Last Five Serie A Champions Ranked: Where Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Land?

Dominant, brilliant, elegant, menacing, breathtaking… By the time Inter mathematically secured the Serie A title, we were already out of superlatives to describe just how good they have been since the start of the season. Simone Inzaghi’s men have been simply operating on another level, while Milan, Juventus and the rest of the crew failed to maintain pace, and never truly stood a chance.

Comparing the Nerazzurri with any other Italian club this season would be a vast injustice… perhaps for both parties. Therefore, we can only resort to the previous campaigns to measure the team’s strength by comparing it to fellow Scudetto winners, including another Inter side.

So it’s time to rank the last five sides to win the Serie A title based on how good they were during their championship-winning campaign. In other words, had they all been playing in one majestic fantasy league, which side would have been the favorite to come out on top?

5. Milan (2021/22)

Last week, Milan manager Stefano Pioli argued that Inter only won the league twice despite boasting the strongest squad over the last four years in an attempt to aim a dig at his arch-rivals who have been tormenting him on a recurring basis over the last two campaigns.

Sorrow he might be, but perhaps the under-fire coach has a point, as many would feel that his Rossoneri squad wasn’t the best equipped to lift the Scudetto title. Nevertheless, Rafael Leao was sensational that campaign, while Sandro Tonali hit his stride during the home run, and let’s not forget about Olivier Giroud who turned the Derby della Madonnina upside down with a brace that ultimately proved decisive.

That Scudetto race was arguably the most electrifying over the past two decades, and the fact that Milan started the campaign as the underdogs only made it more compelling. However, the club’s struggles afterwards suggest that the team was over-relying on individual brilliance. That being said, the great determination and team spirit they displayed during that season was certainly admirable, making them worthy champions beyond any doubt.

4. Juventus (2019/20)

When Juventus lifted their ninth title in a row at an empty Allianz Stadium, few would imagined that the Old Lady wouldn’t taste Scudetto glory in the next four years. But while the scale of the club’s collapse was unimaginable at the time, the signs of decline were beginning to creep in.

While this certainly wasn’t the best version of the Bianconeri, on paper, they arguably boasted the strongest squad on this list. Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Douglas Costa, Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt and even Gianluigi Buffon were all plying their trade in Turin at the time.

However, many of those stars were already over the hill, while some were beginning to lose their appetite for domestic triumphs and becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of European silverware.

In a surreal season that was interrupted by a worldwide pandemic for three months, Maurizio Sarri eventually managed to guide Juventus towards the finish line to earn his solitary Scudetto medal, while a Champions League elimination at the hands of Lyon cost him his job.

At the start of the following campaign, former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli addressed his players by describing the previous season (2019/20) as a “s**tty” one, which sounds ironic given how the situation at the club unraveled over the last four years.

3. Inter (2020/21)

Inter is the only club that has two entries on the list. However, this is perfectly fine given how the two teams have different managers at the helm, while only a small minority of the 2020/21 squad survived until the 2023/24 campaign.

With a winning mentality sewn in his DNA, Antonio Conte was never going to settle for second place when he irked Juventus fans by joining forces with their arch-rivals. The Lecce native fell short in his first campaign at Appiano Gentile, before taking full advantage of the Old Lady’s decline in the following season.

However, this surely wasn’t the only factor that yielded Inter’s first Serie A title in 11 years, as Conte was able to forge a solid lineup thanks to a formidable squad assembled by his old Juventus ally Giuseppe Marotta who provided the manager with the right components to instill his favorite 3-5-2 formation.

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez became the most dominant attacking force in Serie A thanks to their complementary attributes and brilliant understanding, while Achraf Hakimi proved to be a menacing force on the right flank. Moreover, Samir Handanovic, Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni emerged as the most impenetrable defensive unit in the country.

2. Napoli (2022/23)

Based on what we’re seeing this season, many would be quick to call Napoli’s historic feat from last term as a one-hit-wonder delivered by a group of overachievers. But before producing the most ill-fated title defense in recent history, let’s not forget how the Partenopei had flamed the competition in what was arguably one of the most impressive title runs we’ve ever witnessed.

If we’re going to draw any conclusions from their shambolic displays this season, perhaps we can admit that Luciano Spalletti managed to hide some of the team’s weak points with his tactical brilliance. But even the incumbent Italy coach couldn’t produce a miracle on his own.

In Victor Osimhen, Napoli found a marksman who drives the team forward with sheer skill, pace and tenacity, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was simply unplayable. And let’s not forget how Stanislav Lobotka pulled the strings in the middle of the park, while Kim Min-jae was an imposing figure at the back.

But more importantly, the Azzurri were playing champagne football for the majority of the season, ravaging anyone who stood in their path, which is why they’re ranked so high on the list.

1. Inter (2023/24)

One might feel that we’re favoring this Serie A-winning side over its predecessors for the contemporary performances we’re currently witnessing, while the other teams’ displays are slowly fading in the memory.

But that’s not necessarily the case. After all, Inter’s majestic goal tally speaks for itself, while the club has only suffered a single defeat in the league this season dating back to October – against Sassuolo out of all people. Moreover, Inzaghi’s team boasts the best goal difference in Europe’s Top Five Leagues.

In what was a stunning twist, the Beneamata secured the Serie A title with a win over their crosstown rivals Milan just over a week ago. However, the teams’ earlier meeting was much more telling, with Inter smashed five goals past the sorry Rossoneri.

The fact that the newly-crowned champions made such an empathic declaration of intent at the early stage of the season and went on to deliver on every promise proves just how unstoppable Inter have been this season.

We can mention Lautaro’s surprising goal tally, Hakan Calhanoglu’s astonishing playmaking skills, and Federico Dimarco’s invaluable contribution, but it would be cruel to overlook anyone given how almost every member of the squad has delivered when his services were required in what was perfect tactical jigsaw crafted by Inzaghi’s mastery.