Serie A 2025/26 starts under the banner of a silent but disruptive revolution: that of the benches. The coaches become the symbol of a new economic geography, made of bets, excellent returns and strategic cuts.
At the top of the list of the highest paid is confirmed Antonio Conte, King of Naples, who with his 6 million euros net per year represents the cornerstone of the Neapolitan project. But it is the return of Massimiliano Allegri to Milan that has the pillars of Italian football shaking: 5 million salary for the coach from Livorno, double that of his predecessor Paulo Fonseca.
If Milan pushes on the accelerator, Lazio surprises with an impactful operation: Maurizio Sarri returns to Formello with a salary of 2,8 million, marking an 86% leap compared to Marco Baroni. But the most dramatic turnaround comes from Milan on the Nerazzurri side, where Inter entrusts the technical guidance to Cristian Chivu: for him a contract of 2,5 million, which represents a drastic cut of 61,5% compared to the 6,5 million received by Simone Inzaghi. A downsizing that makes noise, especially for a club accustomed to fighting for the top.
At the top of the ranking, as reported McReport, Bologna and Roma also stand out: Vincenzo Italiano and Gian Piero Gasperini, with 3 and 5 million respectively, are among the most valued coaches, a testament to the ambitious plans of the two clubs, increasingly protagonists in the race for Europe.
But there is also another Serie A, made of planning, scouting and a lot of resilience. Far from the spotlight and the monstrous salaries, clubs like Lecce, Verona and Udinese rely on technicians-artisans, capable of giving an identity to teams built on intuitions and low-cost talents.
At Lecce, Eusebio Di Francesco, with a salary of 500 thousand euros, is still aiming for a vertical and aggressive football, capable of setting the “Via del Mare” on fire. At Verona, Paolo Zanetti will try to strengthen an already rocky team, maintaining balance in the midst of the chaos of the market. Finally, at Udinese, Kosta Runjaic will have to manage a multi-ethnic squad with players from ten different nations, instilling discipline and tactical culture in a team to be built (and resold) piece by piece.
Article published on 3 July 2025 - 11:50
The article talks about changes in coaches and salaries but I think it is not all clear, the numbers seem very high for some coaches and low for others. I wonder if this will have an impact on the game.