Massimiliano Allegri Prepares Napoli for Crowded Serie A Title Fight
Massimiliano Allegri is bracing for a Serie A season he believes could be the most crowded title fight in years – and he’s put Napoli right in the middle of it.
From his vantage point in Naples, the former Juventus coach sees a league with no clear escape route at the top, even if one side still sets the standard.
“Inter are the favourites because they hold the trophy,” he told Sportmediaset, “but there will be at least eight teams to keep an eye on.”
Then he listed them. Inter and Napoli, of course. Milan. Juventus. Roma. Fiorentina. Como. Atalanta.
Eight names, one message: this is not a two-horse race.
Centenary pressure and a brutal calendar
For Napoli, the stakes go beyond the table. The club’s centenary has cranked up the pressure from a fanbase that already demands drama and trophies as standard. Allegri knows this season will be judged not just on results, but on what it says about the club’s place in Italian and European football.
“It’ll be a beautiful and demanding year,” he said, fully aware of the weight of that word. Beautiful if it ends with silverware. Demanding because of the schedule.
Napoli must juggle Serie A, the Coppa Italia and a revamped Champions League format that offers no early hiding place.
“We’ll have to be good at staying in it in Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia,” he added. In Europe, the target is clear: “We need to get through the single group stage and then reach the playoffs or the round of 16 as best we can.”
No talk of just “participating”. Progress is non-negotiable.
Buongiorno blow tests Napoli’s depth
The optimism, though, is already being tested at the back. Alessandro Buongiorno’s long-term injury has ripped a hole in Allegri’s defensive plans, depriving him of an Italy international until the heart of the campaign.
“It’s a shame about Buongiorno, who will be out until January,” Allegri admitted. A setback, not an excuse.
The response will have to come from within. The coach name-checked his options: Marin, Amir Rrahmani, Sam Beukema, and, if needed, Mathías Olivera stepping across. Beukema is still chasing peak condition, but Allegri expects him to get there.
“In any case I have Marin and Rrahmani, Beukema is behind but he’ll recover his best form, and if needed I also have Olivera. I’m confident.”
The message is calculated. A nod to the reality of the problem, followed by a public show of faith in the squad that will have to carry them through the winter.
Hojlund under the spotlight
Up front, the conversation inevitably swings to Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane has been handed the responsibility of leading the line for a team that expects to be in the title argument from August to May.
Allegri has never hidden his admiration for the striker’s profile, even drawing comparisons in the past with Harry Kane. But this time, he cut straight to the point: potential is no longer enough.
“He’s a very physical striker, he puts in the effort and is eager,” Allegri said. Then came the demand. “But he needs to improve his goal-scoring record this season. He can do so given that he has all the potential.”
It’s both a challenge and a warning. In a league where he expects eight teams to swing for the Scudetto, Napoli cannot afford a centre-forward who flatters without finishing.
Inter may still be the benchmark. The chasing pack, in Allegri’s eyes, has never been bigger. The question now is simple: can Napoli turn centenary pressure, a patched-up defence and a raw but gifted No 9 into a title run that survives that eight-team storm?
