Balbo: Roma can compete for the title, Malen is outstanding

Francesco Totti has revealed that AS Roma attempted to persuade him to present the number 10 shirt to Paulo Dybala during his official unveiling in 2022. The club sent Totti an indirect message asking him to hand over the iconic number, but he declined. Totti's response was direct: "But you are all mad." Totti explained that the number 10 carries profound historical weight at Roma and cannot simply be assigned to a player without them first establishing a meaningful journey at the club. The retired captain acknowledged Dybala's quality as both a footballer and a person, but emphasised the significance of continuity and the bond built with the club over time. He stressed that the number 10 of Roma carries weight and would inevitably invite comparisons with himself. Totti told the club: "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves. Nothing against the player — quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without putting me in the middle. The 10 of Roma weighs heavily, and it would bring inevitable comparisons with me. Dybala, if he is fit, can make the difference for you."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that Roma approached him to personally hand Paulo Dybala the number 10 shirt when Dybala arrived at the club in the summer of 2022. Totti declined the offer directly. The number 10 has remained unassigned at Roma since Totti's retirement, worn by no other player in the years since. Totti explained his refusal was not a reflection on Dybala as a player. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves," Totti said. "Nothing against the player—quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good person. If you intend to do this, go ahead, but don't involve me." His core objection was to the framing of the decision: he did not want to become the guarantor of a choice made by the club without his involvement. "I didn't want the responsibility for someone else's decision to fall on me, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with. The Roma number 10 carries weight, and it would inevitably invite comparisons with me. Dybala, if he's fit, can make a difference." In *Oltre*, Totti outlined his vision for the shirt's future. He said he would never retire the number 10 permanently—"that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti emerges: someone born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life, for eternity." However, he argued against assigning it to players with limited tenure. "It would be a different matter to give that uniform to someone who arrives from the other side of the world, stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is too important a symbol, and should only be entrusted to someone who could potentially play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that AS Roma attempted to persuade him to present Paulo Dybala with the number 10 shirt during the Argentine's official unveiling. In the summer when Dybala arrived at the club, Roma conveyed the request indirectly to Totti, but he rejected it firmly. "The response was blunt: 'Are you all mad?'" Totti explained. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves. Nothing against the player—I like him very much, as a person too. He's a fine lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without dragging me into it." Rather than expose himself to comparisons with Totti's legacy, Dybala chose the number 21 instead. Totti reiterated his respect for the player, saying "Dybala, for me, if he is fit, can make the difference." He also outlined his philosophy on the number 10, Roma's most iconic shirt. "The number 10 jersey of Roma, I would never retire it permanently—that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti appears. One born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life." He drew a distinction between such a candidate and a player arriving from elsewhere: "It would be a different matter to assign that shirt to someone coming from the other side of the world, who stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is a symbol that should be entrusted only to someone who, at least potentially, can play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."

Francesco Totti has revealed that AS Roma attempted to persuade him to present the number 10 shirt to Paulo Dybala during his official unveiling in 2022. The club sent Totti an indirect message asking him to hand over the iconic number, but he declined. Totti's response was direct: "But you are all mad." Totti explained that the number 10 carries profound historical weight at Roma and cannot simply be assigned to a player without them first establishing a meaningful journey at the club. The retired captain acknowledged Dybala's quality as both a footballer and a person, but emphasised the significance of continuity and the bond built with the club over time. He stressed that the number 10 of Roma carries weight and would inevitably invite comparisons with himself. Totti told the club: "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves. Nothing against the player — quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without putting me in the middle. The 10 of Roma weighs heavily, and it would bring inevitable comparisons with me. Dybala, if he is fit, can make the difference for you."

Former striker Abel Balbo has praised Roma's early-season form under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the team is entertaining to watch and delivering results. Balbo singled out Donyell Malen for particular praise: "He is very strong, scores like the great strikers and is functional to Gasperini's style of play." He also commended Paulo Dybala: "He is magic and fantasy; with him on the pitch the team runs better." On Roma's league position, Balbo assessed that while Inter remain superior, Roma are now the only side capable of competing for the title. Matías Soulé has earned a callup to Argentina's squad following a strong start to the 2026–27 season. The winger has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist across his first 6 matches. Soulé will join teammates Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi in the Argentina setup for forthcoming friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The fixture against Benin on 6 October will be Lionel Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team. Soulé marked the moment on social media: "Enjoying these moments."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that Roma approached him to personally hand Paulo Dybala the number 10 shirt when Dybala arrived at the club in the summer of 2022. Totti declined the offer directly. The number 10 has remained unassigned at Roma since Totti's retirement, worn by no other player in the years since. Totti explained his refusal was not a reflection on Dybala as a player. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves," Totti said. "Nothing against the player—quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good person. If you intend to do this, go ahead, but don't involve me." His core objection was to the framing of the decision: he did not want to become the guarantor of a choice made by the club without his involvement. "I didn't want the responsibility for someone else's decision to fall on me, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with. The Roma number 10 carries weight, and it would inevitably invite comparisons with me. Dybala, if he's fit, can make a difference." In *Oltre*, Totti outlined his vision for the shirt's future. He said he would never retire the number 10 permanently—"that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti emerges: someone born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life, for eternity." However, he argued against assigning it to players with limited tenure. "It would be a different matter to give that uniform to someone who arrives from the other side of the world, stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is too important a symbol, and should only be entrusted to someone who could potentially play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."

Former striker Abel Balbo has praised Roma's early-season form under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the team is entertaining to watch and delivering results. Balbo singled out Donyell Malen for particular praise: "He is very strong, scores like the great strikers and is functional to Gasperini's style of play." He also commended Paulo Dybala: "He is magic and fantasy; with him on the pitch the team runs better." On Roma's league position, Balbo assessed that while Inter remain superior, Roma are now the only side capable of competing for the title. Matías Soulé has earned a callup to Argentina's squad following a strong start to the 2026–27 season. The winger has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist across his first 6 matches. Soulé will join teammates Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi in the Argentina setup for forthcoming friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The fixture against Benin on 6 October will be Lionel Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team. Soulé marked the moment on social media: "Enjoying these moments."

Rodrigo Mora is settling into Roma after arriving from Porto this summer with high expectations and a significant financial investment. The Portuguese midfielder has had to earn every minute of playing time while adapting to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical demands at Trigoria. So far this season he has made 5 appearances across Serie A and the Champions League for a total of 187 minutes — the equivalent of roughly two full matches. In Gasperini's 3-4-2-1 formation, Mora has been rotating primarily with Matías Soulé to complete the attacking trio alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in an offensive department rich with talent and competition. Gasperini expects Mora to deliver concrete contributions in goals and decisive plays, elements essential to increase the attacking threat and prevent the entire goalscoring burden falling on Malen alone. The opportunity to significantly raise his playing time comes immediately after the international break. From Como to Sassuolo, Roma face an intensive tour de force of 9 matches over 27 days — including 3 Champions League fixtures — in which squad rotation will be intense and all squad members will have the space to prove their worth.

Donyell Malen has become Roma's ideal centre-forward under Gian Piero Gasperini's guidance this season. The 27-year-old Dutch forward, now operating centrally rather than from the wing as he did at Aston Villa, has formed a complementary partnership with Paulo Dybala that echoes Roma's great attacking pairings of the past—Pruzzo with Falcao, Conti, and Totti with Batistuta. While shy and reserved away from the pitch, Malen transforms into an unstoppable force once play begins, combining precise coordination, a devastating first step, and clinical finishing. Gasperini deserves credit for identifying Malen's finishing potential and repositioning him closer to goal. The repositioning from the wing to a more advanced attacking role has made him the driving force of Roma's offensive system. Malen's statistics underline his impact: he is averaging a goal every 58 minutes played and maintains a frequency of at least two shots on target per match. This efficiency demonstrates the effectiveness of Gasperini's tactical adjustment and the quality Malen brings to the Giallorossi attack.