Serie A: What to expect from the revolution on the coaching benches?

As Antonio Conte begins his quest to defend the Scudetto with Napoli this season, he may feel as though he is competing in a completely different league. Over half of the Serie A clubs replaced their head coaches during the summer, sparking a "major revolution" on the managerial benches unlike anything seen before.

In this chaotic environment, stability has become a rare commodity. Besides Conte, only a few coaches have managed to keep their positions after a year, including Vincenzo Italiano at Bologna, Kosta Runjaic at Udinese, Paolo Zanetti at Verona, and Cesc Fabregas at Como. Fabio Grosso also remains with Sassuolo after leading them to promotion convincingly, though last season he was still in the lower division. Even Igor Tudor’s presence at Juventus is seen as a fragile form of stability. Despite the Juventus leadership’s decision to retain the Croatian coach amid much speculation, the pressure on him is extremely high, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they pull the plug should early results disappoint.

Another notable trend this summer is the gamble on familiar faces. Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina have all chosen well-known figures in hopes of breaking the rule that "returns are never as successful as the first time." Max Allegri has been entrusted with the task of bringing AC Milan back to their competitive stature, a mission believed to be within his capability, even if the style might not be overly spectacular. Meanwhile, Stefano Pioli’s return to Fiorentina is an emotional reunion, with hopes of securing a trophy in memory of Davide Astori. Finally, Maurizio Sarri’s appointment at Lazio promises to deliver some of the most entertaining football.