The2015–16 Serie A (known as theSerie ATIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 114th season of top-tier Italianfootball, the 84th in around-robin tournament, and the 6th since its organization under a league committee separate fromSerie B.Juventus were the defending champions. The campaign began on 22 August 2015 and ended on 15 May 2016.
On 25 April 2016, Juventus succeeded in defending their title for the fifth consecutive season, after second placedNapoli lost toRoma, givingJuventus a 12-point lead with only three games left.[6]
On 28 April 2015Carpi obtained its first promotion ever toSerie A, after debuting inSerie B the year before, becoming the 64th team to participate in Serie A since the1929–30 season.[7] On 16 May,Frosinone also earned its first promotion to Serie A, becoming the 65th to participate.[8] On 9 June 2015Bologna wonSerie B play-off, returning to the Serie A after just one year.
This season of Serie A was the first season to havegoal-line technology implemented after severe complaints from various teams' general managers (firstAdriano Galliani) in relation to controversialghost goals during recent seasons of Serie A.[9]
On 20 March 2016,Gianluigi Buffon broke the previous record ofSebastiano Rossi (929 minutes) by setting a longer period of 974 minutes without conceding a goal.[10]
Three Serie A icons also retired at the end of the season; theVerona captainLuca Toni, who scored 157 goals in 324 league appearances and was twice the league's top scorer, as well asGianpaolo Bellini, theleft-back who spent his entire career withAtalanta, making 435 appearances with the club. Both players also scored in their final games with their clubs on 8 May 2016, Toni in a 2–1 win over championsJuventus and Bellini in a 1–1 draw withUdinese;[14] and on 14 May,Christian Abbiati forMilan in the last fixture of the season at home againstRoma, however, he did not get any playing time,[15] totaling 281 league appearances for the club.[16][17]