Cristante on Roma's Champions debut draw: 'We return home with our heads high'

The opening matchday of the Champions League league phase concluded across three days—8, 9 and 10 September—with Roma drawing against Fenerbahce in their group-stage debut. Real Madrid won against Inter, while PSG defeated Slovan Bratislava. Roma's result came on the third day of fixtures as part of a wider opening round that saw other contenders in the competition secure victories.

Roma began their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on 10 September. Bryan Cristante put the giallorossi ahead, but Archie Brown levelled for the home side in the second half. The match was one of six played in the league-phase opening round, a night that saw Como stun Lipsia 4-1 in their maiden Champions League appearance, Bayern Munich demolish Bodø/Glimt 5-0, and Manchester United beat Sabah 4-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Sesko and Lisandro Martinez. Roma's draw came in one of two afternoon fixtures that ended level. PSV Eindhoven also drew 1-1 with Shakhtar Donetsk, with Mendoza putting the Ukrainians ahead before Dest equalised for the Dutch side. Elsewhere on the opening day, Lens won 3-2 away at Slavia Praga. Como's emphatic victory over Lipsia, secured by goals from Martin Baturina, Douvikas, Assane Diao and Máximo Perrone, marked a historic night for the Lombard club at their Champions League debut—a performance that dominated from the first half, with Baturina scoring the club's maiden Champions League goal in the 15th minute and Douvikas doubling the lead by the 38th-minute interval.

Roma drew 1-1 away to Fenerbahce in their opening UEFA Champions League fixture. Cristante scored in the first half before Fenerbahce equalised through Brown early in the second half. Roma pressed for a second goal while also facing defensive pressure but could not find a winner in Istanbul. The squad will return to Rome this evening and resume training at Trigoria tomorrow morning. There is little time to prepare for the league fixture against Torino on Monday at 18:30.

Roma began their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on 10 September. Bryan Cristante put the giallorossi ahead, but Archie Brown levelled for the home side in the second half. The match was one of six played in the league-phase opening round, a night that saw Como stun Lipsia 4-1 in their maiden Champions League appearance, Bayern Munich demolish Bodø/Glimt 5-0, and Manchester United beat Sabah 4-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Sesko and Lisandro Martinez. Roma's draw came in one of two afternoon fixtures that ended level. PSV Eindhoven also drew 1-1 with Shakhtar Donetsk, with Mendoza putting the Ukrainians ahead before Dest equalised for the Dutch side. Elsewhere on the opening day, Lens won 3-2 away at Slavia Praga. Como's emphatic victory over Lipsia, secured by goals from Martin Baturina, Douvikas, Assane Diao and Máximo Perrone, marked a historic night for the Lombard club at their Champions League debut—a performance that dominated from the first half, with Baturina scoring the club's maiden Champions League goal in the 15th minute and Douvikas doubling the lead by the 38th-minute interval.

Roma drew 1-1 away to Fenerbahce in their opening UEFA Champions League fixture. Cristante scored in the first half before Fenerbahce equalised through Brown early in the second half. Roma pressed for a second goal while also facing defensive pressure but could not find a winner in Istanbul. The squad will return to Rome this evening and resume training at Trigoria tomorrow morning. There is little time to prepare for the league fixture against Torino on Monday at 18:30.

Fenerbahce manager İsmail Kartal announced his resignation at the post-match press conference immediately after his side drew 1–1 with Roma in the Champions League first matchday on 10 September. Bryan Cristante had given Roma an excellent first-half lead, but Archie Brown equalised in the second half, and Fenerbahce came close to a late winner. Despite the respectable result and Fenerbahce's first point in a return to the Champions League after 18 years, Kartal chose to step down at once. Roma's performance impressed before the draw, continuing the form that has established Gian Piero Gasperini's side as Champions League participants this season. The unexpected resignation in Istanbul capped a remarkable turnaround after Kartal had expressed full confidence in his squad on the eve of the match, explaining that he had studied Roma's tactical setup in detail ahead of the fixture. At the press conference, Kartal said: "I resign so as not to put the club and my players in difficulty." The decision shocked observers given that Fenerbahce had equalled Roma after conceding to Cristante and mounted genuine pressure late on. Kartal's tenure ended on the night of Fenerbahce's return to Europe's elite club competition, just hours after he had demonstrated such detailed preparation for the encounter.