Allegri's Champions League remark after Napoli-Roma draws criticism; Svilar returns to Trigoria

Massimiliano Allegri's post-match accusation that Roma were handed Champions League qualification after the Napoli-Roma game has drawn an angry response from the Giallorossi, and Corriere della Sera reports that the figures from last season refute the claim. Allegri said: "They were handed the Champions League on a plate and I paid for it." The analysis says Milan's failure to qualify for Europe was not caused by alleged refereeing favours for the capital side, but by the rossoneri's poor form at the decisive stage of the campaign. Five matchdays from the end of last season, Milan led Roma by eight points. A vertical collapse over their final ten games, with six defeats, three wins and one draw for an average of 1.0 points per match, cost them the target. In their last four home games at San Siro, Milan took just one point from a possible twelve. A draw in the final round against already-safe Cagliari would have been enough for fourth place, but the home defeat allowed Como to overtake them at the death. The slump prompted Milan's ownership to sack Allegri at the end of the season. The data also undermine his defence: across his last 18 Serie A matches in charge across both spells, Allegri averaged 1.16 points per game, with just four wins and ten defeats in total. For Roma, the row is a reminder of how closely the race for Champions League places was fought last season, when they finished third in Serie A and secured their place in this season's competition. The club's response shows it is unwilling to let the accusation pass without challenge.

Lele Adani has criticised Massimiliano Allegri after the Napoli v Roma match, saying the coach should apologise to Roma over remarks he made following the game. Allegri shouted after the final whistle on Saturday evening: "Last year they put the Champions League in Roma's pocket, they are always them." Those words were heard clearly by several journalists and Roma officials. Allegri was referring to the comeback his Milan side suffered at the end of last season, which allowed Gasperini's Roma to finish third in the table, overtaking Allegri's Milan. Milan had dropped important points at Cagliari, a side with nothing left to play for. The remarks have angered Roma, who now expect the Procura Federale to open an investigation. Speaking on Domenica Sportiva, Adani said: "If this is verified, I hope Allegri apologises for this allusion, which would be pathetic and disrespectful to Roma, to Gasperini and to football. I prefer to talk about football. He likes to play on sarcasm even when it is out of place. I would focus on expressing himself in a different way."

Roma have reacted angrily to remarks by Massimiliano Allegri that appeared to question how the club secured its place in the Champions League. The comments were made in the tunnel at the Diego Maradona after Saturday's 3-3 draw, and they have not gone down well at Trigoria, where the club sees them as an insinuation of favourable treatment. Roma are determined that nobody taints their late-season charge last year, which ended with a return to the Champions League after seven years. Even a veiled allusion is unwelcome. Gian Piero Gasperini's side won six matches and drew one after their defeat at Inter, overtaking Allegri's Milan along the way. Milan, however, lost their final game 2-1 at home to Cagliari, which cost them the Champions League place. Allegri, furious after being sent off, was reportedly referring to alleged refereeing favours for Roma. Gasperini was also upset by the comments. After the match, Allegri spoke out again against the refereeing, in the dressing room, with his words overheard by federal inspectors. Roma's remarks at the Maradona came in the tunnel between a television interview and the press conference. Allegri said: "L'anno scorso gli hanno messo la Champions in tasca. Sempre loro..." ("Last year they put the Champions League in their pocket. Always them..."). Sporting judge Gerardo Mastrandrea was due to announce his decisions today. Once he has made them known, federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné will decide whether to open an independent investigation into the other remarks.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing further changes for Roma's home match against Cagliari, with Paulo Dybala close to a return and Mile Svilar possibly back sooner than expected. The fixture comes after Roma's costly 3-3 draw at the Maradona, and the kickoff at the Stadio Olimpico is at 20:45 tomorrow evening. The schedule leaves no time to rest, and Gasperini is set to rotate across the pitch. Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start at right-back in place of Devyne Rensch, and the young full-back's contract renewal to 2031 is also drawing closer. In midfield, Gasperini is considering resting either Marten de Roon or Niccolò Pisilli, with Bryan Cristante moving back into the middle. Rodrigo Mora is a candidate to start alongside Matías Soulé behind Donyell Malen, adding quality and creativity in the final third. In defence, Leonardo Balerdi is heading for a starting place after his outstanding brace against Napoli. The Argentine could replace one of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka or Mario Hermoso, with Hermoso coming off a difficult display at the Maradona. Gasperini wants to exploit the form of the former Marseille defender while also giving some of his first-choice players a chance to recover energy. Pierluigi Gollini will be confirmed in goal. The most anticipated news concerns Paulo Dybala. The Joya trained with his teammates yesterday for part of the session after passing fitness tests on the pitch to check his recovery from a slight calf injury. Today's final training session will settle the last doubts, and the Argentine is close to a place in the squad for Roma-Cagliari. He is expected to start on the bench, with the aim of gradually regaining match rhythm and being ready to start on Saturday against Udinese. His recovery is also important ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Encouraging signs also come from Mile Svilar. The goalkeeper is completing his rehabilitation in Belgium after a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his right foot. New checks are planned in the coming days to assess his healing and establish when he can return to working on the pitch. The latest reports leave open the possibility of an earlier return than initially forecast, which had him available only after the November break. The first target remains the match against Sassuolo on 7 November, but an availability for the trip to Manchester on 3 November is not ruled out entirely, a scenario still to be verified medically. UEFA regulations offer a route here: a goalkeeper temporarily replaced on the list for a long-term injury can be reinstated once recovered, subject to a minimum period of 30 days and the necessary formalities. For Svilar, a Champions League return is therefore not excluded in principle, but it will depend on his actual recovery and the regularity of his position on the list. Further back in their rehabilitation are Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Frenchman will try to be available again before the November break, with the games against Manchester United and Sassuolo in his sights. Pellegrini's timeline is considerably longer, as he is dealing with a serious injury to his right thigh: the midfielder faces a layoff of at least two months, with a possible surgical procedure still to be evaluated. Gasperini will present Roma-Cagliari at a press conference today at 13:30 and is awaiting further updates from the medical staff. The immediate priority is managing energy levels and finding new solutions to beat the Sardinians, but the gradual return of injured players could give Roma fundamental alternatives for the games ahead. After weeks of crisis, some good news is finally emerging for the Giallorossi boss.

Matías Soulé has returned to a central role in Gian Piero Gasperini's attack after overcoming the pubalgia problems that held back his form early in 2026. The Argentine forward has played 504 league minutes, making him the striker Gasperini has used most so far and ahead of fellow forwards Malen and Dybala. His performance at the Maradona, which included a superb goal that sparked Roma's comeback, showed his personality, his link-up play in tight spaces and his consistent impact in the final third. Il Tempo reports that there is good news from the Fulvio Bernardini training centre in Trigoria on the injury front, as the infirmary begins to empty. Cristante has returned to full training, and Paulo Dybala is progressing towards full recovery. Dybala left the European match against Real Madrid during the first half with a slight calf injury, has taken part in part of the group training session and is pushing hard for a place in the squad for the home match against Cagliari. There are also encouraging signs in goal. Mile Svilar, sidelined by a stress fracture in his right foot, will undergo new checks in Belgium on Thursday. If the result is positive, the goalkeeper could return before the international break. That would open the possibility of adding or swapping him on the UEFA list ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November, using the rule that allows an injured goalkeeper to be replaced after a minimum period out.

Paulo Dybala is closing in on a return to action earlier than expected, with Gian Piero Gasperini receiving good news ahead of the coming fixtures before the mid-November international break. According to Francesco Balzani of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dybala trained partially with the group on Friday and responded well after a slight calf injury picked up a week earlier. The Argentine is expected to complete a full training session today and be included in the squad to face Cagliari. Mile Svilar is also back ahead of schedule and is expected to be fit for the match against Sassuolo. The early returns come at a useful time for Gasperini as Roma prepare for a busy run of matches before the November break, with the Argentine's availability a key boost to the attack. The report makes clear that Dybala's progress has been encouraging, with the calf problem having been only a minor one. Roma's medical staff have therefore been able to bring the forward back into contention sooner than the initial timeline suggested, giving Gasperini more options in the coming games.