Serie A (Italian Football League)

What Is Serie A?

The Serie A league is the top league of the Italian football pyramid.

Importance in European Football

Serie A is historically among the strongest football leagues in Europe. Serie A clubs have won 12 Champions Leagues (second only to Spain). The heyday of Italian clubs occurred in the 1960s and again in the late 1980s/early 1990s, when the two Milan clubs plus Juventus dominated every European competition. 

Economic problems and corruption scandals have hindered Italian football in recent years. The stadium ownership model has meant clubs can raise less money than rivals in England and Spain, which negatively affects the bottom line. However, the three aforementioned clubs as well as Napoli, Lazio and Roma still manage to hold their own in Europe competitions.

Tactical Style of Italian Football

Italian football has long been known for tactical innovation, particularly in defence and counter-attacking play. In the 1960s, Inter Milan coach Helenio Herrera developed the catenaccio (“locked door”) system, built on tight man-marking and a libero. This approach allowed Inter to absorb pressure before quickly launching counter-attacks to score decisive goals.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, AC Milan introduced a pressing-based version of the 4-4-2 system that compressed space in midfield and won the ball back quickly. The style helped Milan win three Champions League titles and produce unusually high-scoring results for Serie A, while stars like Marco van Basten set impressive goal-scoring records, including 26 goals in the unbeaten 1991–92 season.

These were the glory years for Italian football innovation, and paved the way for future developments such as the use of a deep-lying playmaker in Juventus’s  Andrea Pirlo, and Jose Mourinho bringing back catenaccio for Inter, winning another Champions League in 2010 with this reactive style. Although that was the last continental trophy won by an Italian club, the nation’s tactical mastery is still respected by rival clubs in Europe. 

Global Popularity and Broadcasting Reach

Serie A has fans all around the globe who want to tune in and watch the latest instalments of the league. Thanks to deals between the rights holders and the world’s top broadcasters, it is now possible to watch the games live. Highlights packages are also freely available on the Serie A YouTube channel.

How Serie A Italy Works

Serie A is structured in a similar way to other European leagues. The team who finishes top of the Italy Serie A standings wins the scudetto (shield) and after winning ten scudetti, they are allowed to wear a gold star above their club badge. Since Juventus have won 36 scudetti, they may wear 3 stars above the club badge.

League Format

In Serie A:

• 20 teams in Serie A play each other home and away
• This Serie A schedule results in 38 games per club
• There are 3 points awarded for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss
• Goal difference and goals scored are used to separate teams who achieve the same number of points
• However, positions which have a material effect e.g. winning the title, relegation, qualifying for Europe etc. are decided by examining the head-to-head record

Promotion & Relegation

Like most European leagues, Serie A is not a closed league

• At the end of each season, the bottom three teams in the Serie A table are relegated to Serie B.
• The top 3 teams in Serie B are promoted to Serie A.
• However, in the case of teams finishing with the same points total, the head-to-head record between the two teams is used to separate them

European Qualification

Since European expansion, it’s no longer just about winning titles. The top teams qualify for the next season’s European competitions. 

• The top Serie A teams qualify for UEFA competitions.
• Champions League places are awarded for the highest finishers.
• Europa League and Conference League are awarded to teams in the next highest positions.
• Domestic cup wins can also affect allocations e.g. the winner of the Coppa Italia qualifies for the Europa League

Serie A Teams

There are several classic teams in Serie A, several of which have support from outside of their traditional home city.

Serie A Standings

The Serie A standings are pored over at the end of every weekend by specialist Italian football newspapers like Gazzetto dello Sport. The intriguing subplots of Italian league football include:

Serie A Fixtures & Results

With so many classic clubs in Italy, several rivalries have formed over the years. Below are the most notable.

Derby d’Italia (Inter vs Juventus)

This match is the most celebrated encounter in Italian football, since Inter and Juventus are among the two most successful clubs in Serie A. The nerrazzuri (black and blue) of Inter and the bianconeri (white and black) of Juventus are iconic colours of the Liga Italiana, and are instantly recognisable among football fans worldwide. 

The current Juventus and Inter Milan standings receive close scrutiny at the end of each round of Serie A action. The two sides even occupy positions 1 and 2 when it comes to who has scored Serie A most goals, with around 5600 and 5400 goals, respectively. When it comes to the two teams’ head-to-head record, Juventus have won 87 games to Inter’s 49, with 46 matches ending as draws.

Derby della Madonnina (Inter vs Milan)

This is the second most famous derby game in Italy between the two Milanese powerhouses of Inter and AC Milan. Since the two sides share the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in the San Siro district, the games are always played in the same environment. 

Chronologically, AC Milan were formed first as a club reserved for British and Italian players. Inter broke away a few years later due to the unpopularity of such nationality restrictions. As their name suggests, the Internazionale club has always been open to players of any nationality. In the head-to-head, Inter have won 90 games and Milan have won 80 of the encounters.

Rome Derby (Roma vs Lazio)

The Rome derby (Derby delle Capitale) is one of the most passionate and bitter rivalries in world football. This might be somewhat surprising given the club's relative lack of success (both sides have won just a couple of scudetti each). However, there is also an intriguing political context to these encounters. 

Lazio were formed first, drawing their support from the hinterlands of the Rome region, and were traditionally associated with the far right regime of Benito Mussolini. Even today, there is a far right element to Lazio’s ultra fanbase, as well as some of the local players (most famously, Paolo di Canio).
 

Roma were formed a few years later, taking the right to use the imagery of imperial Rome (the wolves Romulus and Remus, and the blood red of the Roman flag) as well as adopting a more left-wing culture. Roma have a slight edge on the head-to-head record, with 73 wins to Lazio’s 67.

Serie A Stats & Leaders

Serie A Champions & History

Serie A has always been among the most high-profile leagues in Europe, and first came to international prominence in the early 1960s, with three consecutive European Cups won by Inter Milan and AC Milan. The FIAT-owned Juventus spent the next 20 years winning most Serie A titles, blowing vast sums to bring the trophy to Turin. 

1990s Dominance

The AC Milan sides of Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello began a new period of Italian dominance at the turn of the 80s/90s. Bankrolled by the tycoon Silvio Berlusconi’s billions, AC Milan bought in the best forwards from the Netherlands and France, uniting them with a formidable defensive Italian back 4, who included Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. The nerarossi (black and red) of AC Milan boasted the Serie A's best players throughout this period.

As well as 2 Serie A titles, Berlusconi’s Milan won 3 more European Cups (now rebranded as the Champions League). Italian football was now at the vanguard of a new era of big money in European football. Inter, Napoli, and even little Parma and Sampdoria won Serie A titles, before Juventus began their incredible resurgence of the 90s.

Under the guidance of Agnelli’s millions, Marcello Lippi’s coaching, and Luciano Moggi’s rather Machiavellian political methods, Juve won 4 more Serie A titles, as well as another Champions League. The 6-1 win for Juve at AC Milan in 1997 showed who was now the boss in Serie A, but this actually marked a high point for Italian football. 

Soon after, Serie A lost Figo to Barcelona, Zidane to Madrid, and even the likes of Vialli and Zola to England. Two more Champions League finals for  Juventus could not hide the fact that power had shifted from Italy to Spain and England as we moved into the 2000’s.

International Underachievement – But Decent Betting Opportunities

Since 2000, Serie A has fallen down the pecking order of top leagues. A major hammer blow was the forced relegation of Juventus to Serie B (due to Moggi’s corrupt methods), although AC Milan in 2007 and Inter in 2010 did secure a couple more Champions League titles for Serie A. 

Since then, Italy’s top division has become known as one of the most open in Europe, with the titles being shared around. The slower pace of football has allowed Serie A to become a kind of retirement home for the world’s best players. Fewer goals means the BTTS=no, under markets and even draws have a higher hit rate than other major European leagues, which sharp bettors can take full advantage of.

Serie A Records & Fun Facts

• The highest scoring match in Serie A history was a 10-3 victory for Torino against Alessandria Calcio in 1942 - this Torino side dominated European football in the 1940’s, but was tragically destroyed in the Superga air disaster at the end of that decade
• The highest margin of victory was also played between these two sides. Torino came away with a 10-1 win against poor Alessandria in 1948
• The fastest goal in Serie A history was scored by Rafael Leao of AC Milan against Sassuolo in 2020, after just 6.2 seconds
• Serie A’s youngest goal scorer was Amadeo Amadei of Roma, who scored against Fiorentina at the tender age of 15 years, 9 months and 6 days, in 1937.
• The oldest player to score in Serie A was the evergreen Billy Costacurta of AC Milan who scored at the ripe old age of 41 years and 25 days, in the final match of the season at Udinese in 2007.
• The longest unbeaten run in Serie A was 58 games, achieved by AC Milan between 1991 and 1993. It was ended by Faustino Asprilla’s memorable free-kick for Parma at the Giuseppe Meazza.

What Is Serie B?

Serie B is the second level in the Italian footballing pyramid, and this league acts as a feeder league for Serie A. 

• The top 3 teams in Serie B are promoted to Serie A.
• Like Serie A, teams are awarded 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.
• Sharp bettors know that Serie B is characterised by low-scoring affairs and many drawn matches

How to Watch Serie A

Serie A is still very much in demand from international broadcasters, who sell the TV rights on a per-territory basis. Deals change from season to season, so it pays to stay informed about who has the best packages.

Coverage is available in the UK, USA and Europe. Matches are typically available on both free-to-air and streaming services, which require a paid subscription service. 

Typical Matchdays (weekend + midweek)

Due to the demands of international TV broadcasters, Serie A matches tend to be spread over the weekend, in order to show as many games as possible. Below is a typical schedule:

• One match on the Friday evening
• One match early Saturday lunchtime
• Two matches on Saturday afternoon
• One match on Saturday evening
• One match on Sunday lunchtime
• Two matches on Sunday afternoon
• One match (typically the biggest match of the weekend, such as the Derby d’Italia) on Sunday evening
• One match on Monday evening

This applies to weekend rounds - but be aware there are also midweek rounds which operate on an ad hoc schedule.

FAQs