Castro's Genoa goal named October's best Serie A strike

Roma's away fixture at Parma on 21 November has been thrown into doubt after the Osservatorio Nazionale sulle Manifestazioni Sportive suspended its ruling on ticket sales for the match at the Stadio Tardini. The decision, as reported by Il Romanista, leaves the situation for Roma's travelling supporters pending further assessment by the competent bodies. For now the suspension is not a definitive ban, but there is a real possibility that restrictions could be introduced for access to the away section. Roma are preparing to return to action after the international break, and the fixture is an important one as the league resumes. Whether Roma fans can buy tickets normally or whether limits will be applied will depend on the next measures issued by the authorities. The match is scheduled for 21 November at the Stadio Tardini, Parma. The Osservatorio's decision on the sale of tickets for Parma-Roma, the fixture set for the coming 21 November, remains the key point for supporters planning to follow the team away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma supporters face the prospect of missing another away game, with ticket sales for the Parma away end currently blocked pending a decision from public security authorities. The match is Roma's return to action after the international break. The National Observatory on Sporting Events has suspended its ruling and will decide in the coming days whether Roma fans can occupy the away section at the Tardini. For the Giallorossi supporters, it would be another blow. Since January, following incidents on the A1 motorway involving Fiorentina fans, they have almost always been banned from travelling away. The ban has meant Roma's travelling support has been largely shut out of away games since the start of the year, and the latest uncertainty adds to that frustration for the club's fanbase.

Former Roma defender Vincent Candela believes Gian Piero Gasperini can lead the club to the Scudetto, saying the coach is "special" and that the side can go all the way in the title race against Inter. Speaking to La Repubblica, Candela backed Roma's ambitions at a time when Gasperini has made clear the club is not content with second place, stating: "La Roma non firma per il secondo posto in campionato" ("Roma do not settle for second place in the league"). Candela said Gasperini "is a special coach" and that he is convinced the Giallorossi can bring the Scudetto back to Trigoria, adding that the title race with Inter will be fought out until the end. He acknowledged that Inter remain a stronger and better-balanced side than Roma. On Roma's struggles in Europe, and their recurring problems with late collapses, Candela pointed to the need to widen the squad, in line with what the coach himself has said. He considers it natural that Roma lost to Real Madrid and Manchester United, and believes the club is not yet ready to face Europe's elite on equal terms. Asked which current player stirs memories of his own playing days, Candela named Paulo Dybala without hesitation: "Ogni volta che Dybala tocca il pallone mi batte il cuore e ringiovanisco. Paulo andrebbe proclamato patrimonio mondiale del calcio" ("Every time Dybala touches the ball my heart beats faster and I feel younger. Paulo should be proclaimed a world football treasure"). Candela's comments capture Roma's dual position: competitive enough to chase the Scudetto, yet still needing greater depth to match Europe's major powers.

Santiago Castro has won the 'goal of the month' award for October with his strike against Genoa, a single but spectacular effort. The Argentine broke his duck against the Rossoblu with a delicate touch under the ball inside the penalty area, beating Riccardo Orsolini, who had scored against Lecce with an overhead kick. Despite limited playing time, Castro has been called up to Argentina by Scaloni and will be available for the friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica. He has started only two matches in the giallorossi shirt, but his opportunities should come after the November international break, with seven fixtures scheduled in just under a month.

Roman radio pundits have been debating a possible move for Brazilian forward Endrick, with contrasting views on whether he would suit Roma. On David Rossi's Rete Sport show, Rossi said Il Corriere dello Sport reported that both AC Milan and Roma were interested in the player, and that Endrick had said he would not join Milan because the club's symbol is the Devil. Rossi questioned whether that could be credible, adding that when a name is this obvious a deal rarely happens unless it is already done. He also said there was a danger Fonseca wanted Endrick at Sporting, where the player had felt at home under Fonseca at Lyon. "Endrick is a fantastic player," Rossi said. "Gittens may play on the left, but between him and Endrick there are, for me, three categories of difference." The debate comes as Roma are in the title conversation. Gianluca Piacentini named three reasons to believe in the scudetto: the league's strongest coach, room to improve through the January transfer market, and a levelled-down Serie A, which he said was shown by Lazio sitting top of the table. He said he hoped the race would be between Roma and Inter. Piacentini also criticised the 'atleta di Cristo' explanation, saying it was not a fair criterion for choosing a destination. Fabio Petruzzi said Endrick sees little of the pitch and may want to leave to play regularly, adding that if he has not played while Vinicius was suspended for four matches, he will never play. He said that if he were an attacker, Gasperini is the first coach he would want to work with, and that Endrick, a left-footed player, can play on the left. Mario Corsi said the Mora-Endrick comparison was a trap because the two are completely different players. He said Endrick has a strong shot, dribbling and heading ability, and that strong players must be signed. He said Malen should not be deployed on the wing because he must stay in the middle, and that Gasperini and D'Amico had not heard from Friedkin for a long time and were somewhat worried. "If they really want to win, they have to make this move." Francesca Ferrazza said Roma need two forwards with Pellegrini gone, and that Endrick offers the best value for money. Lorenzo Pes said Malen's frequent substitutions also happened last year, and that Retegui at Atalanta rarely finished matches. Valentina Catoni said that when Dybala is fit he always plays. Piero Torri recalled Mourinho saying Endrick would not leave Madrid, noted that the Brazil international has started only one match, and said Endrick is a second striker who would sit behind Soulé and Dybala. Roberto Pruzzo said Endrick wants to play and that Italian football has become a second-tier league. Nando Orsi argued Roma need a right-footed winger who plays on the left, and that Endrick would be of little use with Castro already in the squad. Mario Mattioli warned that bringing Endrick into the Roma dressing room could be an unwanted explosion, calling him very difficult to manage and saying he would have to play always and in every match. "He is not a dressing-room man," Mattioli said, adding that Endrick is not the man who says "let's arm ourselves and set off" when a common effort is needed.

Roma's summer recruits have been involved in 36.5% of the club's goals this season, with 15 of the team's 41 strikes involving one of them. Gian Piero Gasperini has relied heavily on seven players who were not part of the squad in the last match of the previous campaign: Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, Rodrigo Mora, Emanuele Lulli, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Lulli came up from the Primavera. Molina has been the most-used player, with 751 minutes, one goal and two assists. He is followed by De Roon (732 minutes), Balerdi (639), Mora (595), Lulli (546), Castro (370) and Koulierakis (225). Gasperini has given minutes to every summer arrival, including the Primavera graduate, showing confidence in the quality of the new players. Mora has been the most productive, with four goals and two assists. His recent form, with a sharp improvement in the latest matches, has eased doubts about the investment made in the summer, reported at €25 million plus 50% of a future resale, for a valuation of €50 million. Across all competitions, the new players have taken part in 15 of Roma's 41 goals. By comparison, at the same stage of last season, Massara's summer signings from that campaign had contributed to just three goals: Wesley with one goal, Ferguson with one assist and Tsimikas with one assist.