Serie A Enilive 2026/27 head coaches

Serie A Enilive is gearing up for the 2026/27 campaign with one of the youngest and most diverse coaching groups in recent years. The season that just ended brought in a new generation of coaches: from Fabio Pisacane to Carlos Cuesta, Cesc Fàbregas, and Cristian Chivu. Chivu was, in fact, the man behind Inter’s Serie A success, which is destined to go down in history. After his spell at Parma, in his first full season in Serie A Enilive, the Romanian coach led Inter to the Scudetto, becoming the first foreign manager to win the title since José Mourinho, and picking up the Philadelphia Coach of the Season award.

The Inter head coach has effectively reshaped the expectations placed on managers in the Italian top flight, sending a clear message to the entire system: developing internal pathways, innovative ideas, and a strong tactical identity can become a competitive advantage. The upcoming Serie A campaign is set to reflect this shift, with change and adaptation to modern football trends at its core. This is evident by the fact that eleven of the 20 coaches are under 50, three are still under 40, and only three are over 60. In terms of national background, it is still predominantly Italian with 14 managers, but there is a growing international presence, with six foreign coaches, including two Spaniards.

Compared to last season, nine clubs have changed head coach (including Monza), while there are four new names in the league: Domenico Tedesco, Rúben Amorim, Alberto Aquilani, and Ignazio Abate.

Confirmations: continuity and identity

Eleven coaches are continuing their work from last season. Fabio Pisacane remains at Cagliari, Cesc Fàbregas stays at Como, Daniele De Rossi continues at Genoa, Cristian Chivu is still in charge of Inter, Luciano Spalletti remains at Juventus, Eusebio Di Francesco at Lecce, Carlos Cuesta at Parma, Gian Piero Gasperini at Roma, and Kosta Runjaić at Udinese, joined by the coaches of newly promoted Frosinone and Venezia.

Newly promoted sides and the survival battle

Massimiliano Alvini heads into Serie A with Frosinone after guiding them back to the top flight with a style of play that is organised and has a clear identity. For the 56-year-old Tuscan coach, this is his second spell in Serie A after his 2022/23 stint with Cremonese, which ended in dismissal after 18 matches (seven draws and eleven defeats). With over 25 years of coaching experience behind him, his journey began in amateur football before progressing through the professional ranks, including Serie C, where his major breakthrough came with Reggiana’s promotion to Serie B in 2019/20. He has one objective in mind: securing survival, something Frosinone have never achieved across their three previous Serie A campaigns.

Giovanni Stroppa shares this mission but will take a different route. The 58-year-old coach from Lombardy returns to Serie A after earning his fourth promotion from Serie B with Venezia. A specialist in the second tier, he has already led Pescara, Crotone, and Monza in the top flight without ever completing a full season. Venezia offers a new opportunity to break that personal barrier and, at the same time, bring an end to two consecutive relegations suffered in their most recent Serie A appearances.

All other clubs have instead changed their head coach.

Sarri at Atalanta: building on experience

One of the most significant changes of the summer comes at Atalanta. After parting ways with Raffaele Palladino, the club from Bergamo have appointed Maurizio Sarri.

For the Tuscan coach, this marks his fifth different Serie A club after Empoli, Napoli, Juventus, and Lazio. Following a ninth-place finish and a Coppa Italia final defeat last season, Sarri has recorded over 600 points in Serie A and one Scudetto. At 67, he has been tasked with reviving Atalanta’s European ambitions and restoring their hold on the upper reaches of the table.

Tedesco and Amorim: international appeal

Among the most intriguing decisions of the summer are those made by Bologna and Milan, both of whom have looked beyond Italy for coaches.

Bologna have appointed Domenico Tedesco as the successor to Vincenzo Italiano. A bold choice for a foreign profile that is nevertheless familiar, young, and full of potential, but already well-experienced internationally. Raised in Germany in an Italian family originally from the province of Cosenza, the 40-year-old coach brings major experience from the likes of Schalke 04, Spartak Moscow, RB Leipzig, and Fenerbahçe, as well as his spell as Belgium head coach between 2023 and 2025, featuring Euro 2024 and the Nations League. His honours include a DFB-Pokal, a Turkish Super Cup, and multiple UEFA competition campaigns. Bologna will be his first experience in Serie A, a league he has followed closely since childhood.

Milan have instead chosen Rúben Amorim to lead the next phase of their project. At 41, after spells with Sporting CP and Manchester United, the Portuguese coach is one of the most exciting profiles in European football. The decision underlines the club’s intention to appoint a manager already established internationally but still very much in the growth phase of his career.

Gattuso and Juric: returns with different targets

Gennaro Gattuso, 48, has been chosen by Lazio to replace Maurizio Sarri. The decision signals the club's intent to begin a new chapter under the former Italy head coach, after his disappointment in the World Cup play-offs. For “Ringhio”, this marks a return to Serie A five years after his last spell. He previously managed Milan and Napoli, taking over mid-season in both cases before starting the following campaign from the beginning and finishing fifth each time, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification on the final matchday. In between, he also managed Valencia, Marseille, and Hajduk Split. His move to Lazio comes in the midst of a demanding environment with the chance to immediately re-establish himself at the highest level.

Monza have parted ways with Paolo Bianco after securing promotion through the play-offs and, for their fourth Serie A campaign, have turned to Ivan Jurić. The 50-year-old Croatian coach is seeking redemption after recent spells with Roma, Southampton, and Atalanta, all ending prematurely. His reputation in Italy was built on his work with Verona and Torino, where he consistently delivered structure and identity, finishing tenth three times and ninth twice. Now Monza turn to him for stability, marking Jurić’s sixth different Serie A job.

New adventures for Grosso and Allegri

Fabio Grosso, 48, ended a very successful two-year spell at Sassuolo in the best possible way. In his first year, he secured Sassuolo's promotion to Serie A, then an 11th-place finish in a season spent comfortably away from the relegation battle. This progress earned him a move to Fiorentina, who chose him as the ideal profile to restart their project after a disappointing campaign and return to consistent European contention.

Massimiliano Allegri is immediately back in action after accepting Napoli’s offer, with the club opting for a high-profile name following the end of the Conte era. After concluding his second spell at Milan, the Livorno-born coach returns to one of the most ambitious sides in the league. This will be his 16th season as a Serie A manager, where he stands among the most successful and experienced coaches in the competition’s history. Napoli becomes the fifth club of his coaching career, and only the second, after Cagliari, he has also represented as a player, having briefly played for Napoli in the 1997/98 season.

Aquilani and Abate: the new generation

Sassuolo begin a new cycle, intending to build a stable identity. After Fabio Grosso’s two-year spell, the club have once again opted for a young, Italian profile focused on developing talent. Alberto Aquilani, 41, arrives in Emilia following strong results in Serie B. The former Roma and Fiorentina midfielder, and briefly a Sassuolo player in 2017, brings extensive youth coaching experience from Fiorentina’s Primavera side, where he won several youth honours. His first two professional jobs reflect steady growth: 13th place with Pisa as a learning phase, followed by a breakthrough spell at Catanzaro, where he led the side to the playoff final and within reach of Serie A. Known for his flexibility, he has worked with both a back four and a 3-4-2-1 system, with tactical adaptability remaining a key principle.

Even younger than Aquilani, and also coming off a remarkable playoff run halted by Monza, Ignazio Abate takes charge at Torino at just 39. His coaching rise has been rapid. After strong results with AC Milan’s Primavera, including a Youth League final, Abate made his professional debut with Ternana, guiding them to second place in Serie C before being dismissed four games from the end, having recorded a 60% win rate. A move to Serie B confirmed his qualities: at Juve Stabia, he built a dynamic, aggressive side focused on youth development, leading them to seventh place and a playoff semi-final. Now Torino, where he also played as a footballer, represents a new challenge: bringing energy and ambition to a club eager to rise again.