The 2024-25 Serie A season is in the history books, with Napoli celebrating a second Scudetto in three years after beating Inter Milan to the post by one point at the end of the most dramatic title race in years.

Antonio Conte was named Serie A Coach of the Year after becoming the first manager to win the Scudetto with three different clubs, a feat previously achieved by Fabio Capello, only for his two titles with Juventus to be subsequently revoked in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal.

Meanwhile, Scott McTominay capped an extraordinary debut season in Italy by scooping up the Serie A MVP accolade and Mateo Retegui clinched the Capocannoniere crown after plundering 25 goals.

But who joins the Scotland and Italy internationals in Serie A’s team of the season? The Destination Calcio writers have put their heads together, agreed and argued over their choices for hours before eventually settling on their best XI in Serie A this season.

So, without further ado, here are their choices. For the purpose of this exercise, they have settled on a 3-5-2 formation – the most common system currently in use in Serie A.

GK – Mile Svilar

In a league famous for producing world-class goalkeepers, Svilar’s inclusion may raise eyebrows. However, the Roma shot-stopper boasts the highest save percentage (77 per cent) of any keeper who played more than 10 matches.

Svilar also prevented 7.5 more goals per match on average, second only to our runner-up Vanja Milinković-Savić (12.6 at Torino), and matched Alex Meret’s clean sheet record of 16, the joint-best in the division.

With 38 appearances in a tumultuous campaign, which eventually saw Roma rise to fifth, the 25-year-old has become the symbol of Claudio Ranieri’s last stand.

CB – Amir Rrahmani

The linchpin of Napoli’s defence, Rrahmani played every minute of the Partenopei’s 38 Serie A matches en route to a second Scudetto in three seasons.

At a time when defenders are asked to be as proficient at starting moves as they are at breaking them down, the Kosovo international is something of a throwback.

Look through his statistics and the 31-year-old does not top any metrics for a defender in Serie A. He does, however, rank in the top-five in clearances, in the top 15 for blocks and just outside the top 40 in terms of tackles won.

The kind of steady, solid presence every title-winning team needs.

CB – Alessandro Bastoni

Statistically speaking, there isn’t a player as valuable to their team across Serie A as Alessandro Bastoni. 

According to figures from Opta, the Inter Milan defender ranks first in plus/minus – ​​a statistic that measures a player’s impact on their team’s performance by tracking the difference in goals scored and conceded when that player is on the field compared to when they are off the field – and plus/minus per 90 minutes. In layman’s terms, the Nerazzurri are a much better side when Bastoni is on the pitch than when he isn’t.

Strong in the air, effective on the ball – only two more players delivered more crosses in the box this season – and tactically versatile, Bastoni instrumental to Inter’s title bid.

That their quest for a second Scudetto came undone in a game he missed – the 1-0 defeat by Roma at the end of April – is not a coincidence.

CB – Jhon Lucumi

Lucumi has established himself as a key figure at Bologna, positioned between Juan Miranda and Sam Beukema, the latter having narrowly missed out on selection in our team of the season.

Since arriving in 2022, the 26-year-old has impressed under both Thiago Motta and Vincenzo Italiano, crucial to the Rossoblu’s rise up the Serie A standings. Lucumi was exceptional during the Coppa Italia Final triumph, marshalling Milan’s attacking trio beautifully.

The Colombian is a classic central defender who can read the play, make interceptions without always going to the ground and is smart when distributing possession—a tenet of Italiano’s system.

With over 100 appearances in red and blue, Lucumi has caught the eye of Europe’s giants, including Juventus, Barcelona and Inter. Bologna could very well triple their €8m investment in the summer.

RWB – Denzel Dumfries

Statistics may not tell the whole story, but in Denzel Dumfries’ case they paint a pretty accurate picture of his season.

Across Europe’s top five leagues, only five defenders have recorded more goal contributions than the Dutchman this term.

Dumfries finished the season with seven goals and three assists in Serie A, despite starting just 20 of his 33 appearances.

His exploits in the Champions League, where he has two goals and three assists in 11 outings, confirmed the Dutchman remains at the peak of his powers.

LWB – Juan Miranda

The fact Bologna have more than one player in this combined XI speaks volumes for the Rossoblu’s extraordinary season, which delivered a first trophy in 51 years.

A summer signing from Real Betis, Juan Miranda contributed with six assists in 31 appearances, a tally equalled or bettered by only five other defenders in Serie A.

The fact Bologna landed the Spaniard on a free transfer only serves to highlight their wisdom off the pitch.

CM – Scott McTominay

The absolute first pick for midfield. There wasn’t a more clutch player this season than the Scotsman, who scored 12 goals and provided six assists in a campaign that went beyond even his highest expectations.

McTominay came good when it mattered most, scoring six goals in the final seven games to take Napoli over the line and secure a fourth league title.

Moreover, McTominay won the hearts and minds of the Neapolitan public, with his face adorned on walls and T-shirts, and Scottish flags draped all over the city. 

Serie A this season was McTominay’s world, and everyone else was just living in it.

CM – Nico Paz

It’s not often such a young player gets picked in any competition’s Team of the Season – Lamine Yamal the exception, perhaps. But Nico Paz was Como’s inspiration and Serie A’s revelation, a true box-to-box midfielder with defensive capabilities and a sweet set-piece repertoire to boot.

Cesc Fabregas could never have hoped for such an impact from the former Real Madrid starlet, and Como fans should feel blessed to have him while they’ve got him.

This was the season the boy became a man. Within weeks of his twentieth birthday, Paz capped off his international debut for Argentina by assisting a goal for Lionel Messi against Bolivia in the World Cup Qualifiers.

At just 19, Paz already possesses one of the silkiest touches in the top five leagues, can steer play intelligently and shoot from absolutely anywhere; his six goals and eight assists in the Italian top flight are a sign of things to come.

CM – Tijjani Reijnders

The next logical pick to play alongside McTominay. In a season where very few AC Milan players sparkled, the Dutchman was the one bright spot.

He netted 10 times in Serie A this season, only McTominay scored more from midfield.

It’s a shame that Reijnders got very little help from his teammates, and Milan’s lack of European football means the 26-year-old is likely as good as gone this summer, with rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League.

ST – Mateo Retegui

The Argentine-Italian produced his breakout season in European football, scoring 25 times for new club Atalanta and becoming the first La Dea player to win the Capocannoniere since Pippo Inzaghi in 1996-97.

Retegui was signed as a replacement for Gianluca Scamacca, with the striker suffering an ACL injury in pre-season. Such was Retegui’s impact in Bergamo that many have forgotten all about the player he came in to replace.

Full of energy and movement, Retegui helped Atalanta to secure a top-four finish, ensuring Champions League football will once again be played at the Gewiss Stadium next season.

ST – Moise Kean

The Italian went from scoring no goals to 19 within a year. Kean’s transfer from Juventus to Fiorentina was the smart call – he had stagnated in Turin and needed to go somewhere he’d be first choice.

He found that place in Florence, and he repaid La Viola with the most productive season of his career. Now 24, Kean is slowly morphing into the talent many expected him to become years ago when he first broke through at Juve.

More importantly, Kean scored when it mattered, netting the winner against Bologna and Udinese in the final weeks of the season that earned Fiorentina entry into the Uefa Europa Conference League ahead of Lazio.

He also scored doubles against Inter, Roma and a hat-trick against Verona. The real question now is can Fiorentina keep him this summer?