Heroes in Gloves, not Capes: The Best Between the Sticks
They rarely grab the headlines, but they change the course of matches. In a Serie A season defined by fine margins and decisive moments, goalkeepers once again proved what Italian football has always recognised: every success story begins with a reliable presence between the posts. The past campaign reaffirmed established excellence, introduced unexpected stars and shone a spotlight on a new generation of goalkeepers capable of influencing games far beyond simply making saves.
At the top of the list remains Mile Svilar, increasingly the benchmark among the league’s shot-stoppers. Behind him, however, the line of standout goalkeepers continues to grow: the consistency of Mike Maignan and Marco Carnesecchi, the emergence of Jean Butez at the heart of Como’s project and the development of several promising Italian talents have created a landscape that is rich, competitive and constantly evolving.
Svilar, Roma’s wall
Two consecutive seasons at an elite level have firmly established Mile Svilar among Europe’s top goalkeepers. The Belgian claimed the Serie A Best Goalkeeper award for the second year running, becoming a cornerstone of Roma’s return to the Champions League.
His consistency has been remarkable: he played every minute of the league campaign, missing just one match all season, in the Europa League. That constant presence provided security and stability to Roma’s entire defensive unit. The numbers underline his impact. Among goalkeepers with at least 38 appearances, Svilar ranked second for goals conceded (31), behind only Jean Butez (29). Even more impressive is his save percentage: almost eight out of every ten shots on target were denied by the Roma goalkeeper, the best figure in the league at 78.8%.
In the most delicate moments of the season, through crucial saves, assured command of his area and growing leadership at the back, Svilar confirmed himself as Roma’s key defensive reference point.
Butez, cornerstone of the Como miracle
If Svilar reflects continued confirmation, Jean Butez is the season’s brightest surprise. The French goalkeeper was one of the figureheads of Como’s historic qualification for the Champions League, achieved thanks to the best defensive record in Serie A and the second-best in Europe behind only Arsenal.
Butez played all 38 league matches and finished with the best goals-conceded average per 90 minutes: just 0.70 goals allowed per game, ahead of Svilar (0.75) and Michele Di Gregorio (0.77).
With 19 clean sheets, he ranked first among goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues, a statistic that further highlights the quality of his campaign. Butez leads a ranking that includes seven Serie A goalkeepers in the top ten across Europe’s five major leagues. Directly behind him, with 18 clean sheets, is Svilar.
Carnesecchi and Maignan, resolute reliability
Despite a less impressive season for Atalanta compared to previous years, Marco Carnesecchi once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the finest in his position. The Atalanta goalkeeper recorded 114 saves, stopped two penalties and finished the season with the second-best save percentage (78.1%) and the fifth-best goals-conceded average per 90 minutes (0.87).
His level was also reflected in the three PANINI Player of the Match awards he collected during the season.
Particularly memorable was his performance against Roma, when he limited the damage despite relentless pressure from the Giallorossi, making nine saves and proving one of the very few goalkeepers capable of containing Donyell Malen during the most prolific spell of his campaign.
Leading the way for individual honours, however, was Mike Maignan.
The AC Milan goalkeeper earned four PANINI Player of the Match awards, more than any of his peers. Outstanding in the biggest matches, the Frenchman repeatedly showcased his quality in high-pressure encounters, producing especially impressive displays against Roma and in the Milano derbies.
Rising talents
The 2025/26 Serie A season also introduced several emerging names in goal.
Arriving from Feyenoord in January, Justin Bijlow adapted immediately to Italian football and became one of the key figures in Genoa’s survival campaign. The Dutchman made a significant impact with a series of decisive saves and earned two PANINI Player of the Match awards within just a few months.
At the same time, a new generation of Italian goalkeepers continues to emerge. From Lazio’s Motta to Bologna’s Pessina and Parma’s Edoardo Corvi, Italian football is renewing a tradition long associated with excellence in the position. Corvi in particular stood out, posting the second-best ratio between goals conceded and shots faced while also collecting two PANINI Player of the Match awards, establishing himself as one of the league’s most promising young goalkeepers.
Between and beyond the posts: the numbers
Behind the headline performances lies a wealth of statistics that reveal the many different dimensions of the role.
Emil Audero was the busiest goalkeeper in the league with 125 saves, ahead of Elia Caprile (121) and Arijanet Murić (120), although the latter made only 32 appearances. On shots from inside the penalty area, Wladimiro Falcone led the way with 90 saves, followed by Carnesecchi (81) and Murić (80). From outside the box, the most tested goalkeepers were Audero (47), Caprile (43) and Svilar (41).
The league’s leading penalty specialists were Lorenzo Montipò and Vanja Milinković-Savić, both of whom saved three penalties.
The modern goalkeeper’s role extends far beyond shot-stopping, and several statistics underline the growing importance of controlling the penalty area. On high interceptions, Elia Caprile led the league with 10 successful interventions, ahead of Łukasz Skorupski (9), while Falcone (9) and Nicola Leali (5) excelled in low interceptions.
Finally, perhaps the clearest indicator of the role’s evolution concerns area management. Murić topped Serie A for catches with 173, collecting balls directly from crosses, set pieces, long passes and crowded situations. Behind him were Butez (147) and Falcone (122). Butez also led the league for recoveries with 149, ahead of Murić (142) and the pair of Caprile and Audero (125).
Different numbers and different interpretations of the position all point to the same conclusion: Serie A remains one of the world’s finest proving grounds for goalkeepers. And in 2025/26, between established veterans and emerging stars, there was no shortage of heroes in gloves.
