Milan's Luka Modric can't believe it. © APA/afp / PIERO CRUCIATTI

No Champions League: Juve's chaos and Milan's disaster

The final matchday in Serie A was incredibly exciting and dramatic. The big losers are two traditional clubs: Juventus and Milan missed out on Champions League qualification.

24 May 2026

From: det/apa

Juventus and Milan are among the biggest names in Italian football. But they won't be playing in the Champions League next season. After a dramatic final matchday, the two heavyweights will have to settle for the Europa League.

While Juventus' failure to qualify for the Champions League had been looming, Milan's exit came as a surprise. Before the final matchday, the Milanese side were still in third place and had an excellent chance of qualifying for the Champions League. Then came the 90-minute blackout: Max Allegri's team suffered a 1-2 home defeat against bottom-of-the-table Cagliari.

Alexis Saelemaekers on the ground. © APA/afp / PIERO CRUCIATTI

This meant that Milan were knocked out of the top four at the last minute by Roma (2-0 win at Verona) and Como (4-1 win against relegated Cremonese). A disaster for Milan, as the Rossoneri will now miss out on the Champions League for the second year in a row. The Europa League is only a small consolation.

One hour delay due to fan violence

This also applies to Juventus, who had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Torino in the Turin derby on Sunday. The match was overshadowed by chaotic fan violence. Before the game, clashes broke out between Juve and Torino fans outside the stadium, during which one Juve supporter was seriously injured. The Bianconeri supporters subsequently called on their team to boycott the match. This ultimately did not happen, but kickoff was delayed by an hour.

Juventus will not be playing in the Champions League next season. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Thanks to a brace from Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus held a comfortable 2-0 lead, but then Torino turned things around and equalized late in the game. By then, Juventus already knew they would miss out on Champions League qualification. Juventus, too, will have to settle for the Europa League.

Conte announces resignation

Napoli coach Antonio Conte announced his resignation after the 1-0 victory against Udinese. He led the southern Italian club to the league title in 2025. "One thing I didn't achieve in Naples: I failed to unite everyone. I saw too much hostility and malice," Conte said. "The moment you can no longer handle things with ease is, for me, a step backward." He is considered the favorite for the vacant Italy national team coach position.

Serie A, last matchday

Parma – Sassuolo 1:0
Goal: 1-0 Pellegrino (80th minute)

Napoli – Udinese 1-0
Goal: 1-0 Hojlund (24th minute)

Milan – Cagliari 1-2
Goals: 1:0 Saelemaekers (2nd), 1:1 Borrelli (20th), 1:2 Rodriguez (57th)

Cremonese – Como 1:4
Goals: 0:1 Rodriguez (36th), 0:2 Douvikas (51st), 1:2 Bonazzoli (55th/penalty), 1:3 Da Cunha (74th/penalty), 1:4 Da Cunha (81st)

Lecce – Genoa 1-0
Goal: 1-0 Banda (6th minute)

Verona – Roma 0:2
Goals: 0:1 Malen (56th), 0:2 El Shaarawy (90th + 3)

Torino – Juventus 2-2
Goals: 0:1 Vlahovic (24th), 0:2 Vlahovic (54th), 1:2 Casadei (60th), 2:2 Adams (84th)