Cristante opens up on eight years at Roma: 'In love with this city' and praises Gasperini

AS Roma have opened ticket sales for their match against Sassuolo on 7 November 2026 at the Olimpico, the final fixture in a nine-match run over 28 days. Sales began at 12:00 on 9 October. The club confirmed: "Tickets are valid for the Roma–Sassuolo match on 7 November 2026 at 20:45. Each supporter may purchase up to four tickets per transaction. All tickets will be issued in digital format only and can be downloaded to a mobile device or the IL MIO POSTO app; no PDF summary files will be sent." Plus subscribers for the 2026–27 season can access a dedicated price for extra tickets in any sector, available only online using their PNR and date of birth. Each Plus subscriber may buy a maximum of two tickets in a single transaction. Plus subscribers gain access to the resale service from 10:00 on 23 October. The user-change service opens at 10:00 on 30 October, and a fee may apply depending on ticket type; only one modification per fiscal seal is permitted.

Sunday's match at the Sinigaglia pits two of world football's wealthiest ownership groups directly against each other. The Como side, controlled by Indonesia's Hartono family, and AS Roma, owned by American businessman Dan Friedkin, have together invested €1.5bn in Italian football. The meeting illustrates how Serie A has opened itself to globalisation, with ownership now spanning Asia and the United States at an unprecedented scale of financial commitment. The Hartono family, whose wealth originates from Djarum—an Indonesian conglomerate producing clove cigarettes—also controls Bank Central Asia, the country's leading credit institution. Forbes estimated the combined fortune of brothers Robert Budi and Michael Bambang at $43.8bn in 2025; Michael died in March at 86. Since 2019, the family has invested €390m into Como through the British holding company Sent Entertainment, transforming the club into a football and business laboratory. Friedkin's wealth stems from Gulf States Toyota, which holds exclusive distribution rights for Japanese vehicles across five American states, generating $14.5bn in annual revenue in 2025. His portfolio has expanded into luxury hotels through Auberge Resorts and film production via Neon, an Oscar-winning studio. Forbes valued Friedkin's personal wealth at $12.5bn. The distance between Kudus, headquarters of the Hartono family's operations, and Houston, seat of the Friedkin Group, spans 16,000 kilometres. This geographical span underscores the globalisation now reshaping Italian football ownership.

Dan Friedkin has decided to sell Everton, a move that has delighted Roma supporters who now hope the ownership will concentrate its efforts entirely on the Giallorossi. Roma fans have responded positively on social media, with one writing: "Egoistically and above all as a fan, I say it's better this way—let them focus more on Roma, which in my view is their priority on the sporting side, with their own stadium now close to completion and an increasingly upward sporting path. It's certainly not Cannes, while Everton could have become a real distraction." Others fear the Friedkins may treat Roma as they have Everton, arguing: "Build the stadium. The company increases in value. Resell the company and profit on the initial investment. They are entrepreneurs and that's how they operate. They will do the same with us—the signs are there and have been evident for years. They are not Franco Sensi. They are not Dino Viola. Love for a team is something else." The hope is that this will not be the case. The relationship between Everton supporters and the Friedkin Group has never truly taken root. News of their arrival in 2024 was initially welcomed, but after two years the story is already winding down. This summer there were numerous criticisms of their transfer activity, and following the club's announcement, many on social media have attacked Dan Friedkin over the decision to sell: "They never wanted to be part of our club—they just wanted easy money and to sell as many players as possible. They never spoke to the manager or the fans." The Roma president has never been seen at the new stadium built in 2025, an absence that has pleased no one. One post on X states: "It would have been better to have an owner whose sole focus was Everton." Some defend the Friedkins, noting: "It's not entirely their fault. The PSR has ruined every possibility of investing." The PSR—the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules—is the financial regulation established to ensure clubs spend within their limits.

Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media on 10 October at 13:30 at Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixture at Como's Sinigaglia stadium. The head coach will field questions on team selection and player fitness as Roma prepare for the match. Bryan Cristante is ruled out with a knee problem. In midfield, Rodrigo Mora is expected to start as the attacking midfielder behind the strike pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. At the back, there remains competition between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka for a defensive place.

Bryan Cristante will miss Roma's away fixture against Como this weekend due to a knee problem. The midfielder has been Gasperini's most-used outfield player so far this season but is working to accelerate his recovery, targeting a return to the squad for the Champions League match against Real Madrid on 14 October. The Como–Roma clash pits two of Serie A's best-resourced ownership groups against each other. The Hartono family have invested approximately €390 million in Como's project, while Dan Friedkin has already exceeded €1 billion in Roma investment since 2020, reaching €1.06 billion when combining the club's acquisition and financial support. Roma's losses have fallen significantly from €219 million in 2021–22 to €54 million in 2024–25. The club remains committed to its new stadium project at Pietralata, scheduled for completion in 2029. The match is shaping up to be an international affair, with only one Italian—Gianluca Mancini—potentially among the 22 starting players, representing 13 different nationalities. Gasperini is evaluating Rodrigo Mora as a possible surprise inclusion, with the midfielder's stock rising particularly because Matías Soulé only returned to full training yesterday and will train with the group today alongside Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. In defence, the trio of Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso is expected to return.

Roma face a relentless stretch of nine matches in 28 days with no break, forcing coach Gian Piero Gasperini to deploy his full squad after limiting rotation heavily in the opening weeks. The campaign begins on Sunday with a top-of-the-table fixture against Como, followed within nine days by an encounter with Genoa and then Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese, Manchester United and Parma. Five of the nine fixtures will be away from home, with minimal recovery time between matches. Gasperini will be without Bryan Cristante for at least another week, but the rest of the squad is available. The first significant change will see Marten de Roon make his competitive debut. The most anticipated rotations will come in attack and midfield. Santiago Castro has featured sparingly while Donyell Malen remains in excellent form, but cannot play every game. In the attacking midfield positions, Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini are all fit and ready; Soulé has been the most frequently used of the three so far this season, Mora has sat on the bench three times in succession, and Pellegrini has not appeared since April but is at full fitness. Gasperini will assess Rodrigo's training performance before deciding the team for Sunday—the Argentine trained in a recovery session on 8 October. The manager is leaning towards starting Mora at Como, deploying Soulé in the following match against Real Madrid, and selecting Pellegrini for the Genoa fixture. Such rotations are necessary given the congested fixture list.