It was the season in which we said Ciao to Cristiano and Arrivederci to Allegri.
The year in which little Atalanta defied the Serie A betting odds, Juventus produced Serie A highlights galore and Roma seemed spineless and soulless.
SBOBET fans of Serie A will certainly have lots to reflect on when they assess 2018/19 in the Italian top flight.
Ultimately, as expected, Juventus proved far too strong for the rest.
The marquee capture of Cristiano Ronaldo set the tone for a dominant ‘old lady’ of Turin as they captured an eight successive Scudetto and, despite bowing out in the Champions League quarter-finals, CR7 showed they remain a formidable force on both the domestic and European stage, despite critics.
There is also untapped potential in the current squad for Max Allegri’s successor.
Talented stars like Paulo Dybala, Joao Cancelo and Miralem Pjanic could blossom under a new coach, while the likes of Moise Kean and Rodrigo Bentancur could develop into top players. Federico Bernardeschi, meanwhile, has shown vast improvement in the last year, Ronaldo is a guarantee for any coach and Juve are sure to make moves in the transfer market.
Then there’s Napoli.
It was a season in which Italian football welcomed back a favourite son and he guided them to another well-deserved second spot (for the third time in four years) ahead of the giants of Milan with something to spare.
Carlo Ancelotti’s know-how of approaching games will go a long way in maturing this team into Scudetto challengers. Now chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis has to give him what he needs to take the club to the next level.
The side of the season were Atalanta. The team from Bergamo were undoubtedly the talk of the town and victory against Sassuolo in their final match clinched a place at Europe’s top table for the first time in their history.
To bounce back from a heartbreaking defeat in the Coppa Italia Final, showed Gian Piero Gasperini has genuine claims to be the manager of the season.
His youth-centric philosophy and offensive approach will have led to envious eyes being cast from bigger clubs, yet it would be sad if he and Atalanta don’t now embark on the next stage of their exciting adventure together.
Despite the upheaval, Inter Milan’s ability to keep ahead of their big spending city rivals Milan may still not be enough to keep Luciano Spalletti in a job – Antonio Conte is tipped to replace him this summer.
Yet it probably also means both men in the Milan hot seats will lose their jobs this summer.
Gennaro Gattuso finds himself under pressure as the club’s business model relies heavily on Champions League qualification. The former Italy midfielder built up credit but is now duly losing it and it’s unlikely he will remain at the helm next term.
Roma’s lowest position for six years was not helped by a second successive summer of key departures and boss Eusebio Di Francesco paid the price. In fairness, few could question the dedication of most players when Claudio Ranieri came in for the final few months of the campaign but who comes in next will shape the Giallorossi’s short to medium term future.
Lazio ensured a successful season, despite missing out on a top-six finish, by lifting the Italian Cup. Whether it proves coach Simone Inzaghi’s last stand remains to be seen but certainly he will be on Juventus’ radar.
That Fiorentina were not mathematically safe going into the final match (following a run of 15 matches without a victory in all competitions) was a shock and could have led to catastrophe for Viola who have had a traumatic 18 months.
They need to start again over the summer and become a European contender once more.
That Empoli almost managed to pull clear highlights two factors.
That they were wrong to show a lack of faith in coach Aurelio Andreazzoli by firing him.
But also that they were willing to hold their hands up and learn from their mistake by then bringing back the tactician who took them to promotion last year.
Andreazzoli guided his side to three consecutive victories against the likes of Sampdoria and Torino, as well as wins over sides like Napoli, victories which ultimately gave last season’s Serie B champions a chance of remaining in the top flight.
Frosinone and Chievo were well adrift, the latter with just two league wins all season.
Their rebuild began this week as they parted ways with director of sport Giancarlo Romairone.
As we started, it’s time for more hellos and goodbyes with Empoli – by the narrowest of margins – also dropping out to be replaced next season by Brescia, Leece and Benevento – back in Serie A for only the second time in their history.
That was 2018/19.
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