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Cristante hopes to see Mourinho in Champions League; targets Serie A title despite early season
·7 August 2026·90d ago

Cristante hopes to see Mourinho in Champions League; targets Serie A title despite early season

Source: Roma News

Roma captain Bryan Cristante spoke to Sky Sport from the club's pre-season camp in Wales, ahead of a friendly at Brighton tomorrow that concludes the week's matches overseas. Cristante expressed pride at Roma's return to the Champions League after a prolonged absence. "We've been wanting to play in the Champions, we'd been close a few times, we're proud to play it," he said. "It's important to have the society's presence, which gives an extra gear even in the market; we talk about it daily."

Cristante highlighted his desire to face Real Madrid in Europe and revealed that Lorenzo Pellegrini, expected to rejoin the squad soon, remains a key part of the project. "I'd like to play at the Bernabéu in the Champions, it would be nice to play in the new stadium and see Mourinho again," he added. The midfielder also confirmed he and Paulo Dybala had resolved a disagreement that arose during Roma's pre-season match in Cardiff. "We cleared it up straight away, it was a small disagreement that happened on the pitch and ended there," Cristante explained.

On domestic ambitions, Cristante acknowledged the Serie A title as Roma's dream objective but cautioned about the campaign's difficulty. "The Scudetto is the dream but it's still early, the league is difficult and very competitive. We want to have a good Champions, we hope to be in the fight in January to try to play for the championship."

Cristante also reflected positively on his experiences under Italy manager Mancini, saying the goal is to "be reborn and return to where we belong."

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Story Coverage2 sources on this story

Roma captain Bryan Cristante spoke to Sky Sport from the club's pre-season camp in Wales, expressing pride at Roma's return to Champions League football after a prolonged absence. He emphasized that European qualification gives the club extra momentum in the transfer market and is discussed daily within the squad. Cristante confirmed that Lorenzo Pellegrini, expected to rejoin soon, remains central to Roma's project. On potential Champions League opponents, he revealed a desire to face Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, saying it would be special to see José Mourinho again in that setting. Forza Roma adds that Cristante stressed how long Roma have been chasing European qualification and noted he and Pellegrini have been in recent contact. Regarding domestic ambitions, both outlets quote Cristante acknowledging the Serie A title as Roma's dream objective while cautioning that it remains early in the campaign, with the league being difficult and highly competitive. He hopes Roma will be in contention by January to fight for the championship alongside a strong Champions League campaign. Both sources also confirm that a minor disagreement between Cristante and Paulo Dybala during a Cardiff friendly was quickly resolved.

AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.

Testo Originale / Source Text

“Bryan Cristante, centrocampista e capitano della Roma, ha rilasciato un’intervista ai microfoni di Sky Sport direttamente dal ritiro giallorosso in Galles. Oggi la squadra si trasferirà a Brighton dove domani affronterà i padroni di casa nell’amichevole che chiude la settimana oltremanica. …”

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

Read original on Roma News →

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