Allegri Prepares for Fiercely Contested Serie A Season

Massimiliano Allegri is braced for a Serie A season that, in his eyes, could turn into a street fight.

The Napoli coach believes the 2026-27 campaign will be one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory, with as many as eight sides genuinely equipped to chase the Scudetto. Inter, he stressed, still set the standard as reigning champions, but any idea of a straight duel at the top was quickly dismissed.

“Inter are the favourites because they hold the trophy, but there will be at least eight teams to keep an eye on,” he told Sportmediaset, before reeling off the contenders. “As well as the Nerazzurri and ourselves, also Milan, Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Como and Atalanta.”

That is the landscape into which Napoli step during a year loaded with symbolism. The club’s centenary has sharpened expectations in a city that already demands noise, colour and trophies. Allegri knows it. This season will be judged not just on the table, but on what it says about the next hundred years.

A Centenary Under Pressure

Napoli’s ambitions stretch well beyond Serie A. A revamped European calendar looms, and Allegri made it clear the squad must learn to live in three competitions without losing their edge.

“It’ll be a beautiful and demanding year, we’ll have to be good at staying in it in Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia,” he said. The message was simple: no competition can be treated as a distraction.

The new Champions League format, with its single extended group phase, only raises the bar.

“In the Champions League, however, we need to get through the single group stage and then reach the playoffs or the round of 16 as best we can,” Allegri added, framing progression not as a bonus, but as an obligation for a club of Napoli’s current stature.

Defence Hit by Buongiorno Blow

The optimism is real, but so is the first major setback. Alessandro Buongiorno’s long-term injury has ripped a hole in the defensive plans just as the season takes shape. The Italy international faces months out, a serious absence in a campaign where every detail may matter.

“It’s a shame about Buongiorno, who will be out until January,” Allegri admitted.

The response will have to come from within. Allegri name-checked his options, underlining both depth and expectation. “In any case I have Marin and Rrahmani, Beukema is behind but he’ll recover his best form, and if needed I also have Olivera. I’m confident.”

No panic, then. But no hiding place either for those stepping in.

Hojlund Under the Spotlight

At the other end of the pitch, the focus sharpens on Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane carries the weight of the No 9 role for a team that wants to fight on every front, and Allegri has already compared his profile to that of Harry Kane. The comparison flatters, but it also tightens the screws.

Potential is no longer enough.

“He's a very physical striker, he puts in the effort and is eager, but he needs to improve his goal-scoring record this season. He can do so given that he has all the potential,” Allegri said, laying down a clear target for his centre-forward.

In a league Allegri believes could see eight clubs swinging for the same prize, Napoli’s margin for error is slim. Inter remain the benchmark, the others are closing in, and a centenary season offers no escape route from expectation.

Hojlund’s goals, Buongiorno’s absence, a crowded title race and a brutal European format — Napoli know exactly what stands in front of them. The question now is whether Allegri’s faith in this group matches the reality of a season he insists will be Italy’s most unforgiving in years.