Serie A 2019-20 review: Pandemic-plagued season yields few surprises

While the Serie A season was temporarily put on hold because of the pandemic, the league returned under unusual circumstances but yielded few surprises.

Not even a global pandemic and a three-month hiatus could stop the juggernaut that is Juventus. The Old Lady won their ninth straight Serie A title, cementing a dynasty in Italy that seems impossible to break. In the end, despite the coronavirus and no fans in the stands for the final stretch of the season, there were few surprises to speak of in Serie A.

There were a few title contenders this season, but they all fizzed out in the end. Lazio, before the coronavirus break, seemed to be a real threat. Then it was Atalanta and Inter Milan that tried to break the Juve dominance, but they too failed. Roma, Napoli and AC Milan lurked from a distance, but that trio were also too inconsistent to pose a real threat.

“It’s been a complicated year for everyone,” said Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, who was part of eight of the club’s nine consecutive scudetto titles. “It’s been tough to re-start the championship without the spectators and it was difficult to get going again after so many months without playing. It’s the most beautiful because we wanted it and we suffered for it.”

As a result, Juventus came up on top, while the battle to finish top four (for entry into next season’s Champions League) kept fans interested down the stretch. At the bottom of the standings, Sampdoria escaped relegation, as did city rivals Genoa on the final day of the season. Lecce, Brescia and Spal were not so lucky and dropped down to Serie B.

As the bianconeri prepare for the knockout rounds of the Champions League (along with Atalanta and Napoli), here’s a look back at the season and the teams, players and managers who stood out most in what will be forever remembered as the strangest season in league history.

Serie A Team of the year: Atalanta

Juventus may have won a ninth straight championship, but it was Atalanta once again to have a very strong season. Again, no surprise here. The Bergamo-based club has been a growing power over the past few seasons thanks to the brilliant coaching of Gian Piero Gasperini and an academy system that churns out talent like a factory. That Bergamo was hit hard by the virus made for an even more compelling story this season.

Atalanta had a wonderful post-break run and surged up the standings in an effort to finish second once again. Last season, Atalanta finished the season third with 69 points. This season, the team did even better, amassing 78 points for another third-place finish. What lies ahead for Atalanta is the Champions League, a real chance to go on a Cinderella run. Then there’s next season, where they remain title contenders. The last four years have been a big achievement for a club that has never won a league championship.

Serie A Manager of the year: Maurizio Sarri

The 61-year-old former banker finally won a league title after failures at Napoli and Chelsea. In his first season at Juventus, Sarri didn’t disappoint in the end. Despite leading the team to the title, his tactics are often questioned and fans are still wondering if he’s a good fit at Juve. The return of the Champions League this month, and whether the Old Lady can seriously contend for the trophy, will likely determine whether Sarri remains at the club.

For Sarri, the scudetto was the first he’s ever won in his native Italy, also making him the oldest ever to coach a team to the title at age 61. To date, his only trophy was a Europa League title during his one-season stay in England at Chelsea last year. Sarri has coached since 1996 and made a name for himself starting in 2015 when he took over at Napoli. In the end, he won zero trophies in Naples over three seasons. No matter what happens next, Sarri can proudly say he’s finally won a league championship.

 Serie A Player of the year: Cristiano Ronaldo

Lazio Ciro Immobile may have ended the season as the league’s top scorer, it was the Portuguese superstar who helped Juve to the title. It’s true that he had a strong supporting cast, but Ronaldo showed that he’s still got what it takes to score clutch goals.

Now 35, Ronaldo hasn’t shown any real signs of aging. He had an MVP season in Italy, despite Lazio star Ciro Immobile winning the title of top scorer, and is the offensive weapon Juventus needs in the Champions League. Indeed, Ronaldo’s record-breaking Serie A season is something to marvel at. In the never-ending debate over whether Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the best player on the planet, this season will give fans of the Juve star plenty of stats to back up their position.

Serie A Best team pre-stoppage: Lazio

Only a point behind Juve in March, Lazio was having a great season … until the pandemic struck Italy. After the break, Lazio’s momentum was broken and their inability to win key games in June and July ended their title hopes.

What happened post-hiatus was a slip in form that was unexpected. The Rome-based team went from title contender (they last won the scudetto 20 years ago) to a fourth-place finish. Lazio lost to Atalanta, AC Milan, Lecce, Sassuolo and Juventus after the break, dropping 15 points as Juventus won the title and Atalanta and Inter Milan surpassed them in the standings. What the team needs to do this summer is buy new players and build around Immobile. The Italian striker won the European Golden Shoe (as the continent’s top scorer) after finishing the season with a record-tying 36 goals. Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski had 34 and Ronaldo finished third with 31.

Serie A Best team post-stoppage: Napoli

It was a tale of two teams in Naples. Before the stoppage, Napoli had dumped coach Carlo Ancelotti and replaced him with the feisty Gennaro Gattuso. The wins were slow to come early on, but the team regrouped and showed that it can potentially contend for the title next season.

Soccer returned in Italy with the league cup, a tournament Napoli ultimately won against Juventus on penalties. Conquering the Coppa Italia (and automatically qualifying for the Europa League) was a huge morale boost for the club as the season resumed and Napoli rarely disappointed over the last two months. As a result, Gattuso will coach next season and hope to start strong in order to be considered a title contender once again. For now, the team readies to take on Barcelona in the Champions League, hoping another shock result could get them to the quarterfinals.

Serie A Courage award: Sinisa Mihajlovic’s leukemia fight

While the pandemic put a focus on the health of everyday citizens and players once games resumed, it was the Bologna manager who was battling leukemia at the start of the season that served as an inspiration to many across the soccer world. As a result, he became a symbol of heroism for the players, the city, their fans and supporters of other clubs as well since he began chemotherapy treatments.

The 50-year-old Serb coach was once a hard-nosed defender who made his career by playing in Serie A for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan. After retiring in 2006, Mihajlovic became a manager. It was last year that he was named Bologna coach (he had previously managed the club in 2008) after Filippo Inzaghi was sacked. In the end, Bologna finished 12th and Mihajlovic, his health woes behind him form now, was honored by Bologna and named an honorary citizen.

Serie A Moment of the year: Ciccio Caputo’s inspiring message

Player celebrations come and go, but Sassuolo’s Ciccio Caputo’s message right before Italy went on lockdown will forever be remembered as a rallying cry for a nation that ultimately suffered 35,000 death. The toll reached its peak in late March and early April, weeks after Caputo’s goal celebration.

What was that message? After scoring a goal on March 9, the last game before Serie A stopped, Caputo held up a sign reading: “All will be well. Stay home.” Those words scribbled in red marker on a small piece of white paper rallied a nation.

The hope is that all will be well. It was starting to in Italy once soccer returned. For a season many didn’t think would ever return, soccer served as an inspiration that sports can help life return to some normalcy. It’s a season, for both good and bad, that many won’t ever forget.