Inter Milan kick off title defence at home against Genoa

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan will launch their bid to defend their Serie A title at home against Genoa on the weekend of August 21-22, according to the 2020/21 calendar unveiled on Wednesday.

Inter ended Juventus’s nine-year reign last season, lifting the Serie A title for the first time since 2010.

They were led to the title by Antonio Conte but next season will be coached by former Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi.

Serie A runners-up AC Milan also face a Genoa club as they open at Sampdoria, while third-placed Atalanta are at Torino, who avoided relegation last campaign.

The Milan derby between Inter and AC Milan will take place on matchday 12 on November 7 with the return leg on February 6.

Juventus, who snatched the last Champions League berth on the final day last season, travel to Udinese for their opener with Massimilano Allegri back on the bench. 

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The 53-year-old led Juve to five consecutive league titles and the double with the Italian Cup four times, before being sacked two years ago.

Jose Mourinho’s Roma coaching debut is at home against Fiorentina, while new Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti faces promoted Venezia, a team he coached briefly two decades ago.

Mourinho returns to Italy where he led Inter Milan to the treble — Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia — in 2010.

The Portuguese coach will come up against Inter on matchday 16 in Rome on December 5 with the return leg in the San Siro for matchday 24 on April 24.

Inter and Juventus will go head-to-head for the first time on October 24 at San Siro, with the return leg on April 3 in Turin.

The first derby between Lazio and Rome will be played on September 26.

Former Roma, Sampdoria and Cagliari boss Eusebio Di Francesco makes his debut on the Hellas Verona bench at home against his former club Sassuolo.

Newly-promoted Salernitana, back in Serie A for the first time since the 1998-1999 season, travel to Bologna for their opener, with Empoli at home against Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio for their return to the top flight.

Serie A next season follows the model adopted by the Premier League, Liga and Ligue 1, with an asymmetric schedule, where the second half of the campaign will not be based on the first, but organised in a completely different order.

Inter’s final game of the season will be at home against Sampdoria on May 22 with Juventus at Fiorentina and Milan at Sassuolo./pb