The Bianconeri struggle in Venice but win 3–2 and secure a Champions League spot; Lazio collapse and miss out on Europe; Monza, Empoli, and Venezia relegated to Serie B.
The die is cast: after the Scudetto was officially awarded to Napoli on Friday evening, Serie A delivered its final, irrevocable verdicts of the season on Sunday night.
Thanks to a penalty converted by Locatelli 20 minutes from time, Juventus secured a Champions League berth in Venice—along with the (substantial) financial windfall that comes with it.
These funds will be crucial for the club’s rebuild next year, likely under the leadership of Antonio Conte, who was crowned Champion of Italy on Friday as Napoli’s head coach.
The managerial merry-go-round has already begun, particularly among the top clubs. Inter, Juventus, Napoli, Milan, Roma, Atalanta, and Lazio are all involved to varying degrees—and not just them. We’ll soon see who decides to make a change and who sticks with their current setup.
Ranieri’s Roma secured fifth place in the standings by beating Torino 2–0 away from home, completing a stunning comeback from the bottom of the table to the edge of Champions League qualification. That dream lasted about 70 minutes—the time it took for Juventus to pull ahead for good against Venezia.
Still, it was a remarkable run by the Giallorossi, who were reborn under Claudio Ranieri’s inspired guidance. Roma’s points-per-game average since the arrival of the veteran coach from Testaccio was worthy of a title contender, which naturally leads one to wonder what the team might have achieved had the club appointed him earlier, instead of enduring two tragicomic months under Juric.
But history isn’t written with “ifs” and “buts,” and what remains on record are the 69 points that secured a Europa League spot for next season—an outcome no one would have expected back in November.
The final twist in the race for Europe came in the last turn of the championship: Lazio, who had been in the hunt for a Champions League place all season, collapsed at home to Lecce on the final matchday and missed out on Europe altogether. At the same time, Fiorentina’s win at Udinese sealed their overtaking of Lazio (thanks to their superior head-to-head record), earning Palladino’s side a fourth straight Conference League qualification.
It’s a bitter failure for Barone’s squad, who just a week earlier had drawn at Inter’s home, effectively handing Napoli the title and relegating the Nerazzurri to second place. Their campaign was marred by too many ups and downs.
Empoli’s relegation also came as a surprise. The Tuscans lost their home survival showdown—but even a win wouldn’t have been enough, given Lecce’s unexpected victory at the Stadio Olimpico. In the event of a three-way tie on 34 points (Lecce, Verona, Empoli), the head-to-head tiebreaker would still have favored Lecce and Verona, condemning Empoli to Serie B.
