It has hardly been a straightforward season for eventual Scudetto winners Juventus. The season began with the aim to at least match the unbeaten campaign achieved last year, and they had the new task to be competitive in the Champion’s League which stretched the club’s resources to the quarter-finals. Antonio Conte’s four-month touchline ban was an unwelcome distraction at the start of the season, although when he regained control Juventus were two points clear at the top.
That’s where they stayed relatively unchallenged in their pursuit and capture of their 29th, or 31st, title. Yet only two of Conte’s players make my team of the season due to the fierce competition this year in Serie A. The league may at times fail to attract the biggest names in European football, and struggle to afford them, but Italian football still boasts an array of competitive talent.
Team of the season
Samir Handanovic; Andrea Barzagli, Marquinhos, Gonzalo Rodriguez; Juan Cuadrado, Mattia De Sciglio, Arturo Vidal, Borja Valero, Marek Hamsik; Stephan El Shaarawy, Edinson Cavani
Samir Handanovic: He has been Inter’s solitary saviour at times in a desperately underwhelming season for the Nerazzurri. His nine clean sheets boosted Inter’s winning streak to seven earlier in the campaign, and took all the plaudits in both Milan derbies. He had notable displays away at Torino and Fiorentina, and also produced pivotal saves against Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal to end Juventus’ unbeaten streak on their own turf.
Andrea Barzagli: Barzagli’s impressive form this season has made Chiellini’s injury absence go all but unnoticed. He has formed a telepathic understanding with Leonardo Bonucci and has been a reliable presence in a steely Juventus defence that has only conceded 24 goals all season. The Italian has also shown calmness on the ball, completing 87% of his take-on duels and has an average pass accuracy of 90%.
Gonzalo Rodriguez: Rodriguez’s outstanding performances in his first Serie A season have been pivotal to the Viola’s push for Champions League football. The former Villarreal defender has averaged a tackle success rate of 73%, and has made the transition of losing Matija Nastasic as smooth as possible. The Argentine has also chipped in with six goals, making him a constant threat from set pieces.
Marquinhos: His first year in Serie A was supposed to be of an educational nature, but the Brazilian has performed to such a high degree that he has become Roma’s stand-out defender. The 18-year old reads the game like a battle-worn centre back, and has made 71 interceptions in 26 appearances. He has developed at a rate close to that of Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane and is a reported €20m target for no other than Barcelona this summer.
Juan Cuadrado: The Colombian midfielder recently admitted he wanted to make last season’s loan spell at Fiorentina a permanent move this summer due to the plaudits he's gained. Cuadrado plays with great flair and energy, showing great positivity and skill when he’s on the ball. He has created 52 chances and notched six assists this season for the Viola, usually operating down the right-hand side. He’s also scored some stunning goals.
Mattia De Sciglio: At the age of 20, De Sciglio has made twenty-seven appearances for AC Milan this season and won his first senior international cap. Premature comparisons have been made to Rossoneri legend Paolo Maldini, yet it still goes to show how highly rated the young Italian is in a developing Milan side. De Sciglio is physically strong and energetic, as well as being defensively reliable. He has won 77% out of his 77 attempted tackles and won almost 70% of his aerial duels.
Arturo Vidal: It wouldn’t be wrong to argue that Vidal is a challenger for the best box-to-box midfielder in world football. He has been a player of great consistency and one who can be called upon to keep the Bianconeri alive in matches. This season he has scored 13 goals, assisted 10 and made on average 5 tackles per game in 31 appearances. No wonder rumours concerning his future are never far away.
Borja Valero: The Fiorentina midfielder has bucked the trend when it comes to Spaniards success rate in Serie A. He’s taken the Viola to another gear this season and has spearheaded Vincenzo Montella’s fluid passing style. His touch of velvet and eagle-eyed vision has racked up an 88% average pass accuracy and a commendable 64% of passes are forward bound. The midfielder has also created 74 chances with 11 assists to his name.
Marek Hamsik: Hamsik is second in the assists chart across the major European leagues with 14. Only Iniesta has one more than him which is testament to his vision and responsibility at Napoli. Top Serie A scorer Edinson Cavani certainly benefited from the Slovakian and so did Walter Mazzarri, being able to play Hamsik almost anywhere along the front-line. In total, he has created 100 chances for his team-mates and got himself on the score sheet 11 times.
Stephan El Shaarawy: There was certainly a contrast in El Shaarawy’s unstoppable first-half of the season and stuttering second-half. But it can’t be denied that the 20-year old was pivotal in Milan’s clinch of a Champions League spot, at times bringing Milan threw on his own; Cagliari at home and Napoli away spring to mind. Despite not scoring since February, El Shaarawy bagged 16 for the season and had finished with an average shot accuracy of 66%.
Edinson Cavani: Serie A’s top scorer with 29 goals in 34 appearances, Cavani has been linked throughout the season with Europe’s biggest giants. He pushed Napoli towards a title challenge with Juventus that eventually fizzled out, but kept them in second place to secure European football next season. He’s taken the most shots in Serie A, 134, with 78 of them coming inside the box, displaying his nose for goal and intelligence at finding space in a crowded box.