Gasperini plans Roma's future while keeping Champions League hopes alive

Marco Lombardo, a journalist from Il Giornale, has revealed behind-the-scenes details from an interview with José Mourinho, the current Benfica manager. During the conversation, Mourinho became visibly emotional when discussing his time at Roma and the club's supporters. Lombardo recounted that when asked why it is so difficult to succeed at Roma, Mourinho spoke at length about his love for the city and the fanbase, with the experience having deeply changed him. He emphasized this point repeatedly during the interview. Mourinho's affection for Roma runs deep enough that he became visibly moved during the discussion. At one particularly poignant moment, Mourinho paused and said: "My Roma is finished." After making this statement, he became emotional, nearly breaking down, and indicated he did not wish to continue. However, he recovered and resumed speaking about Roma's supporters, saying: "It is not true that at Roma you struggle to win because of the fans—nobody must touch Roma's fans." Lombardo observed that Mourinho's candid display of emotion was striking, noting that while the former Manchester United and Inter Milan manager is known to be a different person in private, this moment revealed his genuine attachment to Roma. The journalist attributed this depth of feeling to the impact Roma's supporters had made on Mourinho during his tenure with the club.

Roma returned to training at Trigoria following a two-day rest to prepare for Monday's Serie A match against Fiorentina at the Olimpico (kick-off 20:45). Midfielder Koné returned to group training and will be available for the fixture, a boost for coach Gasperini. However, Pellegrini and Dovbyk underwent differentiated training. The match will be officiated by Zufferli, whose previous encounter with Roma saw Celik sent off in a Cagliari fixture. Off the pitch, Roma continues to manage significant changes. The search for a new sporting director intensifies, with D'Amico reported as the primary candidate to replace Massara. Alternative names mentioned include Manna and Sogliano. On the transfer front, several movements are being tracked: Bournemouth (reportedly linked with Paulo Pinto) are pursuing Ndicka, while the Brandt transfer interest has cooled. Should Manu depart, the club's midfield target is understood to be Ismael. Separately, Paulo Dybala is reportedly moving toward a transfer to Boca Juniors. Additionally, Dan Friedkin has approved an approach for Alajbegovic.

AS Roma has secured another victory in its stadium project as Italy's Regional Administrative Court (TAR) rejected a request to block construction work. The decision represents continued progress for the club's long-running effort to build a new facility. The court's rejection removes a legal obstacle that had threatened to delay the project further. This outcome strengthens Roma's position as the club advances through the administrative and planning procedures necessary to complete the new stadium development.