Champions League race wide open: Roma's path after Coppa Italia final

Serie A clubs are intensifying their pre-season preparations ahead of the new campaign, with friendly matches serving as a crucial tool for fitness, tactical development, and assessing new personnel. The summer fixtures offer coaches the chance to understand their recent arrivals and implement their tactical blueprint before the league begins. Some clubs have already played their opening warm-up match, while others are still to start their pre-season schedule. Roma features among the notable pre-season meetings, with their clash against Borussia Dortmund among the standout fixtures on the summer calendar. These friendly encounters are a standard part of Serie A clubs' build-up, allowing managers to fine-tune team dynamics and establish new hierarchies within the squad before competitive football resumes.

Jonathan Rowe, Bologna's striker, has praised Santiago Castro's move to Roma and offered warm words about Artem Dovbyk, who has made the reverse journey from the Giallorossi to Bologna this summer. Rowe told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I'm happy for him. I wish him to grow further at Roma because he's an excellent player and a friend. It will be very strange to face him, we hope he does well except against us." On Dovbyk, who departed Roma for Bologna, Rowe said: "For me he's a top player. He has physicality, technique, he sees the goal. He has everything to do well and to get his revenge. I'm very happy he's with us." The comments reflect the close relationship between the two Serie A sides, with Castro and Dovbyk swapping clubs in the current transfer window.

AS Roma opened ticket sales on 7 August for their Serie A season opener against Fiorentina on 24 August at 20:45, with multiple sections moving towards sold-out status within hours. The club announced the launch with a tweet stating "The wait is almost over", following strong uptake in the season ticket campaign which reached 40,000 subscriptions. The return to the Champions League after seven years has generated widespread enthusiasm among supporters. Several sections sold out rapidly on the first evening, with limited availability already reported in premium and general seating areas. Monte Mario Centrale Nord and Sud tickets were priced at €99 and €110 respectively, Monte Mario Sud at €89, Monte Mario Top Sud at €83, Tevere Nord at €78, and Tevere Top Centrale at €86. Reductions for under-16s were available across multiple sectors: €38 for Nord tickets (already exhausted by evening), €48 for Distinti Nord Est, and €75 for Monte Mario Laterale (both North and South). Each supporter may purchase up to four tickets per transaction. All tickets will be issued digitally only, downloadable to mobile wallet or the "Il Mio Posto" app, with no PDF summary file issued.