Serie A 2019-20: 3 most improved and declined teams of the season

#3A: Improved – Fiorentina

Franck Ribery's form after the break helped Fiorentina finish mid-table in the 2019-20 Serie A.

2019-20 Serie A Standing - 10th (49 points).

2018-19 Serie A Standing - 16th (41 points).

It was a season of inconsistency for Fiorentina, yet a finish in the top-10 will be seen as a sign of improvement after a disastrous 2018-19 Serie A campaign which saw them getting almost losing their top-flight status.

The arrival of Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich and the performances of midfielder Eric Pulgar ensured that La Viola kept themselves well away from the dreaded bottom-three this time around. Despite struggling with injuries, Ribery was in excellent form after the restart as La Voila lost just one of their last nine Serie A games.

Fiorentina, under the stewardship of Vincenzo Montella and then Beppe Iachini, could beat the best on their day, as demonstrated by their unbeaten run against the two Milan clubs both home and away. At the same time, they put out some of their worst performances against the bottom sides; they failed to beat relegated Brescia and had a shocking 1-0 loss to Lecce at home.

All in all, it was a season of transition for La Voila. With the squad brimming with young talent, Iachini will be looking to build on from this season.

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#3B: Declined – SPAL

SPAL's 3-year top-flight stay came to an end in 2019-20.

2019-20 Serie A Standing - 20th (20 points).

2018-19 Serie A Standing - 13th (42 points).

A fairytale story of sorts, SPAL’s three-year stay in the Serie A was something none of their fans could have contemplated at the start of the decade.

After recovering from bankruptcy in 2012, the club made rapid strides in the next few years to win promotion to the top flight in 2017 for the first time since 1968.

Last season, SPAL finished a commendable 13th, above the likes of Parma and Fiorentina, to confirm their top-flight status for the second year running. But this season was a disappointing one for the fans as the club finished rock bottom, with very few positives.

The club suffered a whopping 28 defeats all season, and they were the only team in the division who failed to win a game after the restart. The club’s decision to sack Leonardo Semplici, the man who had catapulted the team from Serie C1 to the Serie A, was certainly a wrong one, as his replacement Gigi Di Biagio mustered just one win from the final 15 Serie A matches of the season.

The only positives from the 2019-20 season were their unexpected wins over Atalanta and Lazio, both of whom qualified for next year’s Champions League.