Boniek backs Roma's summer business and touts Malen to shine again

Radio commentators offered contrasting takes on Roma's attacking options as Gian Piero Gasperini begins his tenure. Fabrizio Aspri told Radio Radio that Gasperini has embraced the theme of squad belonging, and although the manager has not yet secured a left winger, Aspri remains confident Roma possesses an important technical framework. The dominant question of the season, he said, will be whether Malen gets constrained or allowed to flourish. Aspri stated: "Gasperini wants wingers who drive at the box, and the only possible name can be Leão. I would always want Leão in the squad even at 30%, which Roma still has in reserve, though he divides the training ground. Mora doesn't have that physicality and with Malen's movements would be perfect. Mora can become a starter. I think Roma can field a podium-challenging side again." Federico Vespa expressed stronger optimism about the attacking line. Speaking to Radio Radio, Vespa said: "I expect 20 goals from Malen, I give him maximum confidence. I always take Leão, even at 30%." The comments reflect ongoing efforts to move some players out of Trigoria, though that process has proved difficult so far.

Dario Bonetti, a former Roma defender, has given a detailed interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport reflecting on his time with the club in the early 1980s. Bonetti made his Serie A debut in the 1980–81 season under Dino Viola, arriving after military service and settling at Trigoria alongside Carlo Ancelotti. He came to the club alongside Falcao and developed a deep admiration for teammates including Bruno Conti and, particularly, Agostino Di Bartolomei. Bonetti spoke reverently of Di Bartolomei's influence on the squad. "He was a master and a second father," Bonetti recalled. "He barely spoke in public, but in private he knew how to make himself heard. And he was an encyclopedia. I remember great conversations about art—it was a pleasure to listen to him. He also had a great way of managing the dressing room: he simplified things, especially with the champions. I think Carlo took a lot from him." Bonetti expressed sadness over Di Bartolomei's death, describing it as a tragedy he still struggles to understand, and noting that Di Bartolomei had been abandoned by the football world. Despite fielding a strong squad, Roma repeatedly fell short of major honours during Bonetti's tenure. He cited a disallowed goal to Turone as a crucial moment that cost the club a scudetto. He also highlighted the infamous Roma–Lecce match, which he describes as "inexplicable, cursed"—he was watching from the stands, suspended, and recalls it "like a nightmare." Bonetti expressed regret at not winning the league title in 1983, which would have been his first. Roma also lost the European Cup at home, a defeat Bonetti attributes in part to poor refereeing: "Their goal came from an obvious foul on me," he said of the Liverpool match.

Alessandro Romano's performance against Parma has reignited debate over Roma's decision to sell the academy-grown midfielder this summer. One impressive display cannot define a career, but it sharpens a legitimate question: did Roma truly need to part with a 2006-born centrocampist who had grown through Trigoria and showed sufficient maturity for Serie A football? Romano need not have started regularly. He could have remained behind Koné, Neil El Aynaoui, Cristante and Pisilli, developing daily alongside more experienced players and serving as a cultivated alternative. With Champions League, the league and the Coppa Italia to contest, opportunities would not have been scarce. Roma will face the season with only four central midfielders. In that context, Romano would not have been a decorative addition but a genuine rotational resource, allowing Gasperini to manage the energy of senior players while offering quality in build-up play, insertion runs and long-range shooting—precisely what he demonstrated so impressively at the Tardini. As an academy product, he would also have been a valuable solution for European competition without consuming slots reserved for foreign purchases, a material advantage given UEFA's annual compliance constraints. The sale was primarily financial. Romano had virtually no book value, and the approximately €5 million plus bonuses from Cagliari represented nearly pure profit. Roma needed revenue by 30 June and the young midfielder was among the most readily monetisable players available. Yet this creates a contradiction: the club invests millions acquiring young talent from other leagues while repeatedly using Trigoria's finest products to balance the books. The immediate economic gain risks becoming technical and financial damage over the medium term. The names Calafiori and Frattesi return inevitably to memory—different paths, but united by the same principle: talents formed by Roma, sold before full maturity, later becoming too expensive to reclaim. No one can guarantee Romano will reach their level. But by selling him outright, without publicly reported buyback or resale percentage clauses, Roma has surrendered the right to guide and control his development. His Parma goal does not confirm a fresh historical error, yet it sounds an alarm. Romano could have failed, learned and improved wearing Roma's shirt. Instead the club chose immediate income—substantial but not decisive. The risk is having deprived itself once again not only of a promising young player but of the chance to discover how far he might have gone.

Roma begin the 2026–27 season tonight at the Olimpico, hosting Fiorentina under coach Gian Piero Gasperini in a fixture expected to deliver intensity and attacking football. Kickoff is 20:45, and the stadium is sold out. Gasperini has settled on a 3–4–1–2 formation to suit the squad's strengths. The main pre-match question centres on the playmaker role, where young talent Rodrigo Mora is challenging Matías Soulé for a place, though the Argentine holds a slight edge after his summer work in that position. The rest of the starting eleven is confirmed: Mile Svilar in goal, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso across the defence; Wesley and Nahuel Molina on the flanks, the latter preferred to Devyne Rensch; Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, as Niccolò Pisilli and Neil El Aynaoui are not at full fitness; Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with Santiago Castro ready from the bench. Fiorentina arrive under Fabio Grosso with a heavily rebuilt squad, managing a transition period and the off-field situation involving Kean. Roma have shown steady progress in pre-season and carry the confidence of a strong finish to last season into this campaign.

Roma open their 2026–27 season at home to Fiorentina on 24 August at 20:45 in a high-profile first-round fixture, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side seeking to extend a remarkable record. Gasperini is chasing his ninth consecutive opening-day victory in his twentieth season as head coach. The Roma manager will deploy an attack-minded system built around Paulo Dybala's creativity and the centre-forward Donyell Malen, who will share duties with Santiago Castro. Matías Soulé is the clear favourite to start on the attacking midfield line after overcoming physical problems and regaining fitness, while left-back Wesley faces an assessment of an ankle issue that could see Devyne Rensch step in if needed. Fabio Grosso makes his Fiorentina Serie A debut on the opposite bench with a heavily remodelled squad. The Viola's defence could include three new arrivals—Valdepenas, Joao Mario, and Dragusin—from the start. Grosso is tempted to field young Argentine talent Franco Mastantuono in the attacking midfield, setting up an intriguing clash of Argentine playmakers against Dybala. Moise Kean may begin on the bench due to transfer speculation linking him to Como, creating space for centre-forward Mateo Pellegrino in the team sheet.

Roma's Serie A season opens on Monday at the Olimpico against Fiorentina. Gasperini will largely depend on the core squad from last season, with few new faces starting from the first minute. Molina is certain of a place in the lineup, while Mora is competing with Soulé for a starting spot. Castro and Koulierakis will begin on the bench. Malen and Dybala will lead the attack, with Koné expected to start in midfield alongside Cristante, and Wesley playing on the left. The defence will feature the familiar trio of Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso. Roma–Fiorentina is the opening fixture of Serie A Enilive. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN and in co-exclusive coverage on Sky Sport, with kickoff at 20:45. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription to watch on television; the app can be downloaded on smart TV, Xbox, or PlayStation. Alternatively, the match can be streamed via Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. Live commentary will be available on Forzaroma.info, with updates across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Roma will face Fiorentina in the opening match of the 2026–27 Serie A season on 24 August at 20:45, with the Olimpico sold out for the campaign's debut. Head coach Gasperini has settled most selection questions but left unresolved a contest between Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora for a place on the attacking midfield line, both having been tested in recent tactical sessions. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen will lead the attack. The squad arrives with the goal of confirming the previous season's strong showing, which returned Roma to the Champions League after seven years away. The defensive line appears set, with Mile Svilar in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso. The midfield four will likely be Nahuel Molina, Bryan Cristante, Manu Koné and Wesley across the width. Rome's major newspapers offered varying formations in their predicted lineups ahead of the fixture. Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, Tempo, Messaggero, Repubblica and Romanista all suggested a 3–4–2–1 or 3–4–1–2 structure, though they differed on whether Soulé or Mora would occupy the second attacking midfield slot. Romanews.eu predicted a 3–4–2–1 with Soulé in that role and Dybala flanking him, while other outlets split between the two options, reflecting the uncertainty Gasperini has yet to resolve.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma begin their Serie A campaign this evening at the Olimpico against a heavily refreshed Fiorentina. The squad setup is largely settled: Svilar in goal, a proven defensive three of Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso, with Molina making his official Roma debut on one flank and Wesley on the other. The only genuine uncertainty sits in the attacking midfield position, where Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora vie for the spot behind Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Gasperini's formation hints at an attacking intent despite the tactical flexibility expected of the former Atalanta boss. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are locked in as the midfield pairing, with Molina's inclusion marking his competitive entry into the side. The Olimpico is set to display Roma colours in full, underlining the fresh start under new management in what shapes as a defining early test against Fiorentina's overhauled squad. Multiple outlets have converged on the likely XI. La Gazzetta dello Sport predicts a 3-4-1-2 shape with Soulé in the playmaking role and Dybala and Malen as the strike pair. Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport both favour a 3-4-2-1 formation, positioning Soulé and Dybala together on the second line with Malen as the sole striker. Il Messaggero, Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo align with Gazzetta's 3-4-1-2 structure, again backing Soulé to start ahead of Mora in the attacking unit.

Roma begin their 2026–27 season at the Stadio Olimpico against a heavily rebuilt Fiorentina on matchday one. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini faces one key decision on the attacking third: either Matías Soulé or Rodrigo Mora will operate behind the Paulo Dybala–Donyell Malen partnership. The defensive block and midfield pairing are confirmed; Nahuel Molina will start on the right wing in his competitive debut, with Wesley on the left. Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo all predict a 3–4–1–2 formation with Soulé in the number 10 role, ahead of Dybala and Malen. Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport instead project a 3–4–2–1, with Soulé and Dybala paired on the attacking line and Malen as the central forward. The back four remains unchanged: Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in defence. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné make up the midfield base.