Europe’s Top Football Leagues: A Season Preview

Once the World Cup champions are crowned, focus will shift swiftly back to league action. Clubs in the top leagues in Europe have been quietly going about their business ahead of the upcoming campaign...

Once the World Cup champions are crowned, focus will shift swiftly back to league action. Clubs in the top leagues in Europe have been quietly going about their business ahead of the upcoming campaigns. There have already been managerial changes at Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, and AC Milan in the offseason and big transfers have already been finalised with many more expected in the coming weeks.

Here are some of the main headlines across Europe that are set to shape the 2026/27 season. Mourinho Returns to Madrid It was announced back at the end of May that Jose Mourinho would sensationally return to the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese serial winner previously managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga once as well as the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.

After stints at Chelsea (second spell), Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma, Fenerbahce, and Benfica, Mourinho goes full circle to take over a team coming off the back of a trophyless season having scrapped the Xabi Alonso project earlier this year in January. Can Anyone Topple Inter? Internazionale stormed to their 21st Serie A title last season by 11 points from Napoli.

Although the side from Naples can boast league success most recently in the 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, they and other clubs will be targeting Cristian Chivu’s Inter side. One of the teams that could make an assault on the championship is Gian Piero Gasperini’s AS Roma. The capital side impressed last season, securing Champions League football for the first time since the 2018/19 season.

The former Atalanta manager has managed to bring the club back up towards the sharp end of the Serie A table and fans will be hoping Gasperini’s experience in dealing with multiple competitions can help them compete for the title and take advantage of any slipups by Inter, Napoli, or any other contenders for the Serie A crown. Fresh Energy at City, Liverpool and Chelsea Much of the managerial merry-go-round has happened in the Premier League. Most notably, Pep Guardiola stepped down as Manchester City manager after ten trophy-laden years at the club to be replaced by Enzo Maresca.

Elsewhere, Liverpool acted fast to replace Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola while Xabi Alonso is straight back into club management with Chelsea. Whopping transfer fees have already been shelled out with Tottenham Hotspur spending over £200 million on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jan Paul van Hecke to go with the free transfers of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dubravka. The noises being made in North London might grab the attention of arch-rivals and reigning champions, Arsenal, who will hope to get their World Cup contingent back to spearhead another title winning campaign.

It promises to be a highly charged and competitive season and for football fans looking to bet on the English Premier League at Spinoli, exertions at the World Cup could play a significant factor in how teams start their seasons. There promises to be much more transfer action with Aston Villa and Manchester United in need of reinforcements and all eyes will be on news columns once the World Cup dust finally settles. Final Thought: Can PSG make it a Hat-Trick?

Dominant on the domestic front for years already, PSG have translated Ligue 1 success to the biggest European stage. Back-to-back Champions League triumphs have crowned the French side the team to beat in European football. Luis Enrique has masterminded a sensational turnaround, moving away from superstars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar to form a unit of young, talented superstars.

While league success is an almost foregone conclusion nowadays, a third consecutive Champions League trophy would arguably be Enrique’s greatest achievement. Fellow European giants like Bayern Munich might have something to say about that, but it is not unthinkable for PSG to complete a hat-trick most recently achieved by Real Madrid between 2015 and 2018.