Serie A's biggest clubs escape significant disruption from AFCON 2025 (December 21 – January 18). Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Bologna have no players departing, while Roma, Atalanta and lower-half clubs bear the burden.
Title contenders unaffected
The Scudetto race benefits from remarkable fortune regarding AFCON:
This represents a significant advantage for Italy's top clubs, who can maintain momentum during a period when other European leagues face disruption.
Roma worst affected among contenders
Roma (2 players): Evan Ndicka (Ivory Coast) and Neil El Aynaoui (Morocco). Both are expected to feature prominently for their nations, and their absences weaken Claudio Ranieri's defensive and midfield options. As the worst-affected club challenging for European places, Roma face a difficult period.
Atalanta's European challenge complicated
Atalanta (3 players): Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast), Honest Ahanor (Nigeria). Lookman's absence is particularly significant – the 2023 Europa League final hero remains one of Serie A's most dangerous attackers. Gian Piero Gasperini must find solutions without his key forward during Europa League knockout stages preparation.
Other significant departures
Lazio (3 players): Reda Belahyane (Morocco), Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria), Boulaye Dia (Senegal). Three regular contributors departing simultaneously weakens Marco Baroni's options during a competitive mid-table battle.
Napoli (1 player): André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon). The Cameroonian midfielder has been crucial to Napoli's system, though injury concerns had already limited his involvement this season.
Cagliari (2 players): Joseph Liteta (Zambia), Zito Luvumbo (Angola). Important contributors for a club fighting to avoid relegation.
Relegation battle concerns
Lecce (up to 7 players): Kialonda Gaspar (Angola), Owen Kouassi and Konan N'Dri (Ivory Coast), Lassana Coulibaly (Mali), Youssef Maleh (Morocco), Hamza Rafia (Tunisia), Lameck Banda (Zambia). The worst-affected club in Serie A faces a potential catastrophe during survival-critical fixtures.
Hellas Verona (up to 7 players): Similar to Lecce, Verona could lose multiple players during the AFCON period, creating significant squad depth issues.
The concentration of absences among lower-half clubs could significantly influence the relegation battle, far more than the Scudetto race.
Serie B considerations
Pisa (3 players): Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Nigeria), Mehdi Leris (Algeria), M'bala Nzola (Angola). The Serie B promotion challengers face disruption during a crucial phase of their campaign.
Competitive implications
The pattern is clear: Serie A's elite clubs (Inter, Juventus, Milan, Bologna) escape unaffected, while clubs fighting for European qualification (Roma, Atalanta, Lazio) and survival (Lecce, Verona, Cagliari) bear disproportionate burdens. This asymmetry could prove decisive in determining final standings.
