Serie A Daily Report - 2026-05-22

Cristian Chivu has been named Serie A Coach of the Season after guiding Inter to their 21st Scudetto in his first campaign in charge. The award caps a historic year for the Romanian, whose side wrapped up the league title with three matches to spare and combined it with a league-and-cup double.

Inter's chief executive hailed Chivu as an all-time great on the Nerazzurri bench, pointing to the club's 10th Coppa Italia and a season that left deposed champions Napoli 13 points behind ahead of the final matchday. The recognition underlines how quickly Chivu has gone from a six-month spell at Parma to elite status at San Siro.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Al Nassr's 4-1 win over Damac to clinch the Saudi Pro League title on the final night of the season. The 41-year-old's free-kick and close-range finish secured the trophy and ended his wait for a major club title since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020.

Al Hilal finished just two points behind, while the result further extended Ronaldo's remarkable trophy haul across England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia. Several reports noted that the title also moved him to league championships in four different countries, a rare milestone in world football.

Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man England World Cup squad, and the headline omissions are Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire. The selections also included Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton, Lewis Hall, Luke Shaw and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen among the notable calls.

The shock exclusions dominate the build-up to the tournament in North America because they reshape England's attacking and defensive balance in one move. The squad announcement has already drawn heavy scrutiny, with the debate centring on Tuchel's willingness to leave out proven names in favour of form and tactical fit.

Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season, bringing down the curtain on a 10-year reign that transformed the club into a European powerhouse. Reports on the same day said the Catalan coach has won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League at City, while one statistical breakdown credited him with 592 games and only 89 defeats in all competitions.

The announcement is significant beyond the Premier League because Guardiola's departure closes one of modern football's defining managerial eras. City are now facing a post-Guardiola rebuild after a spell that delivered 20 major trophies and changed expectations at the Etihad.

Juventus' 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina has turned a comfortable-looking qualification push into a desperate final-day fight for Champions League football. Cher Ndour and Rolando Mandragora scored the goals that left Juve sixth in the table heading into Sunday's trip to Torino, with the result described as a collapse from third to sixth in 90 minutes.

The loss matters because Juventus now need results to go their way just to secure a place in Europe's top competition, and even victory may not be enough. The pressure is amplified by the fact that Fiorentina had spent much of the season in the relegation places and had gone more than a month without a league win before landing this damaging result.

East Bengal's 2-1 win over Inter Kashi ended a 22-year wait and brought a long-running regional rivalry back into focus. The result was framed as the end of '22 years of Bangal pain', with the club finally getting the kind of emotional victory that resonates far beyond the league table.

The significance is cultural as much as sporting: the article ties the match to the East Bengal-Mohun Bagan divide and the generations of family allegiances that define Bengali football. A single league win does not settle the season, but it does restore pride in a rivalry that carries enormous weight in Indian football.

Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz has been named Serie A's best young player of the 2025/26 season, winning the league's 'Rising Star' award for players under 23. The 21-year-old's award was confirmed on Serie A's official channels and was based on tracking data and performance analysis.

Yildiz also collected the monthly young player award twice during the campaign, underlining why Juventus see him as one of the club's most important long-term assets. In a season where Juve's Champions League hopes are under pressure, the recognition is a reminder that the squad still has elite young talent to build around.

AS Roma's Mile Svilar has been named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for a second straight season, a first in the modern awards era. His 2025/26 campaign included 17 clean sheets in 37 appearances, a stat line that explains why he has become one of the division's most reliable keepers.

The repeat honour matters because it confirms Svilar as more than a breakout performer; he is now setting the standard for the position in Italy. For Roma, the award is a rare bright spot and proof that their defensive base remains elite even in a season of broader uncertainty.