JUST IN: FABIO CAPELLO OFFICIALLY LABELS SERIE A A FIVE-HORSE RACE FOR 2026
Fabio Capello claims the 2026 Scudetto is wide open with only 4 points separating Inter, Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Juve.
Fabio Capello thinks the Serie A title is wide open, with Juventus, Inter, Milan, Napoli, and Roma all in the running. He also thinks they all need to get better to win the Scudetto in 2026.
The ex-coach for Milan, Roma, Juventus, and England shared his thoughts on each team's chances in an interview.
With Christmas coming, the top of the Serie A table is tight, with only four points separating the top five. Inter's got 33 points, Milan 32, Napoli 31, Roma 30, and Juventus 29—pretty exciting for fans!
Capello said he doesn't see anyone pulling away right now.
When asked if this five-way race could last, Capello said, Why not? No one's running away with it. They all win some, lose some. Milan and Roma were ahead, but now Inter and Napoli are back, and Juve is making a comeback.
So, does he think Juventus can win?
They're not out of it. They could win their next few games and get 12 points, he said.
About Spalletti, Capello noted, He’s found the players that fit. He’s brought back the hunger and push that was missing. And Juve is one of the few Italian teams that can take players on and make the other team scramble. Guys like Yildiz, Conceicao, and Zhegrova often cause problems for opponents.”
Does he think Juventus is a real title contender?
“Juve is right there; they could close the gap, and they still have head-to-head matches to play,” he said.
Talking about Inter, Capello said, Chivu's been playing it safe so far. I think he's seeing that some players aren't in top shape, so he's holding back on trying new things. But they're in first place.
And about Milan, he added, Milan is losing points and letting in goals; that's not like Allegri. They need to be solid on defence. Mistakes have cost them too many points. They play very offensively, but they have problems in the back.
Milan is supposedly trying to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham to strengthen their attack. Does Capello think that's a good move in January?
That's a good question. It’s hard to play without a main striker. Fullkrug is an old-school striker, so the club must have talked about who would fit best. But it's not just about strikers; they're not playing in Europe and need to use that to their advantage.”
Capello agrees with many fans that Roma needs more attack to be considered a serious title contender: Without a main striker, Gasperini has also had lots of issues, he said.
It's tough. Against Juventus, there was no one up front to aim for. Roma played better in the first half, but they kept trying to attack through the middle when Juve had just put Bremer back in.
About the attackers Roma might sign this winter, Capello said, I really like Zirkzee; he knows how to play with his back to the goal and moves well. Raspadori, on the other hand, is more of a second striker. He fits in okay; he knows how to score, but he's not a main striker.
Lastly, on Napoli, fresh from their Supercoppa Italiana win in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Capello said, Napoli has great players and a winning coach in Conte.
“Now Lukaku and some of the injured guys are back, and winning the Supercoppa will be huge for the team's confidence. It’s a mental boost that could help them come back strong in the league.”
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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