Serie A Daily Report - 2026-05-12

Inter Milan and Lazio face each other at the Stadio Olimpico in Wednesday's Coppa Italia final, just four days after meeting in league play. For Inter, the match is a chance to add a domestic double to a season already crowned by the 21st Scudetto; for Lazio, it is a route back into Europe after a difficult league campaign.

Cristian Chivu has urged his players to enjoy the occasion and said the result will not change his view of an excellent 2025-26 season. Inter have already beaten Lazio 3-0 at the same venue, with Lautaro Martinez, Petar Sucic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on target in the title-clinching run, underlining why they enter the final as favourites.

Bologna stunned Napoli 3-2 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Jonathan Rowe scoring a 91st-minute winner after the hosts twice fought back from two goals down. Federico Bernardeschi opened the scoring, Riccardo Orsolini converted from the spot, and Napoli levelled through Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Alisson Santos before Rowe's acrobatic finish decided it.

The result leaves Napoli under pressure in the Champions League race, with only five points separating second-placed Napoli and Como in sixth and just two league matches remaining. Antonio Conte said the early collapse was no accident, while Bologna's win lifted them into eighth place and marked Napoli's second home defeat of the season.

Como president Mirwan Suwarso says Nico Paz's future will be decided in Madrid, not by whether Como qualify for the Champions League. The 21-year-old Argentine playmaker, who joined from Real Madrid in 2024, has been central to Cesc Fabregas' side and leads the club for Serie A goal involvements with 18, made up of 12 goals and six assists.

Paz has also created 51 chances in the league, numbers that explain why his situation is drawing attention across Europe. Como sit sixth with two games left and have already secured European qualification, but Suwarso made clear that Real Madrid's buy-back stance will ultimately shape the summer outcome.

Donyell Malen's move to Roma has been one of the season's standout Serie A stories, with the Dutch forward producing 14 goals in 18 games across all competitions after arriving on loan from Aston Villa with an obligation to buy. His form has helped keep Roma in the hunt for a Champions League place and has reignited debate over how quickly he adapted to Italian football.

Italian journalist Daniele Garbo argued that Malen's success reflects the lower quality of Serie A compared with the Premier League, but the numbers still matter for Roma's push. The club's investment, reported at €25m for the permanent deal, looks increasingly justified by his output and consistency in a crucial run-in.

Serie A has appointed Lars Heidenreich as media rights consultant for the Asia-Pacific region, bringing in the former Mediapro Asia managing director through FSA Consult. The 20-team league wants Heidenreich to help enhance and expand broadcast rights across APAC, a market it views as strategically important for growth and global visibility.

The move is part of a broader commercial push to increase Serie A's footprint beyond Italy, with the league emphasizing the region's fanbase and business potential. The appointment adds an off-pitch development story to a day dominated by title race and cup-final headlines.

Fiorentina have terminated Tariq Lamptey's contract after the former Chelsea and Brighton defender managed only 25 minutes of football for the club. The 25-year-old arrived in Florence last summer for £5million but spent most of his time sidelined, missing 45 games after suffering an ACL injury in his debut against Napoli.

The decision closes one of Serie A's most frustrating recent transfer gambles and leaves Fiorentina cutting their losses early. Lamptey's case is a reminder of how quickly a fresh start can unravel when injuries wipe out a player's availability and value.

Udinese forward Keinan Davis has accused Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena of directing a racist slur at him after last weekend's match, which Udinese won 2-0 in the 36th round of the 2025-26 Serie A season. According to reports, tensions boiled over after the final whistle and Davis later described the alleged remark as 'cowardly racist behaviour'.

The incident adds to the long-running problem of racism in Italian football and puts further pressure on the league to respond decisively. Davis' public complaint, along with the reported on-pitch confrontation, ensures the case will be closely watched by both Serie A officials and disciplinary authorities.