Sarri to return against Parma, Conte against Lecce

MILAN (AP) — The new coaches of Juventus and Inter Milan have relatively easy starts to their return to Serie A, but there are potentially crucial matches during the second weekend of the new Italian league season.

The 2019-20 Serie A fixtures were announced on Monday. Juventus starts its bid for a record-extending ninth straight league title at Parma and then faces new coach Maurizio Sarri’s former club Napoli in Turin in the second round.

Now coached by Antonio Conte, Inter kicks off its season at home to newly promoted Lecce. That also marks Conte’s return to the Italian League.

Conte led Juventus to three straight league titles before becoming Italy coach in 2014 for two years. The Italian also had a spell in charge of Chelsea from 2016-18, leading the English club to a Premier League crown and the FA Cup title.

Conte will face former club Juventus for the first time in the Derby d’Italia the weekend of Oct. 6, in week 7 in Milan.

The Serie A season starts on Aug. 25. The first weekend also sees Napoli, which finished runner-up last season, visit Fiorentina. Roma hosts Genoa and AC Milan visits Udinese.

The first Milan derby will be in the weekend of Sept. 22, in week 4.

The season finishes the weekend of May 24, with Juventus hosting Roma, Inter away at Atalanta and Napoli at home to Lazio.

The winter break will run from Dec. 23 to Jan. 5 as last season’s experiment of following the Premier League and running through the Christmas holidays has been abandoned.