Brighton boss Hurzeler: Roma fixture will help us develop further

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has identified the friendly against Roma at the Amex on Saturday, 8 August as a significant chance for his squad to take the next step in their pre-season preparation. Hurzeler told Brighton's official channels that the club has laid solid foundations during the summer training period and will use the fixture to build further. "I think this week we've laid down some good basics. We continue to build on these basics and focus on the small details to improve further compared to today. And then we'll have another great opportunity against Roma at the Amex next Saturday to take the next step," the German manager said. The friendly comes as Brighton complete their early-season preparations ahead of the new campaign. Hurzeler's emphasis on incremental progress through small-detail improvement reflects the club's methodical approach to fitness and tactical cohesion during the close-season break. Roma will provide a competitive test for the Seagulls as both teams fine-tune their form before competitive fixtures resume.

Roma face Newport County on Tuesday, 4 August at 20:00 (UK time) at Rodney Parade in Newport, Wales in their fifth pre-season friendly. The match will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN. Gian Piero Gasperini's squad come into the fixture following victories over Roma Primavera and Trastevere, a draw with Cannes, and a defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday. Roma will be without Wesley, who sustained an ankle sprain and did not train today, Niccolò Pisilli (expected to return next week), and Bah (cruciate ligament injury). The debut of new arrival Koulierakis is anticipated. This will be Roma's second test in Wales under Gasperini. To watch the match, viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can stream via the DAZN app on smart TV, gaming consoles (Xbox or PlayStation), Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, or TIM VISION Box. Live coverage and updates will also be available via Forzaroma.info and Roma's social media channels on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Roma will take on Newport County in a friendly during their pre-season training camp in Wales. The match comes after two disappointing warm-up results: the Giallorossi conceded three goals in a comeback loss to Cannes and suffered a 4–1 defeat to Cardiff. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is using the Newport County fixture as the second stage of Roma's Welsh training camp. The back-to-back defeats have highlighted defensive issues ahead of the 2026–27 season. Both friendly results underscore areas Gasperini will need to address in the coming weeks. The pre-season programme in Wales is designed to build fitness and tactical sharpness before Roma's competitive fixtures resume. The article provides details on where to watch the match, kickoff times, and expected starting lineups, though specific timing and team sheets will be confirmed closer to kickoff.