Inter's comeback, McTominay's magic, and the meltdown nobody saw coming

Italian football's had a rough go of it. The national team tanked a World Cup qualifying campaign—third miss in a row, which is frankly embarrassing—and the clubs? Yeah, they've been getting properly dismantled in Europe.

Inter's the one that stings most. You go from a Champions League final to getting knocked out in the playoff by Bodø/Glimt. That's the kind of drop that makes fans question everything. But here's the thing: Cristian Chivu steadied the ship domestically. They bounced back. Picked themselves up and actually looked like a Serie A side again when it mattered.

Juventus didn't get the memo. Seven goals. Against Galatasaray. Seven. That's not a loss, that's a demolition. And Napoli, last year's Scudetto winners, couldn't even survive the group stage. Scott McTominay's been their bright spot though—the Scottish midfielder's actually kept them ticking when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

Como made some real noise this season, splashing cash and turning heads. They're the new money story, the ones people actually want to watch. Meanwhile, Atalanta did something proper heroic: they're the only Italian side that made the last 16, clawing back from two goals down against Borussia Dortmund. Sounds great until you remember Bayern Munich then beat them 10-2 on aggregate. So there's that.

It's been the kind of year where Italian football needed some wins, some hope, some reason to believe next season might look different. Chivu's Inter rebuild and McTominay's performances are the only threads keeping anyone sane.