Serie A 2026-27: Inter Ready, Juventus and Milan Scramble

Fabio Capello has seen enough Serie A title races to recognise a gap when he sees one. With less than two weeks to go before the 2026-27 season kicks off, he looks at the league’s traditional heavyweights and sees one side ready, and two still fumbling for the blueprint.

For Capello, Inter stand alone.

Inter ready, rivals scrambling

Writing in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Milan and Juventus boss did not dress it up: the distance between Simone Inzaghi’s champions and their main challengers is not shrinking.

“The distance between them (Milan and Juventus) and Inter, the champions of Italy, seems difficult to bridge in such a short space of time,” he warned, echoing the concerns raised on the front page of Corriere dello Sport, which claimed the top clubs are collectively “missing” 20 starters with the season fast approaching.

Inter, settled and complete, look like a finished product. Their rivals, in Capello’s eyes, do not.

Juventus: signings excite, structure doesn’t

Capello’s view of Juventus is blunt. This is not yet a Luciano Spalletti team.

“Juventus don't yet seem like a Luciano Spalletti side to me,” he wrote, even as he praised some of the club’s transfer work. The arrivals of Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegovic encourage him, but they do not mask the structural issues he still sees, especially at the back.

The real alarm, for Capello, stands between the posts.

“Juve still has a big problem and that is the goalkeeper,” he said. “I say that with all due respect to Michele Di Gregorio, but his situation seems irreversible to me.”

Juventus have been linked with a loan move for Zion Suzuki, should the Japanese keeper complete a transfer from Parma to PSG. Capello, though, is clear about where he would place his money.

“Many names have been mentioned and from what I've seen, the Old Lady might prefer a ‘buffer’ option, postponing the spending until next summer. So, if a no.1 comes in on loan, I have no doubts about who to bet on: Vicario at Tottenham.

“The reason is simple. Compared to Suzuki, the Italian has already shown that he performs well at big clubs, like he has done in London.”

For Capello, Juventus need reliability now, not a gamble on potential. Inter will not wait for anyone.

Milan: a construction site, not a contender

If Juventus are incomplete, Milan, in Capello’s words, barely look ready to open.

“Milan look like an open construction site: only the work in progress sign is missing, yet the start of the Serie A season is just around the corner,” he wrote, uneasy with what he sees under new head coach Ruben Amorim.

What troubles him most is not just tactics or transfers, but attitude and timing.

“Milan are still waiting for two big names in Maignan and Rabiot – by the way, I didn't like the news of their return being delayed by four days at all,” Capello admitted.

With Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot extending their holidays until a week before the season, preparation time is already compromised. New signings are barely visible either.

“The new signings Gila and Ramos haven't been seen much either, nor has the clear starting XI that Amorim will have in mind.”

That lack of clarity filters into the dressing room’s biggest personality.

Leao and the San Siro test

Capello senses tension around Rafael Leao, a player who has never been far from the spotlight and has now openly spoken about the Premier League.

“I get the impression that there's still a bit of confusion around the Rossoneri, starting with Rafael Leao's situation. Rafa overestimated himself by publicly calling for the Premier League and, if he stays, I would be wary of the San Siro reaction to the first time he fails to run.”

It is a sharp warning. Milan’s fanbase has adored Leao’s flair, but Capello hints that public ambition, without immediate performances to match, could quickly sour the mood in a stadium that demands visible commitment.

Amorim and Cardinale under pressure

For Capello, the solution at Milan will not come from vague optimism but from clear decisions at the top.

“I hope that the next meeting between Cardinale and Amorim will bring some order and provide the right boost to sort things out on the market heading into the final 20 days,” he wrote.

Inter, in his eyes, are already marching. Juventus are searching for a goalkeeper and an identity. Milan are still putting up scaffolding.

The new season is almost here. The question is no longer whether Inter can be caught, but whether anyone will even be ready to chase them when the first whistle blows.