A club by club guide to the new Italian Serie A season due to kick-off this weekend.
AC Milan
Last season: 1st
Coach: Massimiliano Allegri
Major transfers in: Philippe Mexes (Roma), Taye Taiwo (Marseille), Alberto Aquilani (Liverpool - loan), Antonio Nocerino (Palermo - loan),
Major transfers out: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marek Jankulovski (retired), Nicola Legrottaglie (end of contract), Rodney Strasser (Lecce), Alexander Merkel (Genoa)
Prospects: Having strengthened their defence, which was already the best last season, Milan remain favourites to retain their title.
Inter Milan
Last season: 2nd
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini
Major transfers in: Emiliano Viviano (Bologna), Jonathan (Santos), Ricardo Alvarez (Velez Sarsfield), Luc Castaignos (Feyenoord), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Mauro Zarate (Lazio - loan)
Major transfers out: David Suazo (Catania), Samuel Eto (Anzhi Makhachkala), Goran Pandev (Napoli - loan)
Prospects: With a new coach and with Samuel Eto'o sold, much depends on Inter's attacking replacements Forlan and Zarate but they should still run Milan close.
Napoli
Last season: 3rd
Coach: Walter Mazzarri
Major transfers in: Miguel Britos (Bologna), Federico Fernandez (Estudiantes), Marco Donadel (Fiorentina), Gokhan Inler (Udinese), Mariano Bogliacino (Chievo), Daniele Mannini (Sampdoria), Mario Santana (Fiorentina), Blerim Dzemaili (Parma), Goran Pandev (Inter)
Major transfers out: Michele Pazienza (Juventus), Fabiano Santacroce (Parma)
Prospects: Swiss international Inler will strengthen the midfield and Pandev gives them greater options up front so Napoli should be capable of pushing the top two close again this season.
Udinese
Last season: 4th
Coach: Francesco Guidolin
Major transfers in: Danilo (Palmeiras), Paulo Barreto (Bari), Thierry Doubai (Young Boys), Abdoulwahlid Sissoko (Troyes), Neuton (Gremio), Diego Fabrini (Empoli)
Major transfers out: Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona), Bernardo Corradi (end of contract), Cristian Zapata (Villarreal)
Prospects: Having sold flying winger Sanchez to Barcelona and let Inler go to Napoli, not to mention their participation in Europe, a weakened Udinese will do well to secure even a Europa League finish.
Lazio
Last season: 5th
Coach: Edy Reja
Major transfers in: Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Marius Stankevicius (Valencia), Lorik Cana (Galatasaray), Senad Lulic (Young Boys), Abdoulay Konko (Genoa)
Major transfers out: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Mark Bresciano (Al Nasr), Mourad Meghni (Umm Salal), Mauro Zarate (Inter - loan)
Prospects: Lazio have bought smartly in the summer, strengthening an attack that was far from prolific last season meaning a Champions League challenge remains a distinct possibility.
Roma
Last season: 6th
Coach: Luis Enrique
Major transfers in: Bojan Krkic (Barcelona), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille), Erik Lamela (River Plate), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Loic Nego (Nantes), Jose Angel (Sporting Gijon), Simon Kjaer (Wolfsburg)
Major transfers out: Philippe Mexes (AC Milan), Mirko Vucinic (Juventus), John-Arne Riise (Fulham), Doni (Liverpool), Jeremy Menez (Paris St Germain)
Prospects: Roma seem to have lost better players than they have brought in and with rookie coach Luis Enrique it is hard to see them improving on last season so a fight for a Europa League finish beckons.
Juventus
Last season: 7th
Coach: Antonio Conte
Major transfers in: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Mirko Vucinic (Juventus), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria), Stephan Lichststeiner (Lazio), Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen), Michele Pazienza (Napoli)
Major transfers out: Mohamed Sissoko (Paris St Germain), Hassan Salihamidzic (Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (Galatasaray - loan)
Prospects: Juve have been busy in the transfer market, although they failed to deliver the really big signings they promised. Even so, they should be in the European mix not least because of other teams' deficiencies.
Palermo
Last season: 8th
Coach: Devis Mangia
Major transfers in: Matias Silvestre (Catania), Eran Zahavi (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Mauro Cetto (Toulouse), Andrea Mantovani (Chievo)
Major transfers out: Javier Pastore (Paris St Germain), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain), Dorin Goian (Rangers), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham), Fabio Liverani (end of contract), Mattia Cassani (Fiorentina - loan), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan - loan)
Prospects: Having sold their best player Pastore to PSG and also lost Italy internationals Sirigu, Cassani and Nocerino, and fired coach Stefano Pioli to replace him with youth team coach Devis Mangia before the season even started, it is hard to see Palermo going anywhere but backwards, badly.
Fiorentina
Last season: 9th
Coach: Sinisa Mihjlovic
Major transfers in: Houssine Kharja (Genoa), Gianni Munari (Lecce), Andrea Lazzari (Cagliari), Mattia Cassani (Palermo - loan)
Major transfers out: Sebastien Frey (Genoa), Adrian Mutu (Cesena), Mario Santana (Napoli), Marco Donadel (Napoli), Gaetano D'Agostino (Siena)
Prospects: Fiorentina are a team in transition who no longer have the ability to challenge for a Champions League finish but they may manage a crack at a Europa League spot.
Genoa
Last season: 10th
Coach: Alberto Malesani
Major transfers in: Ze Eduardo (Santos), Valter Birsa (Auxerre), Alexander Merkel (AC Milan - loan), Kevin Constant (Chievo), Felipe Seymour (Universidad de Chile), Cristobal Jorquera (Colo-Colo), Andreas Granqvist (Groningen)
Major transfers out: Domenico Criscito (Zenit St Petersburg), Abdoulay Konko (Lazio), Eduardo (Benfica), Rafinha (Bayern Munich), Alberto Paloschi (Chievo), Houssine Kharja (Fiorentina)
Prospects: Having been very busy in the summer transfer market Genoa look to have bought wisely and should make a fist of fighting for a top six finish.
Chievo
Last season: 11th
Coach: Domenico Di Carlo
Major transfers in: Alberto Paloschi (Ac Milan - loan), Perparim Hetemaj (Brescia), Ivan Fatic (Cesena), Rinaldo Cruzado (Juan Aurich)
Major transfers out: Kevin Constant (Genoa), Andrea Mantovani (Palermo), Pablo Granoche (Novara)
Prospects: Paloschi may be a good signing for Chievo but the loss of Constant will hurt them and they should finish lower mid-table at best.
Parma
Last season: 12th
Coach: Franco Colomba
Major transfers in: Fabio Borini (Chelsea), Nicola Sansone (Bayern Munich), Jonathan Biabiany (Sampdoria - loan), Fabio Santacroce (Napoli), Jaime Valdes (Sporting Lisbon - loan)
Major transfers out: Valery Bojinov (Sporting Lisbon), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli)
Prospects: Parma perhaps under-performed last season and if they can secure a deal for Juve forward Amauri would look good bets for a top-half finish.
Catania
Last season: 13th
Coach: Vincenzo Montella
Major transfers in: David Suazo (Inter Milan), Davide Lanzafame (Brescia), Mario Paglialunga (Rosario Central)
Major transfers out: Takayuki Morimoto (Novara), Matias Silvestre (Palermo)
Prospects: It will be another season of struggle for Catania who will feel the loss of Silvestre in defence and survival should be their goal.
Cagliari
Last season: 14th
Coach: Massimo Ficcadenti
Major transfers in: Moestafa El Kabir (Mjallby), Vlada Avramov (Fiorentina)
Major transfers out: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Andrea Lazzarri (Fiorentina)
Prospects: Firing coach Roberto Donadoni two weeks before the season was due to begin to replace him with Ficcadenti can't have helped Cagliari so expect them to start slowly but eventually survive.
Cesena
Last season: 15th
Coach: Marco Giampaolo
Major transfers in: Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina), Eder (Brescia), Antonio Candreva (Udinese - loan), Marco Rossi (Bari), Gianluca Comotto (Fiorentina)
Major transfers out: Stephen Appiah (end of contract), Luis Jimenez (Al Ahli)
Prospects: If Cesena can keep Mutu out of trouble and exploit his talent on the pitch then they should be looking at a top half finish, otherwise they will be fighting for survival.
Bologna
Last season: 16th
Coach: Pierpaolo Bisoli
Major transfers in: Jean-Francois Gillet (Bari), Nico Pulzetti (Bari), Alessandro Diamanti (Brescia), Saphir Taider (Grenoble), Robert Acquafresca (Genoa - loan)
Major transfers out: Emiliano Viviano (Inter Milan), Miguel Britos (Napoli)
Prospects: The losses of Viviano and Britos will hurt Bologna badly despite some generally good signings and this looks set to be a hard season for them.
Lecce
Last season: 17th
Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco
Major transfers in: Julio Sergio (Roma), Andrea Esposito (Bologna - loan), Rodney Strasser (AC Milan - loan), Christian Obodo (Udinese - loan), Juan Cuadrado (Udinese - loan), Moris Carrozzieri (Palermo), Nenad Tomovic (Genoa - loan)
Major transfers out: Jeda (Novara), Javier Chevanton (Colon), Gianni Munari (Fiorentina), Antonio Rosati (Napoli)
Prospects: Lecce's transfer dealings have been based on quantity more than quality and it would be no surprise if they suffer from a lack of cohesion and go down.
Atalanta
Last season: Serie B champions
Coach: Stefano Colantuono
Major transfers in: Stefano Lucchini (Sampdoria), Andrea Masiello (Bari), Maximiliano Moralez (Velez Sarsfield)
Major transfers out: Nicola Amoruso (end of contract), Leonardo Talamonti (Rosario Central)
Prospects: Starting the season with a six-point penalty for their part in the betting scandal means Atalanta must start as favourites to go down and anything else would be a minor miracle.
Siena
Last season: 2nd Serie B
Coach: Giuseppe Sannino
Major transfers in: Zeljko Brkic (Udinese - loan), Gaetano D'Agostino (Fiorentina), Mattia Destro (Genoa - loan), Gabriele Angella (Udinese - loan), Matteo Contini (Real Zaragoza - loan), Daniele Mannini (Sampdoria)
Major transfers out: Souleyman Coulibaly (Tottenham), Goncalo Brandao (Parma - loan)
Prospects: Siena have made some decent short-term signings, particularly loanees, which could ensure they stay up this season but whether it's an effective long-term strategy remains to be seen.
Novara
Last season: 3rd Serie B (promoted through play-offs)
Coach: Attilio Tesser
Major transfers in: Andrea Mazzarani (Udinese - loan), Riccardo Meggiorini (Genoa - loan), Pablo Granoche (Chievo - loan), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania), Jeda (Lecce), Ivan Radovanovic (Atalanta - loan), Massimo Paci (Parma)
Major transfers out: Emanuel Gigliotti (San Lorenzo)
Prospects: Novara simply look out of their depth and are odds on to finish in the bottom three despite some decent buys.
Source: AFP
