'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This upcoming Serie A season is bound to be another exciting one. The last two seasons have seen the Milane-based giants win the league titles, but Napoli, Juventus, AS Roma, and Lazio are all making strides this summer to close the gap at the top. Cagliari, Genoa, and Venezia were the three relegated teams last season.
Genoa, one of the most historic teams in Italian football, will have to fight to get promoted. Venezia, a club from Venice, won many fans due to their style of football and stylish kits. The new season brings three newly promoted teams with varying degrees of history. Let's find out who they are.
#1 US Lecce - Serie B Champions
US Lecce didn't steamroll their way to promotion as they won 19, lost five games and drew a staggering 14 games last season. They did have the best defensive record in the league, conceding only 31 goals and finished with 71 points, two points clear of second place. Their manager Marco Baroni has worked hard with the squad over the last two seasons to secure their promotion.
Current Genoa striker Massimo Coda was Lecce's top scorer for the second consecutive season with 20 goals. Coda also provided the most assists(7), another Gabriel Strefezza was another top player, getting 20 goal contributions. Lecce were relegated from the top tier in 2020 but are back after a brief stint away. Their best finish in Serie A came during the 1988-1989 season when they finished ninth in the league standings.
#2 Cremonese - Second in Serie B
Cremonese didn't score the most goals in Serie B, nor did they concede the least goals, but they won the most games (20). This earned them a second-place finish and a promotion to Serie A.
Under the guidance of Massimiliano Alvini, the team from Cremona will be returning to the top flight for the first time since 1996. Cremonese are a team that can grind out results without having to rely much on individual talent.
Luca Zanimacchia was their top scorer with eight goals, a rank he shared with two other players. Nicolò Fagioli made the most assists (7). Many will expect Cremonese to get relegated, given the quality compared to the other teams in the league. They finished 10th during in Serie A during the 1993-1994 season. Regardless of where they finish in the upcoming season, though, their fans should enjoy the next 12 months.
#3 AC Monza - Famous for racing but now football as well
AC Monza finished fourth in Serie B and won the playoffs to seal promotion to Serie A. They beat Brescia in the semi-finals and Pisa in the final to secure their promotion.
Owned by Silvio Berlusconi, the former owner of AC Milan and managed by Giovanni Stroppa, the club have worked hard to get into the big leagues. It is the first time Monza will be playing in the top tier of Italian football.
Danish striker Christian Gytkjær was their top scorer with 14 goals, while Luca Mazzitelli assisted six times. Berlusconi is looking to back Monza as much as possible and help them avoid relegation in Serie A this season.
