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Last season produced a chase for the Scudetto that ended up as a non-event but this season promises to produce a much more fiercely contested battle. Who will be crowned Serie A champions in one of the most famous competitions in football.

Inter Milan pretty much had everything there own way in 2006/07, losing a solitary game all season (at home to Roma in April), and clinching the title with a further five games still to play. Breaking records became second nature to Inter, as they blitzed any Italian side that stood in their way. They recorded 17 consecutive victories, and went the first 31 games without defeat, whilst remaining unbeaten away from home throughout.

Of course, the advantages they had was the automatic demotion of Juventus before the season, for their part in the Calciopoli match fixing scandal, and close rivals AC Milan starting with minus eight points for their role in the wrongdoing. Milan made up for their Serie A season, by claiming the Champions League trophy for the seventh time in their history, exacting revenge over Liverpool for that remarkable final of 2004/05.

Juventus have now returned, back to the place where their football belongs, having secured the Serie B title, despite also beginning the season on minus points. They will be joined in Serie A by the famous Italian clubs, Napoli and Genoa. The Old Lady are one again a team on the up, and the match fixing scandals that have blighted the club so severely, now appear to have been put to one side, and focus is once again on the talent on the pitch. Not only has new coach Claudio Ranieri made, what appear to be, a number of astute signings, they have also convinced big name players, such as Pavel Nedved, David Trezeguet and Del Piero, to remain with the club following recent turbulent times.

AS Roma claimed runners-up in position in Serie A last season, and with Francesco Totti's recent retirement from international football, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti will hope that decision will benefit his side, with Totti concentrating all his efforts on the side he has been with for over 14 years. The flamboyant and highly talented forward will be hopeful of repeating his goalscoring feats of last season when he managed 26 league goals. Palermo, Fiorentina (started on minus 15 pts), and Empoli all had impressive seasons and were rewarded with European football this coming season.

At the other end of the table, there was one relegation place still undecided as they entered the final day of the season. Ascoli and Messina had already departed through the trap door, and any one of Parma, Chievo, Catania, Siena and Reggina could join them. Catania beat Chievo 2-0 to send them down to Serie B.

There was tragedy in the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo in February, when a police officer lost his life, during the crowd trouble. Football throughout Italy came to a standstill, and Catania were forced to play the remainder of their home fixtures at a neutral venue.

Summer Transfers

Juventus have been the big spenders in the close season, bringing in a host of new players for their return to the top flight. The midfield was an area identified as being in need of strengthening, so coach Ranieri brought in Tiago Mendes for £9.2m from Lyon, and the classy Argentine Sergio Almiron for £6.5m from Empoli to bolster the middle of the park. Amongst other new arrivals were Hasan Salihamidzic, joined from Bayern Munich, Zdenek Grygera from Ajax, and Antonio Nocerino from Piacenza. Commanding centre back Jorge Andrade comes from Deportivo for a fee that will rise to €10m, and the exciting former Udinese striker Vincenzo Iaquinta has also signed for the 'Old Lady' for £8m.

If Juventus have been positively active, then AC Milan have been somewhat dormant. With the possibilty of the European champions resting on their laurels, they plucked the highly skilful and talented Brazilian Alexandre Pato from Internacional for a fee around £10m. The 17 year-old will, however, not be eligible to play a competitive fixture for Milan till January 2008. Milan are distancing themselves from inevitable comparisons with the world class Kaka, suggesting Kaka was already a world class operator when he signed.

Champions Inter Milan have strengthened their defence with the signing of Romanian Christian Chivu for £8.7m plus co-ownership of Italian Under-21 defender Marco Andreoli. While it will have been a blow for Inter to lose full-back Fabio Grosso to Lyon, they will be more than happy with the signing of Honduran goal machine David Suazo, whom they pipped AC Milan to, and Colombian defender Nelson Rivas.

Having lost their pivotal centre back, Chivu, AS Roma raided Bayern Leverkusen for their replacement, and signed Brazilian Juan to fill the void. Roma also decided to take up the option of signing Mirko Vucinic on a permanent deal after he spent last season on loan in the capital. The gem of a signing for Roma, may turn out to be flying French wide man Ludovic Giuly, who turned down a number of alleged offers from numerous clubs, to settle in Serie A.

A lot of transfer action this summer has involved players moving between two Italian clubs, and Udinese will be buoyed by attaining full ownership of Fabio Quagliarella from Sampdoria, by way of a blind auction. He is a scorer of so many outstanding goals, and undoubtedly one of the hottest young talents in Italian football.

Former Italian target man Christian Vieri has won another contract, this time at Fiorentina, after Luca Toni moved on to Bayern Munich. Fiorentina have assembled a squad with an eye on the future, where the potential in the side is undoubted, and may prove potent with a mix of experience, in the shape of Vieri. Another former national team striker, Fabrizio Miccoli, has moved on. Having slipped down the Juventus pecking order, following loan spells at Fiorentina and Benfica, he has joined top 6 hopefuls Palermo for £3m.

Vincenzo Montella has departed from his love affair with AS Roma, to sign for Sampdoria, where he will be joined by former Roma team mate, Antonio Cassano, who has arrived on a loan basis from Real Madrid. Livorno have made a handful of shrewd acquisitions, including Francesco Tavano from Valencia, after Roma had decided on not making the loan move a permanent one, for a fee around £4m. Former Deportivo striker Diego Tristan has also joined.

Season Expectations

Champions Inter Milan will no doubt start as the league favourites to land their 16th Scudetto, however, city rivals AC will be breathing down their neck, and Juventus almost certain to make life much more difficult for Inter than the last campaign.

The Inter squad is once again packed with attacking talent, new addition David Suazo adding more quality. With 80 goals last season, Inter remain intent on taking the game to the opposition and exerting their flamboyant talents on opposing sides. A squad that appears to have good strength in depth, and an impressive coach in Roberto Mancini, they are certainly the team to beat in this campaign. Hoping to do just that is the European champions, and city rivals AC Milan. The same experienced faces will make up the Milan starting line up, and a more determined focus on the Championship is required, if they are to push Inter all the way.

Juventus have introduced a number of new faces, and will need time for these players to settle in, before they can be truly considered as potential challengers. Claudio Ranieri is not shy at rotating his squad in search of the right balance, and around Turin, it is hoped that an unrecoverable amount of ground is not lost in the opening stages.

A Totti led AS Roma will again be among the chasing pack, with an interesting battle behind in search of European places. Fiorentina, Lazio, Palermo and Udinese all have qualities that could clinch a top 5 finish.

Down the bottom end of the table, both newcomers Genoa and Napoli seem well equipped to fight hard for their survival, while Reggina's loss of main striker Rolando Bianchi will be a cause for concern. Cagliari have lost an attacking trio that is tough to replace, in Suazo, Esposito and Langella, and it could prove a long season for them. Last season strugglers Siena, Torino and Catania seem destined to be drawn, yet again, into a relegation dogfight.