italia writer has mentioned Torino centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno, and the same is true of Federico Chiesa and Gianluca Scamacca, who had not found space in our ideal Serie A XIs.

By the look of it, Raoul Bellanova was the best right wing-back in the league, having ended the season with one goal and seven assists for Torino.

The Granata defender was included by Luciano Spalletti in the preliminary Italy squad for Euro 2024.

Below are our picks for the ideal all-Italian Serie A XI for 2023-24. Let us know your thoughts and your Best line-up in the comments section.

All-Italian Serie A XI – picked by Football Italia writers

Susy (3-5-2) – Montipò; Calafiori, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Bellanova, Barella, Folorunsho, Lo. Pellegrini, Dimarco; Scamacca, Chiesa.

Peter (3-5-2) – Di Gregorio; Buongiorno, Bastoni, Calafiori; Bellanova, Barella, Bonaventura, Pellegrini, Dimarco; Orsolini, Scamacca.

Apollo (3-4-2-1) – Di Gregorio; Bastoni, Calafiori, Scalvini; Bellanova, Barella, Pellegrini, Dimarco; Chiesa, Orsolini; Retegui

Lorenzo (3-4-1-2) – Di Gregorio; Calafiori, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Bellanova, Barella, Frattesi, Dimarco; Orsolini, Scamacca, Chiesa.

Football Italia writers have picked their ideal Serie A XI for the 2023-24 campaign. Check it out and let us know your Team of the Season in the comments section.

Inter dominated the Serie A campaign winning their 20th title in history and adding a second star to their chest for the 2024-25 season.

Therefore, several Nerazzurri stars feature in the Ideal XIs picked by Football Italia writers for the 2023-24 campaign, but they are not alone.

• Read more – Triumph or Disaster? Serie A Ratings 2023-24

Our writers mention several Bologna and Atalanta players in their ideal XIs, including Teun Koopmeiners and Riccardo Calafiori. The same is true of Juventus’ Gleison Bremer and Genoa’s Albert Gudmundsson.

Most of these players were also selected by Opta in their Best Serie A XI for 2023-24 based on stats, but notable names were omitted as well, such as Juventus’ forward Dusan Vlahovic, the second-best league scorer this season, and Italy star Gianluca Scamacca.

Serie A 2023-24 Ideal XI picked by Football Italia writers

Susy (3-5-2) – Sommer; Kolasinac, Vasquez, Calafiori; Pulisic, Ferguson, Calhanoglu, Koopmeiners, Dimarco; Gudmundsson, Lautaro Martinez.

Apollo (3-5-2) – Di Gregorio; Bastoni, Calafiori, Bremer; Bellanova, Koopmeiners, Calhanoglu, Ferguson, Dimarco; Gudmundsson, Lautaro.

Peter (3-4-3) – Sommer; Bremer, Bastoni, Calafiori; Bellanova, Calhanoglu, Koopmeiners, Dimarco; Dybala, Lautaro, Pulisic.

Lorenzo (3-4-1-2) – Sommer; Bremer, Calafiori, Bastoni; Pulisic, Calhanoglu, Koopmeiners, Dimarco; Gudmundsson; Lautaro, Zirkzee

Opta has included Lautaro Martinez, Christian Pulisic, and Gleison Bremer in the best XI for the 2023-24 Serie A campaign.

The 2023-24 Serie A campaign is over and Opta has named the ideal XI based on their stats.

Five Italian players are included in the team: Michele Di Gregogio, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Federico Dimarco and Raoul Bellanova.

Luciano Spalletti has included all of them, except Di Gregorio, in Italy’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024.

Serie A champions Inter have four representatives in the Opta team with top scorer Lautaro Martinez and Turkey international Hakan Calhanoglu joining Bastoni and Dimarco.

Opta’s 3-4-3 formation features Albert Gudmundsson and Pulisic in attack alongside Lautaro. Football Italia included Gudmundsson and Calafiori among the three most surprising players in the league this season.

Juventus’ Gleison Bremer and Atalanta’s Teun Koppmeiners complete Opta’s ideal XI for the 2023-24 Serie A campaign.

XI – Here is the Serie A 2023/24 best XI based on Opta data. Charm. pic.twitter.com/dg1nZSJiwG

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) May 27, 2024

Roma have finished the Serie A campaign with 63 points for the third season running, which means their best result over the last five years was in 2019-20 when they earned 70 points under Paulo Fonseca.

Roma have once again failed to qualify for the Champions League, even with five spots available in Serie A and Atalanta winning the Europa League.

Daniele De Rossi said after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Empoli that the Giallorossi have “many things” to improve, and this becomes quite evident when analysing their results in Serie A over the last five years.

Fonseca finished the 2019-20 campaign at the Stadio Olimpico, the last one of the Pallotta era, in fifth place with 70 points, eight below Lazio. That has been the best Giallorossi season since.

Roma didn’t improve Serie A results under Fonseca, Mourinho and De Rossi

Fonseca earned 62 points in 2020-21 while his compatriot Mourinho managed 63 in each of the following two Serie A campaigns.

The Special One was sacked in January 2024 and replaced by Daniele De Rossi, but despite a clear development in terms of playing style, Roma still finished the season with 63 points, not enough for a Champions League placement.

Roma last played in Europe’s elite competition in 2018-19, when they were eliminated by Porto in the Round of 16.

Many players exceeded expectations in the 2023-24 Serie A campaign, but Football Italia picked three who stood out from the rest.

Another exciting Serie A campaign has come to an end with Inter securing the 20th title in their history and Frosinone joining Sassuolo and Salernitana in Serie B.

Impressive results in European competitions allowed five Serie A clubs to qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League and the 5th-ranked, Bologna, did feature many surprising players this season.

1. Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna)

Sorry, Joshua Zirkzee, but we’ll pick one player from each team, and Calafiori has a slight edge over you. The Dutch forward was surely among the most impressive players of the campaign and was named best U23 by Lega Serie A. However, Calafiori was slightly more surprising than his teammate and not only for his €4m transfer fee, which Bologna paid to sign him from Basel last summer. Calafiori was meant to be battling Victor Kristiansen for a starting spot as a left-back, but he quickly evolved into a solid centre-back. The product of Roma academy was among the three players shortlisted for the Serie A defender of the season alongside Juventus’ Gleison Bremer and Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni, the eventual winner. Most importantly, his performances allowed him to earn a spot in Italy’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024 and coach Luciano Spalletti is ready to include him in the final 26-man team. Bologna had an incredible campaign, and honestly, each one of their players would deserve to be mentioned here.

2. Albert Gudmundsson

We know the Genoa star had contributed to their Serie A promotion last season with 11 goals in 36 Serie B games, but the 26-year-old managed even more this term with 14 goals in 35 Serie A matches. Only Lautaro Martinez, Dusan Vlahovic, Victor Osimhen and Olivier Giroud were more prolific in 2023-24. What’s even more impressive is that Gudmundsson needed only 23 shots on target this season to find the net 14 times. His outstanding debut season in Serie A helped him attract interest from some of the wealthiest and biggest clubs in Europe, but if the Iceland international dreamt of a Premier League transfer only a few years ago, now he seems more inclined to stay in Serie A and Calcio fans could not be happier, especially those of Inter, Juventus and Napoli, three clubs linked with the versatile striker this summer.

3. Charles De Ketelaere

The Belgian would not have been on this list if Paolo Maldini had been the author of this article, but here we are. The former Milan director strongly believed in CDK’s quality and acquired him at San Siro for over €35m in 2022. However, the Belgian only delivered an assist in 40 appearances with the Rossoneri last season, so he was loaned out at Atalanta and Gian Piero Gasperini did find the key to turn CDK on. It’s not only about his 10 goals and seven assists in 34 league games. De Ketelaere emerged in an Atalanta side filled with attacking talent. Gianluca Scamacca and El Bilal Touré became the most expensive signings in the club’s history last summer. Ademola Lookman had already impressed in his first season in Bergamo, and Teun Koopmeiners was used as an attacking midfielder for the majority of the campaign. There were injuries, this is true, but very few in Bergamo missed Scamacca when the Italian was forced to the sidelines with an injury at the end of 2023. CDK took his chance and contributed to Atalanta’s successes. Playing closer to the opponents’ goal has proved to be key to De Ketelaere, who will remain in Bergamo beyond the summer, completing a permanent €25m transfer, loan fee included.

Lautaro Martinez kept improving and became the Serie A leading scorer in 2023-24, but his future at San Siro remains uncertain.

Lautaro Martinez’s goal tally in Serie A has increased steadily during his six-year stay at Inter. This season, the Argentinean inspired Inter’s title-winning campaign, becoming the best scorer in the league with 24 goals in 33 appearances.

El Toro had netted six times in 27 Serie A games in 2018-19, his first at the Stadio Meazza. There were significant improvements starting from the following campaign, which saw Lautaro find the net 14 times in 35 matches.

The following two seasons ended with a nearly identical record: 21 goals in 35 Serie A games in 2021-22 and the same amount in 38 matches in 2022-23.

Lautaro added three more league goals in 2023-24 becoming the Serie A Capocannoniere for the first time in his career.

Lautaro Martinez: Serie A leading scorer keeps improving

The 26-year-old was incredibly consistent this season, and one of the highlights of his 2023-24 was surely in Salerno, where Lautaro scored four times after coming off the bench and helping Inter secure a 4-0 win.

Lautaro only took a break from scoring in April, when he failed to get his name on the scoresheet in seven consecutive Serie A games, while his final goal this season came in a 5-0 victory against Frosinone at the Stadio Stirpe two weeks ago.

As Lautaro admitted in a recent interview, his record can be partially explained by a slight tactical change that saw him play as a pure centre forward with Marcus Thuram working to unlock defences and create space for his captain.

Inter have changed many forwards since Lautaro arrived six years ago, but the Argentinean has always proved to be an ideal strike partner for everyone, from Mauro Icardi to Edin Dzeko, from Romelu Lukaku to Thuram.

This season, El Toro has also had a key role off the pitch, as he was named the new captain in the summer of 2023. Advice from other dressing room leaders, such as Francesco Acerbi and Nicolò Barella, helped the Argentinean in his new role, but his commitment and attitude in every match proved Lautaro entered a new dimension this season.

Lautaro’s Inter future still uncertain

Inter fans hope this will also help negotiations between the Argentinean and the club. Both parties are willing to extend beyond 2026, but Beppe Marotta confirmed on Sunday night, before the last game of the season against Verona which Lautaro entirely spent on the bench, that the striker’s salary demands and the recent shift of power from Suning to Oaktree have slown negotiations down.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Lautaro will leave in the summer, as he still has two years left in his contract.

However, failing to reach an agreement in the coming weeks, would make Inter more vulnerable and Lautaro more inclined to listen to higher offers from other clubs.

Lautaro reiterated that he is happy at Inter and in Milan, but clearly, rumours and speculation about his future won’t cease until he puts pen to paper on a new agreement.

Time will tell if the Argentinean will keep improving at the Stadio Meazza in 2024-25 and help Inter reach the Champions League Final again. As Simone Inzaghi said last night, it’s time for Inter to celebrate but obviously, extending with Lautaro would be the best starting point for Oaktree’s new era.

There was joy and disappointment, success and failure, skill and controversy in another captivating Serie A season. Giancarlo Rinaldi gives his grades to the 20 participants in this year’s colourful Campionato.

Not all teams are created equal. Expectations at football’s giants mean that sometimes a finish near the top end of the table can still constitute underachievement. And at the same time, dodging the drop on the final day could represent a glorious triumph for those with more modest resources. Context, as always, is king.

It all makes it devilishly tricky to grade a league campaign with so many different shades of display over 38 matches. A change of coach, a January transfer or an injury to a key player can all have deep transformative effects on a football team. Only a fool would try to make sense of that deeply complex issue and convert it into marks out of 10. So, here we go then. Please remember, this is for their Serie A displays alone.

INTER – 9/10 – It probably could have been a perfect 10 if it wasn’t for their version of kryptonite – Sassuolo. Otherwise, the Nerazzurri were the uncontested best in Italy and finished streets ahead of their chasers. They had, far and away, the best squad and proved it with devastating effect.

MILAN – 7/10 – It was painful to watch their city cousins crush everything in their path and Stefano Pioli bore the brunt of supporters’ anger. Still, to more impartial eyes, he did a respectable job with the resources at his disposal. Time will tell if a new occupant can deliver any more with the players the Rossoneri possess.

JUVENTUS – 5/10 – When winning is the only thing, a top-four finish simply doesn’t cut it. The Bianconeri briefly flirted with a title challenge but their dreadful 1-0 win football eventually caught up with them. The Coppa Italia was consolation but that doesn’t boost their mark for a miserable Serie A battle.

ATALANTA – 8/10 – A sluggish start suggested to some – myself included – that Gian Piero Gasperini might have lost his magic but he made a mockery of that assessment. Slowly but surely he reinvented another great side and blasted his way back into the Champions League. Their European form would send the mark even higher into the stratosphere and Atalanta can still finish third if they win their game in hand against Fiorentina on Sunday.

BOLOGNA, WE DID IT. #UCL #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/OCzf1RD2E4

— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) May 12, 2024

BOLOGNA – 9/10 – To return to Europe would have been achievement enough but to make the Champions League could be revolutionary for the Rossoblu. They played cracking football and developed some of the league’s most envied talents in the process. Now they will hope to make sure the loss of Thiago Motta is not the start of a wider exodus.

ROMA – 6.5/10 – A real season of two halves from the surly, grouchy, red card heavy José Mourinho days to the more jovial, free-flowing form under Daniele De Rossi. A top six spot was enough to give them Europe of some flavour but they will hope to press on and finish higher in the next campaign.

LAZIO – 5.5/10 – Another club who changed coaches through the season to some effect but it couldn’t completely erase feelings of disappointment. Second place in 2022/23 should have been something to build on but instead their football went backwards and it looks like any advantage over their city rivals has been spurned.

FIORENTINA – 6/10 – The last dance for the Vincenzo Italiano era was an inconsistent one which delivered much more in cup competitions than it did in the league. They stumbled to another European finish, which owed a bit to their own efforts on the continent, but the pursuit of a consistent scorer hampered them throughout.

TORINO – 6/10 – They might yet end up with European football which would be a reward for some progress – if not spectacularly so. A tight defence helped to boost them up the table but an average of less than a goal per game did not make them a side many neutrals would tune in to see.

NAPOLI – 4/10 – The reigning champions delivered probably the worst defence of a Scudetto crown in history. Despite the loss of their coach they should have managed much more but it felt like a lengthy hangover after a glorious celebration. It started badly under Rudi Garcia and never improved. Fan delight, though, may still take years to subside.

pic.twitter.com/miLW6T5vt1

— Genoa CFC (@GenoaCFC) May 24, 2024

GENOA – 7/10 – Some bad early results had many concerned about the Grifone’s fate but Alberto Gilardino steadied the ship to achieve a more than comfortable survival. With Samp stuck at least another year in Serie B, it gives them bragging rights in the city for some time. And all done while playing some more than respectable football.

MONZA – 6.5/10 – To confirm last season’s revelation was impressive enough but still there must be some regret that they failed to push on. On their day they were more than capable of giving anyone a game but a little more work is needed to make another leap forward. Decent, but felt like it could have been even better.

VERONA – 7.5/10 – Not everyone could lose half their team in January and still build Serie A survival out of it but Marco Baroni did. Hats off to the Florentine coach and his players for battling with such spirit and resolve to defy the odds. Can they do it again next season? Never say never.

LECCE – 6.5/10 – Survival was always the objective and it was managed with the backing of a never anything less than vociferous support. Still, they feel a bit caught in a halfway house where they could aspire to a little bit more than just keeping their heads above water. Credit for staying up but with a nagging thought that there might have been more possible.

CAGLIARI – 7/10 – A sentimental vote for Claudio Ranieri’s last campaign which delivered another season in Serie A just as he did in the islands so many years ago. There were so many epic moments that his substitutes turned a game that you could hardly fail to have been entertained. Hail Claudio indeed.

Tu che chiamale se vuoi… EMOZIONI pic.twitter.com/PKLJCjIyek

— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) May 22, 2024

UDINESE – 5.5/10 – Another club of constant sliding doors where the lack of consistent personnel from season to season took its toll. They chopped and changed their coaches too in a bid to find the form that could banish thoughts of Serie B. On the final day, Fabio Cannavaro oversaw the win that got them home but it was far from easy.

EMPOLI –  6.5/10 – They were always under pressure in Tuscany after a dreadful start to the campaign but they never lost faith. They binned Paolo Zanetti quickly, turned to Aurelio Andreazzoli before eventually going for Mr Miracles – Davide Nicola. He delivered with an epic late win over Roma on the last day to keep them up.

FROSINONE 6/10 – There was a brief spell at the start of the season when they threatened to outshine regional rivals Roma and Lazio but it soon settled into a tougher fight. Still, they kept Eusebio Di Francesco and it produced some decent football at times. It ended, though, in the cruellest heartache in the season’s dying embers.

SASSUOLO – 4/10 – The victories over Inter aside this was largely a depressing campaign as all the player sales seemed to take their toll. A serious injury to Mimmo Berardi was the lid on the relegation coffin after more than a decade. Now the hard work begins to ensure they bounce back quickly.

SALERNITANA – 3/10 – A chaotic summer quickly led to a desperate year where they seemed destined for Serie B almost from the outset. Without the goals of Boulaye Dia they looked like a Second Division side with a scattergun approach to signings. A big shake-up will be needed to get back to the top flight.

Empoli securing Serie A safety deep into stoppages was just the latest miracle in the career of coach Davide Nicola, who has learned to annihilate the idea of an impossible situation.

The Tuscans knew they needed a victory against Roma to secure their safety and Houssem Aouar cancelled out the Matteo Cancellieri opener.

At the 93^rd minute, Cancellieri rolled across for substitute M’Baye Niang to drill home the winner at 2-1, sending Frosinone to Serie B instead.

Empoli looked doomed in penultimate place when Nicola took the job on January 15, but he has overseen six wins, five draws and seven defeats to drag them out of the drop zone.

Nicola, the comeback king

It was only the latest in a series of incredible comebacks, as Nicola started his reputation by taking over a Crotone side with just nine points in 2017 and picking up 21 points in the last 15 games to secure safety.

Funnily enough, the team he sent down instead that year was Empoli.

Nicola kept his pledge and took a bicycle ride with his staff all the way from Crotone to his home town of Turin, covering 1,300km in nine days.

He performed another comeback at Genoa in December 2019, taking them from last place with 11 points in 17 rounds to safety with 28 points in the last 21 games.

The most dramatic and seemingly impossible achievement was at Salernitana in 2021-22.

Nicola was their third coach of the campaign, he arrived in February 2022 with them rock bottom on 13 points from 23 rounds, making up an eight-point gap from the safety zone to secure their status.

This evening, he posted a message on his social media account.

It had ‘I promise you’ wiped out and replaced by: ‘I will show you.’

pic.twitter.com/18rI2bnFXt

— Davide Nicola (@DavideNicolaOff) May 26, 2024

Here are all the verdicts for the 2023-24 Serie A campaign, with Inter crowned champions and Salernitana, Sassuolo, and Frosinone relegated.

Frosinone are the third Serie A team to be relegated to the second division in 2023-24. The Ciociari lost 1-0 to Udinese at the Stadio Stirpe tonight, seeing Keinan Davis, a former Aston Villa and Watford striker, score his first Serie A goal.

Empoli had to thank M’Baye Niang for a late winner in a 2-1 victory over Roma, which kept them in the top division.

Serie A 2023-24: Champions, teams qualified for Europe and relegations – All the verdicts

Roma were surely more disappointed as Atalanta’s 3-0 win over Torino in the afternoon meant the Giallorossi could not qualify for the Champions League.

Inter, Milan, Juventus, Atalanta, and Bologna will play in Europe’s elite competition next season. Roma and Lazio will play in the Europa League, and Fiorentina will play in the Conference League.

However, if the Tuscans win the Conference League Final against Olympiacos next week, they will also play in the Europa League in 2024-25, sending 9th-placed. Torino to the Conference League.

Teams look to the transfer market to help fill gaps or solve their woes, but not every signing can be a success, something that was apparent in Serie A in the 2022-23 season.

Italian teams spent a total of €851.2m in transfer fees across the two windows – not including wages or commissions – and some players proved better value for money than others. The most expensive signing of the 2022-23 season was Juventus’ purchase of Gleison Bremer from rivals Torino, costing €41m.

Taking costs, performances and statistics into account, which players were the most disappointing signings of the 2022-23 campaign?

1 – Charles De Ketelaere

It’s fair to say that this is not a particularly brave choice to begin with. The young Belgian was highly rated at Club Brugge and was the main focus on Milan’s work in the summer transfer window last year, costing them around €35m.

Unfortunately for De Ketelaere and Milan, he failed to live up to his potential in his debut season in Serie A, providing just one assist in 32 Serie A appearances. The underlying numbers were no kinder to the 22-year-old, who produced an xG of 2.0 and an xA of 2.0 in that time.

Some excuses for his poor debut campaign are valid, such as the fact that the jump from Belgium to Italy is a big one and that his talent is apparent, even if his adaption is taking longer than initially hoped.

Whilst it’s far too early to suggest that De Ketelaere is a total failure at Milan, he clearly needs to show something more in his second season if he wants to continue wearing the red and black shirt for the coming years.

2 – Paul Pogba

Another obvious, and possibly slightly unfair, pick for this list. The Frenchman emerged as a star during his first spell in Turin, leading to his €105m return to Manchester United in 2016, but he failed to live up to expectation with the Red Devils and left on a free transfer last year.

Whilst his struggles with fitness and various injuries have been no secret, Juventus clearly didn’t realise just how problematic this could be, handing him a four-year contract worth €8m net per season.

Pogba suffered a knee injury during the pre-season in July and ignored the advice of the club and multiple doctors, not wanting to jeopardise his spot in the France squad for the 2022 World Cup by undergoing surgery. He elected for a conservative treatment plan, and this backfired majorly, exacerbating the injury and forcing him to undergo an operation in early September.

The Frenchman had to wait until late February to make his first appearance for Juventus, and he did little to help his case when he was spotted skiing in the winter break, frustrating the fans. After two cameo appearances in Serie A, he was again sidelined with a muscle injury, having injured himself taking a free kick in training.

When things finally started to go right for Pogba in the latter stages of the 2022-23 season, having shown flashes of his brilliance, he suffered a hamstring injury that again forced him out of action, capping off an entirely miserable season for the 2018 World Cup winner.

3 – Divock Origi

What happened to the player who produced a handful of decisive moments for Liverpool in the Champions League? Because he certainly didn’t join Milan on a free transfer last summer. The Belgian striker was given a four-year deal worth €4m net per season, and he did not justify that investment in his debut season in Italy.

Calling Origi a player on the fringes would be disrespectful to those trying to break into the first team. The 28-year-old showed almost nothing of note for the Rossoneri, managing just two goals in 27 Serie A appearances. His underlying numbers were even worse than fellow flop De Ketelaere, producing a combined xG+xA of 3.3.

For Milan, the most sensible option now seems to be simply cutting their losses and selling Origi this summer, allowing them to at least make some capital gains in their balance sheets. Considering that they’re a team trying to stay at the top in Italy and maintain their recent growth, it may be best to consider the Belgian a risk that didn’t pan out.

4 – Luis Maximiano

Lazio lost both Thomas Strakosha and Pepe Reina last summer, forcing them to invest in the goalkeeping department. They decided to pay around €10m for Luis Maximiano, a player who’d shown positive signs with both Sporting CP and Granada, and the deal initially looked to be a smart one.

Well, it didn’t take long for this to change. Six minutes, in fact. The 24-year-old was sent off after less than 360 seconds into his debut in the season opener against Bologna for handling the ball outside the penalty area, a moment that truly defined his first season in the Italian capital.

After this, Ivan Provedel took over, and quickly proved himself a brick wall for Maurizio Sarri, leaving Luis Maximiano on the fringes of the squad. Whilst he made a handful of appearances in the Coppa Italia and Conference League, it wasn’t enough to justify his price tag, and it’s no surprise that the Biancocelesti are already looking to send him packing after 12 months.

5 – Andrea Belotti

Once upon a time, Belotti was one of the most exciting strikers in Serie A, having scored 26 goals in 35 games for Torino in the 2016-17 season. Whilst he struggled to hit those heights again, he still left the Granata with 113 goals in 251 appearances, and was an interesting addition to Jose Mourinho’s Roma squad when he arrived on a free transfer last summer.

Linking up with players like Tammy Abraham, Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, Belotti was expected to be a moderately reliable source of goals for the Giallorossi, but he failed to live up to this expectation, netting just four times in 1999 minutes of action across 46 games.

Whilst he’s far from the most expensive disappointment on this list, the 29-year-old still proved a frustrating and oft-forgettable figure in the Italian capital, looking a shadow of the player that was once considered to be one of the more reliable centre forwards in Serie A.

One thing that can dramatically change a team’s fortunes is a successful signing, something multiple Serie A sides truly discovered in the 2022-23 season.

Italian teams spent a total of €851.2m in transfer fees across the two windows – not including wages or commissions – and some of these players went on to play a vital role for their respective clubs, taking them to new heights or keeping things under control as the campaign went on. Some of these have already become true fan favourites, a sign of their immediate impact.

Looking at costs, performances and the underlying numbers, which players were the most impressive signings of the 2022-23 season?

1 – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Let’s get the most obvious choice for this list on the board straight away. Kvaratskhelia has been one of the two main symbols of Napoli’s historic Scudetto success this season, exploding onto the scene with his tricky feet, devilish runs, and impressive ability to find the back of the net.

The 22-year-old Georgian winger, who only cost around €11.5m, scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in his first 34 Serie A appearances, a truly incredible return on investment that helped Luciano Spalletti’s side charge to their third ever Scudetto.

In the space of 12 months, Kvaratskhelia has emerged as one of the most exciting and talented youngsters in European football and is already a fan favourite in the Campania capital.

2 – Paulo Dybala

Many Juventus fans were not particularly happy with the club’s decision to let Dybala leave on a free transfer last summer, and his debut season with Jose Mourinho’s Roma has justified these feelings. The focal point of the Giallorossi attack, no player contributed more to the club this season than the Argentine forward.

The 2022 World Cup winner scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 25 Serie A games under Mourinho, and when he was absent through injury it was painfully felt by his teammates and the fans.

Dybala even allowed Roma to briefly dream on the European stage when he put them 1-0 up over Sevilla in the 34^th minute of the Europa League final. Whilst the Giallorossi ultimately went on to lose that match, they wouldn’t have even been there in the first place if not for the 29-year-old.

3 – Andre Onana

Another player who arrived on a free transfer last summer, Onana quickly displaced long-time custodian Samir Handanovic to become the new number one at Inter, and it’s not hard to see why. The former Ajax man perfectly fit Simone Inzaghi’s system, being equally comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is shot stopping.

The 27-year-old was a key figure for Inter in both Serie A and the Champions League, keeping 16 clean sheets in 37 games across both competitions. His work allowed Inzaghi’s side to unexpectedly reach the final of Europe’s premier club competition, and his reliability between the sticks helped the team secure a vital top four finish.

After only a year, Onana has already attracted attention from some of the top clubs around Europe but Inter have no desire to lose the goalkeeper as they look to build on their growth and try to taste victory in Serie A once again.

4 – Kim Min-Jae

Being asked to replace Kalidou Koulibaly is no small task. The Senegalese centre back was the ever-reliable rock at the back for Napoli and a truly loved figure in the Campania capital, so Kim’s ability to instantly fill that void and help the fans move on from Koulibaly is nothing short of incredible.

Seeing over 3000 minutes of action in Serie A under Spalletti, the Korean defender was an important cog in the Partenopei’s tactical system, being both an intelligent and domineering centre back whilst also playing a crucial role in the team’s build-up play, pulling off 4.99 progressive passes and 1.24 progressive carries per 90 minutes on average.

It’s hard to overstate just how important Kim was to Napoli this season and his presence was undoubtedly a key factor in their ability to win the Scudetto for the first time in over three decades. Even if he leaves after just a year, he’ll never be forgotten in the Campania capital.

5 – Boulaye Dia

Kvaratskhelia and Kim were core parts of the puzzle in Napoli’s Scudetto success, but just down in the road in Campania and at the opposite end of the Serie A table, no player was more heroic for Salernitana this season than Dia. Arriving from Villarreal on a loan deal with a buy option attached, the 26-year-old did not disappoint for his new club.

Dia scored 13 goals in 33 Serie A games for the Granata, and his work single-handedly secured a number of points across the campaign for the club. The Senegalese striker’s goals picked up 13 points for Salernitana, allowing them to finish 15^th in the table, 11 points away from the relegation zone.

Without the 26-year-old striker, Salernitana could’ve been at real risk of suffering the drop down to Serie B, so it’s no surprise that the Campania side are ready to activate the €12m buy option attached to his deal.

The star names of Serie A don’t always live up to their billing regardless of reputation or past achievements. While some remain permanently in the spotlight others are eclipsed by previously unheralded talents. In a campaign which produced a surprise title winner in Napoli a fresh set of players proved they could cut it in Europe’s most competitive league.

Here are 10 of the breakthrough performers in the 2022-2023 season.  

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)

Untested at the top level in Europe before his move to Napoli the Georgian winger was named Serie A’s most valuable player after a scintillating Scudetto-winning season.

An exhilarating entertainer with an endless supply of flashy flicks and feints, the 22-year-old scattered his own unique brand of magic dust across the league as the Partenopei surged to a historic third title. Likened to incomparable club legend Diego Maradona he teamed up with striker Victor Osimhen to devastating effect. He fired in 12 goals and provided another 10 in a campaign of glorious moments. Thrilling slalom runs and goals as he waltzed through the entire Sassuolo and Atalanta backlines and a brilliant strike in the 5-1 thrashing of Juventus were among the many highlights of an unforgettable season.  

Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)

A breathtaking season in which the Italian international winger posted a double-figure top-flight goal tally for the first time in his career.

The former Hellas Verona player raised his game to new heights under coach Maurizio Sarri, as he scored 10 times and recorded six assists as the Biancocelesti placed second behind champions Napoli. He frequently embarrassed full-backs across Serie A with incisive trademark turns on to his favoured right foot. Quickly became a firm fan favourite after netting the winner in the Rome derby in March and rounded off a wonderful team move to seal victory against Juventus at Stadio Olimpico. 

Rasmus Hojlund (Atalanta)

A dazzling fusion of rapid acceleration and constant movement, the young Dane justified his €17 million price tag as he helped Atalanta qualify for the Europa League.

It took him a while to get going, but after just one goal in 15 games, he picked up the pace to finish his first Serie A season with a total of nine strikes and two assists.

The fearless 20-year-old rarely backed down from physical confrontation and used his ferocious pace to escape even the speediest of defenders. Gained confidence in front of goal as the campaign progressed and has been targeted by English Premier League giants Manchester United among others.

Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus)

A rare beacon of light in a season marred by off-the-field scandal the Juve youngster excelled after being elevated to the Bianconeri first-team.

Backed by coach Massimiliano Allegri the 22-year-old with the magical touch showed off all his skills in the Old Lady’s midfield. Technically brilliant, tenacious in the tackle and capable of passing through opposition defences Fagioli also scored three goals and registered three assists in 26 games. A decisive curled strike at Lecce was the highlight of a season in which he was honoured as the best young player in Serie A.  

Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli)

The stylish trequartista marked his arrival on the big stage with a stunning winner at Inter in his first full season at Empoli.

He joined the Tuscan club at the age of eight and steadily advanced through the ranks before becoming a top-team midfield mainstay. 

The most promising of the recent batch of Empoli youth team graduates, he consistently caught the eye with his close control and attacking surges. Netted four times in 26 appearances as Paolo Zanetti’s side kept their place in Serie A. 

Lewis Ferguson (Bologna)

The flexible midfielder flourished under Bologna coach Thiago Motta in an accomplished inaugural season in Italy.

Suspended and out of favour in the opening seven games, the 23-year-old Scot quickly established himself as a dependable first-choice selection for the Rossoblu.

Registered seven goals, including a sublime curler against Sassuolo, which was voted the November goal of the month, as Bologna finished ninth in the table. On the radar of several bigger clubs after an excellent opening Serie A campaign.  

Boulaye Dia (Salernitana)

Almost single-handedly fired Salernitana to safety with six goals in as many games to end the season as the third-highest goalscorer in Serie A.

The electric surge included a stunner at Napoli and a hat-trick against Fiorentina as the Senegalese international finished with a total of 16 goals.

The on-loan Villareal attacker began the campaign with three goals in the opening four fixtures and, despite a mid-term lull, reserved his best form for when it mattered most. 

Carlos Augusto (Monza)

Emerged as one of the most effective wing-backs in the league as Monza comfortably secured their Serie A status.

The Brazilian sped through the gears on the left flank to score six times and set up five goals as he became a key part of the promoted side’s transition attack.

Although predominantly left-footed, he netted a superb volley with his right as Monza drew at Fiorentina in January. The 24-year-old has attracted attention from a number of high-profile clubs, including Inter, as a result of an excellent debut top-flight campaign. 

M’Bala Nzola (Spezia)

Struck a career-high 13 times in his third season at the highest level of Italian football after working his way up from the third tier at Trapani.

An accomplished forward adept in hold up play, the 26-year-old was more ruthless in front of goal than in his first two years at Spezia.

Failed to convert a penalty as the Ligurian club lost out in a relegation play-off to Hellas Verona but looks destined to stay in Serie A with Inter and Roma both linked with the Angolan attacker. 

Federico Baschirotto (Lecce)

Formed a redoubtable central defensive partnership with Samuel Umtiti as the Giallorossi successfully avoided a drop back to Serie B.

The hulking 26-year-old posed a potent threat in the air and netted three times in his first term as a starter in Italy’s top tier.

Steadily moved up from the fourth level of calcio to elite level and was selected for an Italy training camp after impressing national team coach Roberto Mancini.

A fitness fanatic with a physique more commonly seen in WWE the centre-back made headlines on and off the field as Lecce secured another season in Italy’s premier division.

@SKasiewicz