Serie A best of 2025/26: TNT Sports picks player, coach, youngster, signing, and team of the season after unforgettable year in Italy
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Published 26/05/2026 at 14:05 GMT+1
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The 2025/26 Serie A season came to a frenzied conclusion on Sunday night as the final UEFA Champions League and relegation places were decided in dramatic fashion.
'They have overhauled the mighty Milan' - Como players celebrate UEFA Champions League qualification
Video credit: TNT Sports
A frantic final night featuring five concurrent kick-offs with implications at both ends of the table brought the curtain down on a memorable campaign.
Cristian Chivu led Inter to a superb domestic double in his first full season as a coach, the Romanian’s side wrapping up the Scudetto with weeks to spare before brushing aside Lazio in the Coppa Italia to claim both trophies for the first time since Jose Mourinho’s legendary treble 16 years ago.
Previous champions Napoli had to settle for the runners-up spot after a rollercoaster campaign that ended with Antonio Conte's exit, while Roma and Como took the final two Champions League spots in a thrilling finale.
Behind them, giants AC Milan and Juventus had to settle for the UEFA Europa League, marking the first time since the Champions League was formed in 1992 that neither side has qualified for the top-tier tournament.
It came about in extraordinary circumstances, as Milan collapsed to a 2-1 home defeat to Cagliari on the final night to allow European debutants Como to leapfrog them into the top four.
Atalanta will be Italy’s UEFA Conference League representatives in 2026/27 after finishing seventh, while European regulars Bologna, Lazio and Fiorentina missed out entirely.
At the other end of the table, Hellas Verona were relegated alongside two sides who went straight back down to Serie B after one year in the top-flight: rock-bottom Pisa and Jamie Vardy's Cremonese, despite the latter taking their survival bid to the final day.
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Highlights: Como secure UCL qualification with win against Cremonese
Video credit: TNT Sports
After following every step of the action throughout the season for TNT Sports, our lead Serie A commentator Adam Summerton and Rome-based writer Alasdair Mackenzie have put their heads together to nominate their stand-out performers of the year.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Adam Summerton: Federico Dimarco (Inter)
”It’s Dimarco for me. In terms of the redemption, it’s a fantastic story as well.
"The fortitude and mentality he showed to come through that Champions League final, where, let’s be honest, it was a terrible team performance, but he was one of the poorer performers.
"I think mentally that was a huge challenge for him this season, to bounce back from that.
"He’s got one of the best left foots in the game, in my view. He’s very important to what Inter do, that balance on either flank, his understanding with [Alessandro] Bastoni is a really important part of Inter’s play and their success as well.
"But just his sheer volume of creativity and his assists – to break the assist record as well. Playing in the championship-winning team is also a factor."
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Dimarco fires Inter ahead with 'exceptional' volley
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alasdair Mackenzie: Nico Paz (Como)
"Judging by Paz’s jaw-dropping displays this season, it seems the phrase ‘difficult second album’ doesn’t translate to Spanish.
"Nobody has made a bigger difference to their team in 2025/26 than Como’s 21-year-old superstar-in-the-making.
"The Argentina international combines flair and elegance with remarkable consistency. He doesn’t just score stunning goals; he scores lots of them.
"With 12 in Serie A this season – six more than his debut campaign last year – he finished fourth in the capocannoniere charts.
"Paz is a phenomenon and the world may well soon take notice if he gets a chance to shine for the reigning world champions this summer at the World Cup."
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'What a talent this boy is!' - Young star Paz doubles Como's lead over Inter
Video credit: TNT Sports
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Adam Summerton: Nico Paz (Como)
"You could make a case for several but, in terms of who has had the biggest effect on their team, it’s hard to look beyond Paz.
"When you watch him, he’s just got this real elegance - the way he moves, he’s beautiful to watch.
"He’s got goals, creativity, impact, somebody who makes a difference in the final third and makes things happen."
Alasdair Mackenzie: Marco Palestra (Cagliari)
"It’s Paz, isn’t it? But given I’ve already handed him the main award, I will go for Marco Palestra.
"The pacey, powerful and direct Cagliari wing-back deserves recognition for what has been a breakthrough year on loan from Atalanta, where some storming performances in big games earned him deserved plaudits, and he played a crucial role in the Sardinian side achieving survival with time to spare.
"Palestra was also the only silver lining to the pitch-black cloud of Italy’s catastrophic World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March, coming off the bench to make an eye-catching impact on just his second cap to offer hope that at least some of the kids might be alright after all."
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Highlights: Late Adams goal helps Torino snatch dramatic draw against bitter rivals Juventus
Video credit: TNT Sports
COACH OF THE SEASON
Adam Summerton: Cristian Chivu (Inter)
"I’ve still got some slight misgivings about Chivu, partly because of Inter's record in the head-to-head, partly because of the Champions League.
"However, for a coach to win a domestic double, albeit with the best squad in the league, in his first full season as a coach is an achievement you can’t look beyond. To do that in your first full season is truly exceptional.
"He has had to be a bit of a psychologist as well. It would be easy to underestimate how losing the league by a point and losing the Champions League final like they did, losing a coach of the quality of [Simone] Inzaghi, the impact that could have had on that squad. I think in his first full season as a coach, he had to be a psychologist for the squad.
"I think he’s brought forward some players who didn’t get much time under Inzaghi, [Piotr] Zielinski is maybe the best example of that.
"He’s brought on somebody like [Francesco Pio] Esposito, we’ve seen good glimpses from [Petar] Sucic as well. All in all, I’m not truly sold on him just yet but it’s hard to look beyond him."
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Watch as Inter celebrate after winning Scudetto
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alasdair Mackenzie: Cesc Fabregas (Como)
"Until the final night of the season, I was in agreement with Adam. Chivu’s achievement in his first season is remarkable, particularly given the state he picked Inter up in last summer.
"However, Fabregas just sneaks in ahead of him for me. Bringing Como to the Champions League in just their second year back in the top flight is an extraordinary achievement.
"While much has been made of the money behind the project, they still only have the 11th-highest wage budget and the bigger transfer fees spent have largely been on players who have improved and increased their value under the Spaniard: Paz, Anastasios Douvikas, Assane Diao, Maximo Perrone, Jacobo Ramon, Jesus Rodriguez, the list goes on.
"Como defend well, they move the ball slickly, they score lots of goals, they entertain.
"The absence of Italians in their squad hasn’t made them the most popular club in the country, but that doesn’t take away from the outstanding coaching job Fabregas has pulled off to take this team from mid-table to beating Juventus, Milan and Atalanta to a top-four berth in the space of a year.
"Cesc has rubber-stamped his growing reputation as one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe."
SIGNING OF THE SEASON
Adam Summerton: Donyell Malen
"I am going to give it to Donyell Malen. The reason being I think it’s a truly exceptional signing.
"Some people may correct me, or throw a name at me that I’ve not thought of, but I’m struggling to think of a winter window signing who has been as impactful in the second half of the season as he has been.
"His goals have been a fundamental reason Roma have got in the Champions League. To only be outscored by Lautaro [Martinez] and only play half the season is a staggering achievement.
"He’s a player that has always struggled to nail down what he is, a player in terms of profile who has fallen through the cracks a bit during his career.
"He’s quite a way into his career before he’s found a coach and a team where he truly fits. He can go on and be really successful."
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'Talk about composure!' - Malen calmly slots third Roma goal to erupt Stadio Olimpico
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alasdair Mackenzie: Donyell Malen
"Gian Piero Gasperini said it himself: Donyell Malen transformed Roma's season.
"Up until the turn of the year, it was hard to see Roma’s strong start being sustainable as they relied heavily on their defence to eke out one-goal wins as strikers Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk toiled.
"A No. 9 was clearly needed in January but nobody expected the Dutchman to make this kind of impact when he arrived from Aston Villa.
"His return of 14 goals in 18 games propelled him not only to the top of the Roma scoring charts but second only to Lautaro Martinez in the entire division.
"Roma’s achievement in finally ending their seven-year wait for Champions League football has Malen’s fingerprints all over it."
TEAM OF THE SEASON
Adam Summerton
- GK: Svilar (Roma)
- RB: Palestra (Cagliari)
- CB: Akanji (Inter)
- CB: Ndicka (Roma)
- LB: Dimarco (Inter)
- CM: Zielinski (Inter)
- CM: McKennie (Juventus)
- CAM: Paz (Como)
- FW: Malen (Roma)
- FW: Lautaro (Inter)
- FW: Lauriente (Sassuolo)
Alasdair Mackenzie
- GK: Svilar (Roma)
- RB: Palestra (Cagliari)
- CB: Ndicka (Roma)
- CB: Ramon (Como)
- LB: Dimarco (Inter)
- CM: Zielinski (Inter)
- CM: McTominay (Napoli)
- CAM: Paz (Como)
- FW: Malen (Roma)
- FW: Lautaro (Inter)
- FW: Douvikas (Como)
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