Baldissoni defends Juric after brief Roma spell

Roma winger Wesley has been called back into the Brazil squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti for friendlies against Japan and Singapore on 14 and 17 November. The Brazilian had missed the early fixtures of the new season through injury, having also been absent from the World Cup. The call-up marks a return to the national side for the Roma player, who is determined to feature in the yellow-and-green shirt once again. The Brazilian's availability for the two matches comes after a period on the sidelines that kept him out of the club's opening commitments. Wesley celebrated the selection on social media with a message to his country: "May the new winds bring new chapters, new conquests and even more reasons to be grateful. Another call-up. The same pride. The same desire. I love you, my Brazil."

Actor Marco Giallini, a passionate Roma supporter, has named Daniele De Rossi as his favourite Giallorossi player. Speaking on Giulia Salemi's podcast 'Nonlofaccioxmoda', he made his choice in a series of head-to-head picks from the club's history. In the podcast game, Giallini was asked to choose between Pruzzo and Falcao, and he kept 'Bomber' Pruzzo. Pruzzo was then beaten by Bruno Conti in the next round. Marazico went through over Conti but lost out to Agostino Di Bartolomei, with Giallini saying: "Tutti i migliori mi stai dicendo" ("You're telling me all the best ones"). The final came down to De Rossi and Francesco Totti, and Giallini had no doubts. "Scelgo Daniele, sono un tifoso sfegatato. Appena appena..." ("I choose Daniele, I am a dyed-in-the-wool fan. Just barely..."). He compared the decision to choosing between mum and dad.

Former Roma winger Max Tonetto has spoken to Gianlucadimarzio.com about his career, his move to the capital and the Roma side of the mid-2000s, when he was among the club's key figures under Spalletti. Tonetto said he arrived at Roma feeling better prepared for a big club, a major dressing room and a demanding city: "I was much more ready than in the past to face a big club, an important dressing room, a difficult and complicated city like Rome. It was the right moment to make that step." He described a dressing room with champions such as Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, alongside a group of younger players who lightened the days with pranks and jokes. Totti, Tonetto recalled, was one of the driving forces of that atmosphere. "He is a guy who loves to have fun, who loves a joke. In those years he was not as outgoing as he has been since he stopped playing. Everything he showed, he showed with deeds and little with words." Tonetto's brightest memory of that period is inevitably the Santiago Bernabeu. In March 2008, Roma beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Tonetto provided the assist for Taddei's goal. The performance earned him the nickname "T-Max" for his constant runs down the flank. He reflected on the four-year cycle: "It was the peak of a four-year cycle that was certainly important for me and for the whole team. We won three trophies, we finished second three times, twice reached the Champions League quarter-finals and once the round of 16. We established ourselves on the European and international stage. Looking back, I would enjoy those moments more." Tonetto identifies the win in Madrid and the victory in Lyon as the two moments that mark the peak of a period in which Roma consistently competed at a high level. "Winning in a stadium like that, with that history and against a team used to great nights, is certainly one of the most beautiful memories. That night has remained indelible." He then turned to De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani and their careers as coaches. "Between the two, I certainly saw De Rossi doing very well on the bench, and Aquilani I just did not see it at all. They were probably going through different stages of maturity: Alberto was still very young, while Daniele was a little more mature, even though there is only one year between them. When I saw them play together at 22, I rated Alberto on a par with Daniele."