The Serie A Tim 2023-2024 season has come to an end. The last matches of the 38th matchday were played on Sunday 26 May, awaiting the recovery of Atalanta-Fiorentina on 2 June. A championship dominated by Inter, who took the tricolor away from Napoli after a disappointing year for the Azzurri. The most heated battle took place behind the Nerazzurri, the one for access to the Champions League in which next year, thanks to the coefficients accrued by the Italian teams in the previous five years, the top five in the standings will be able to participate. Just behind five other teams they kept alive their hopes of playing in a European tournament next season, thanks to a combination of possible results thanks to the finals won by Atalanta in the Europa League, which they then won, and by Fiorentina in the Conference League, which will be played Wednesday 29 May. At the bottom of the table, Salernitana and Sassuolo have already been relegated, while until the very end the third slot remained in the balance, hanging on the results of Empoli, playing at home against Roma, and Udinese against Frosinone.
Who goes to Europe
The new format of the Champions League 2024-2025 will see five Italian teams involved in the tournament. In addition to Italian champions Inter, Milan, Juventus, the surprise Bologna and Atalanta will participate. The 3-0 home win for the Bergamo team against Torino closes the doors for Roma, who hoped to qualify from sixth. A possibility that the Giallorossi were cultivating because the Orobic team, winners of the Europa League, would have opened up an extra slot for the Italians if they had qualified fifth in the table. And instead with the latest victory Atalanta conquers fourth position, always waiting for the recovery against the Viola – and the possibility of overtaking Juventus too. De Rossi’s men, regardless of the result in Empoli, qualify for the next edition of the Europa League, together with Tudor’s Lazio who need at least 1 point to secure seventh place. Fiorentina, alone in eighth place, with one game less, will be able to play in the Conference League again. However, the viola has other ambitions. After having won two consecutive finals in the youngest of European competitions, if they were to win against Olympiacos they would rightfully gain access to the Europa League, freeing up their slot in the Conference. At that point Torino can dream of Europe, from ninth in the standings, thanks to the draw in the league with Napoli – stopped by a draw against Lecce – and by virtue of the direct clashes with the Azzurri. To enter the Conference, however, the Granata need Fiorentina to win the Conference and finish eighth in the championship, behind Lazio. With a point against Sassuolo, Lazio is sure of seventh place and Torino only has to wait for the result of the Viola’s European final. Otherwise, in the event of Lazio’s defeat and Fiorentina’s Conference victory, Juric’s team must hope that Fiorentina does not emerge with a victory from injury time against Atalanta.
The relegations
With Salernitana and Sassuolo already in Serie B, eyes on Empoli (third from last on 36 points), Udinese (fourth from last on 34) and Frosinone (35). The Tuscans play at home against Roma, who take the field in a match that has no impact on their ranking. At Stirpe, however, a last-gasp battle for survival takes place. Frosinone just needs to win or draw with Udinese, in case of defeat they will only be saved if Empoli doesn’t beat Roma. Udinese doesn’t get relegated if they win, if they draw but Empoli don’t win, if they lose and the Tuscans also lose. If the Friulians lose and Empoli draw, there would be an equal points finish, at 34, which would lead to a two-legged play-off. With a victory, Empoli is certain of survival. In the event of a draw, they can only hope for Udinese to lose and then risk everything in the play-off. For Frosinone it is enough to win or draw with Udinese: in case of defeat they will only be saved if Empoli does not beat Roma. However, it was the Ciociari who said goodbye to Serie A, losing at home while Empoli took three points against the Giallorossi.
