Inter were crowned champions of Italy for the first time since 2009/10 and they won the Serie A title for the 19th time overall.
City rivals AC Milan will participate in the Champions League for the first time since 2013/14 after finishing second while regional rivals Atalanta finished third and have qualified for Europe’s major competition for the third time in a row.
Napoli missed out on the Champions League football by one point while Hellas Verona achieved another respectable midtable finish thanks to their defensive solidarity.
Our Forza Italian Football 2020/21 Team of the Season is deployed in the 3-4-3 formation. Let us know your thoughts!
Marco Silvestri – Hellas Verona
The Gialloblu goalkeeper was consistent performer throughout the campaign but his form in the first half of the season was very impressive. Hellas Verona had sold defenders Amir Rrahmani and Marash Kumbulla to Napoli and Roma respectively but Silvestri ensured that the Mastini goal was hard to breach and he was rewarded with a call-up to the Italy squad in October2020.
Cristian Romero – Atalanta
Atalanta have thrilled Italy and the rest of Europe since Gian Piero Gasperini was appointed coach in the summer of 2016 but they have also displayed defensive frailties. Argentinian centre-back Romero arrived on loan from Juventus and he has been a tough and uncompromising presence in defence for La Dea. His defensive awareness has made the Atalanta defence harder to breach and he gives his fellow defenders more freedom to join the attack.
Stefan De Vrij – Inter
I Nerazzurri boasted the best defence in Serie A for 2020/21 conceding just 35 goals and their organised as well as resolute backline was fundamental to that achievement. De Vrij provided both composure and experience in the Biscione defence, and he was clean and disciplined in his defending, receiving just two yellow cards.
Alessandro Bastoni – Inter
At 22 years of age, Bastoni was the youngest out of Inter’s regular defensive trio, but the Italian defender showed maturity beyond his years. While the likes of Milan Skriniar and De Vrij stand out for their defending, Bastoni displayed defensive discipline as well as the ability to distribute the ball out from defence. He was not afraid to dribble into the opponent’s half and participate in the construction of his team’s attacks.
Achraf Hakimi – Inter
Acquired from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a reported figure of €45 million in the summer of 2020, the Moroccan wing-back was a superb performer for Inter on the right flank. He would taunt opposition left-backs with his blistering pace and ability to deliver precise crosses. The 22-year-old scored seven goals and supplied 10 assists in 37 Serie A matches.
Nicolo Barella – Inter
The Italian international has developed into one of the most complete midfielders in Serie A, if not all of Europe. Barella is a central midfielder with incredible stamina as well as fine technique on the ball. The 24-year-old found the back of the net three times and provided nine assists in 36 league appearances. His standout performance was in the 2-0 victory against reigning champions Juventus, scoring a goal and providing an assist in the Round 18 encounter.
Franck Kessie – AC Milan
I Rossoneri are back in the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons and there are two players who were crucial in reaching that target: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kessie. Although the Swedish veteran was a prolific scorer with 15 goals, injuries did limit him to 19 Serie A appearances. Kessie, on the other hand, was an unbelievably consistent performer for AC Milan, scoring 13 goals in 37 league matches as a midfielder, and he sealed qualification for Europe’s elite competition with two penalties against former club Atalanta in the final round of the Serie A season.
Robin Gosens – Atalanta
La Dea under Coach Gian Piero Gasperini are known for their attacking wing-backs and Gosens had another incredible campaign on the left flank for I Bergamaschi. After scoring nine goals in Serie A in 2019/20, the German international broke into double digits for the first time in his career and he found the back of the net 11 times during the 2020/21 season.
Luis Muriel – Atalanta
Once again, the Colombian international demonstrated that he is the best super-sub in Serie A. The 30-year-old only started 16 out of 37 matches, but he made the most of his playing time, scoring a career-high 22 goals and he also supplied nine assists. His performance in the 5-2 victory away to Parma in Round 35 was quintessential Muriel, coming on at half-time and then scoring twice, supplying an assist, and being involved in the build-up for another goal.
Romelu Lukaku – Inter
Arguably the reason why Inter won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 seasons and undoubtedly their reference point up front. The Belgian might have scored five goals less than Serie A leading goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo but his 24 goals were crucial to I Nerazzurri winning the title and his involvement in their attacking play was important as well. Lukaku demonstrated his ability to hold up the ball, link up with teammates, and run through opposition defences.
Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli
I Partenopei might have missed out on Champions League football but the 29-year-old was one of the reasons why they remained in the hunt. Insigne scored 19 goals – the best tally in his career so far – and provided seven assists in 35 Serie A matches throughout the 2020/21 campaign. The Napoli captain dazzled television audiences with his dribbling ability, eye for a killer pass, and variety of shooting skills, but he also dropped back to help his team in the defensive phase.