ROME, Aug 19, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Inter Milan kick off the new Serie A season

on Saturday in the midst of fan protests and money troubles that threaten to
derail their title defence before it has even begun.

  A dramatic summer for the champions reached its lowest ebb last week when
star striker Romelu Lukaku was sold to Chelsea, a transfer that enraged not
just supporters but reportedly also CEO Giuseppe Marotta and new coach Simone
Inzaghi.

  The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Inter's cash-strapped Chinese owners
Suning forced the sale of Belgium forward Lukaku after having already
offloaded buccaneering right-back Achraf Hakimi, a key figure in their first
Serie A triumph since 2010, to Paris Saint-Germain.

  The club's financial problems were clear well before the league crown was
claimed, and last month previous coach Antonio Conte left Inter knowing his
team could be dismantled.

  They are still strong in key areas and have one of Italy's Euro 2020 heroes
in Nicolo Barella, but the squad has certainly been downgraded.

  Lukaku has been replaced with Edin Dzeko, a capable forward familiar with
Serie A, but the Bosnia striker is 35 years old and scored just seven league
goals last season.

  Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries however is an intriguing choice for the
vacant spot at right-back after his exciting displays at Euro 2020.

  How he and Dzeko fare will be key to Inzaghi's chances at Inter after doing
an excellent job on a small budget at Lazio.

  - Allegri's Juve lurking -

  Ready to pounce will be Juventus, who have Massimiliano Allegri back at the
controls and added Euro star Manuel Locatelli to a midfield which was the Old
Lady's weak point under Andrea Pirlo last season.

  Rumours of Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave Juve have not dampened
enthusiasm around the team's chances as the chaos that has enveloped Inter
and Allegri's return have boosted hopes in Turin of reclaiming the title from
their old enemies.

  Also sniffing to overtake Inter is a new cast of managers led by Jose
Mourinho at Roma, who on Tuesday celebrated the arrival of Tammy Abraham from
Chelsea.

  Mourinho was welcomed back to Italy this summer, memories of treble glory
at Inter over a decade ago leaving Roma fans hoping the once Special One's
star has not definitively waned.

  Elsewhere Maurizio Sarri will try to bring his brand of passing football to
Lazio while Luciano Spalletti has a chance to get a talent-packed Napoli back
in the top four on his return to club management after two years away.

  - Fans return -

  Supporters will finally be able to watch the unfolding drama in stadiums
after the Italian government permitted clubs to open their stadiums to 50
percent capacity earlier in the month.

  The decision came after clubs railed against the previous legislation which
also permitted grounds to be as much as half full, but included social
distancing rules which would have meant up to three quarters of places in
some grounds being unavailable to fans.

  Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina welcomed the
move but insisted that it was simply a "first step towards our aim of having
our stadiums full as soon as possible".

  Last month the FIGC laid out demands to the government which as well as
asking for tax relief included a request to create a 'Save Football Fund'
managed by the FIGC which would receive one percent of all bets placed on any
sporting event.

  Another test for the league will be how its new main broadcaster DAZN
performs. The streaming platform outbid Sky for the 2021-2024 rights in March
and will be expected to supply coverage of Serie A to millions in a country
where digital development lags behind other European countries.

  When the DAZN deal was struck Italian Minister for Technological Innovation
Vittorio Colao estimated that some 16 million households in Italy did not
have fixed-line internet access.

  Fans have experienced problems in the past with DAZN's coverage, and just
weeks after striking the deal for this season the broadcaster suffered an
embarrassing blackout during coverage of Inter's match with Cagliari.