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Inter Milan are favourites to retain their Serie A title ahead of their first match of the new season at Genoa on Saturday, while their Serie A rivals are rebuilding under a new coach.
Simone Inzaghi’s side cruised to a 20th Scudetto last season and, despite a host of other changes over the summer, there has been little sign of a clear challenge to Inter’s supremacy.
The change in ownership to US investment fund Oaktree, which took over the club in May after previous owners Suning defaulted on a massive loan, initially heralded a period of uncertainty and potential turmoil for the club.
Instead, Oaktree retained sporting and corporate chief executives Giuseppe Marotta and Alessandro Antonello — Marotta also serves as club president — and pushed through key contract renewals to ensure stability on the pitch.
Inzaghi and midfield star Nicolo Barella both signed new contracts to commit their futures to the club, while captain Lautaro Martinez, last season’s top scorer in Serie A, extended his deal until 2029.
Meanwhile, Marotta has used free agency to strengthen attack and midfield with Medhi Taremi and Piotr Zielinski as Oaktree seeks to stabilise the accounts of the financially leaky club.
– Change All –
Inter had stabilized, while their opponents, especially Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan, were an unknown quantity. However, they retained star players Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, and signed Alvaro Morata as a replacement for Olivier Giroud.
Juventus overhauled their squad following the hiring of Thiago Motta and were without the out-of-favour Federico Chiesa, Wojciech Szczesny, Weston McKennie, Arkadiusz Milik and Filip Kostic in Sunday’s friendly defeat away to Atletico Madrid.
All were regulars under Thiago Motta’s predecessor, Massimiliano Allegri, but were put on the transfer list as the new coach promised a more fluid, less defensive style of football and demanding fans demanded a title challenge.
Juventus brought in Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa for more than €50 million and brought in Kehefren Thuram, who returned to his birthplace along with his brother Marcus to join the club where his father Lillian won two Serie A titles.
As Juventus are working on signing Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners and Fiorentina winger Nicolas Gonzalez, Motta will have to wait for the team to have a full squad available.
The 41-year-old former Italy midfielder is one of 13 coaching changes since the end of last season, with only two top 10 teams – Inter Milan and Europa League winners Atalanta – having the same head coach as at the start of last campaign.
– As a return –
Juventus welcome an ambitious Como side on Monday, who were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Sampdoria ahead of their first Serie A campaign in more than 20 years.
Como, coached by former Spain, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, has been busy building a team capable of climbing the league ladder and avoiding relegation since it was bought by tobacco giant Djarum five years ago.
Super-rich owners, impressive marketing campaigns and the stadium’s beautiful lakeside location have attracted players like Raphael Varane and former Spain full-back Alberto Moreno.
Napoli travel to Verona on Sunday, with new coach Antonio Conte coming off the bench to keep the spirits of the team alive as Conte tries to lead the 2023 champions out of a failed title defence, the first time since 2010 that they have missed out on European competition.
“Victor wants to leave… He’s a good player but we need to preserve the harmony of the team,” Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna said before Saturday’s Coppa Italia penalty shootout win over Modena.
Conte described his first competitive match in charge of Napoli, which ended in a 0-0 draw, as a “reality check” and urged the club to strengthen its squad as it reportedly prepares a complex swap for Ousmane and perennial Chelsea-wanted striker Romelu Lukaku.
Match schedule (GMT)
Saturday
Genoa v Inter Milan, Parma v Fiorentina (1630), AC Milan v Torino, Empoli v Monza (1845)
Sunday
Bologna v Udinese, Verona v Naples (1630), Cagliari v Roma, Lazio v Venice (1845)
on Monday
Lecce v Atalanta (1630), Juventus v Cuomo (1845)
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