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

Roma has unveiled the second instalment of its ultimate team selections, this time honouring the foreign-born players who chose to make the Giallorossi their eternal home. The feature celebrates players from across the globe whose passports may indicate distant origins, but whose hearts belong permanently to the Eternal City. The piece emphasises that these are not truly foreigners—they are men who chose Roma, and Roma chose them. Aldair, the Brazilian defender from Ilheus, stands at the heart of this narrative. A World Cup winner and two-time Copa America champion with the Seleçao, he spent thirteen years at Roma—ten of them waiting for the Scudetto as if he were a survivor of 1983—before moving to Genoa to avoid ever facing his beloved club. To this day he divides his time between Brazil and Rome, spending several months yearly in the capital. Falcao, Toninho Cerezo, and Alcide Ghiggia represent the Brazilian tradition. Ghiggia, the hero of the Maracanazo, spent seven years in the capital during lean trophy seasons. Vincent Candela, a World Cup winner from France, transplanted himself to Rome without nostalgia. Boniek remains revered in Poland, yet has been a Roman for decades; Voeller returned to Germany as a monument but never forgot Roma. Others immortalised include Julio Sergio, Juan, Burdisso, Zago, Mexes, Rudiker, Nainggolan, Taddei, Pizarro, Dzeko, and Krieziu—the first Scudetto winner to arrive from beyond Italy's borders, an Albanian who came to study at ISEF and stayed eight years as a Giallorossi arrow. The editors invite submissions via WhatsApp (351-3939337) beginning with 'ASR TOP 11 - Stranieri ma in patria'.

Bryan Cristante, 31, has made 364 appearances for Roma over eight years and reflected on the emotional intensity of playing for the Giallorossi in an interview with Sportweek. Born in Friuli and raised in Milan, Cristante has fully embraced Roman culture and the demands of the capital. He highlighted three standout moments in his Roma career: the two Coppa finals—the Conference League victory against Feyenoord and the Europa League defeat to Sevilla on penalties—plus the final day of this season at Verona when the club secured Champions League football, a competition the entire organisation had missed for too long. Cristante emphasised the unique pressure of playing in Rome, where success and failure exist in sharp contrast. "At Roma you pass too quickly from exaltation to depression, one day you're a champion and the next you're hopeless," he noted. He credited the squad's resilience this season in resetting after each match and moving focus to the next fixture, preventing a single poor result from derailing the campaign. As captain alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini, Cristante takes pride in transmitting a sense of belonging to younger players at a club so deeply connected to its supporters. On his coaches, Cristante praised José Mourinho for bringing concrete winning mentality and charisma, under whom Roma won a cup and lost another on penalties. Gian Piero Gasperini, under whom Cristante previously played at Atalanta, he described as exceptionally strong. When asked what makes him indispensable to every manager, Cristante replied: "I'm a worker. I like going out on the pitch, working every day, and always being on top of things, doing what the coach asks of me. Since I was a boy I've always given everything."

AS Roma's structural reorganisation has claimed two more departures, with Gianmarco Migliorati and Roberto Vichi leaving Trigoria. The club also reached a mutual termination with Simone Ricchio, who held the position of team manager in the sporting director's office after arriving alongside former director of football Ghisolfi. The departures form part of a wider reshuffle at the Giallorossi. Frara has already left the Frosinone staff, signalling further changes across the organisation. The club has also confirmed Mattia Scala as the new Primavera coach, replacing Guidi, who retained another year on his previous contract. Scala has signed a two-year deal with an option for a further season. Gaetano D'Agostino, a former Roma player, will serve as Scala's assistant. The club has also renewed the contract of young talent Guaglianone, continuing efforts to secure promising academy prospects.

Bryan Cristante, 31, has made 364 appearances for Roma over eight years and reflected on the emotional intensity of playing for the Giallorossi in an interview with Sportweek. Born in Friuli and raised in Milan, Cristante has fully embraced Roman culture and the demands of the capital. He highlighted three standout moments in his Roma career: the two Coppa finals—the Conference League victory against Feyenoord and the Europa League defeat to Sevilla on penalties—plus the final day of this season at Verona when the club secured Champions League football, a competition the entire organisation had missed for too long. Cristante emphasised the unique pressure of playing in Rome, where success and failure exist in sharp contrast. "At Roma you pass too quickly from exaltation to depression, one day you're a champion and the next you're hopeless," he noted. He credited the squad's resilience this season in resetting after each match and moving focus to the next fixture, preventing a single poor result from derailing the campaign. As captain alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini, Cristante takes pride in transmitting a sense of belonging to younger players at a club so deeply connected to its supporters. On his coaches, Cristante praised José Mourinho for bringing concrete winning mentality and charisma, under whom Roma won a cup and lost another on penalties. Gian Piero Gasperini, under whom Cristante previously played at Atalanta, he described as exceptionally strong. When asked what makes him indispensable to every manager, Cristante replied: "I'm a worker. I like going out on the pitch, working every day, and always being on top of things, doing what the coach asks of me. Since I was a boy I've always given everything."

Roma are preparing to announce three contract renewals in quick succession. Gianluca Mancini will extend his deal until 2029 on 3.5 million euros net per year. Zeki Çelik and Paulo Dybala are at the document exchange stage: the Turkish defender will earn 3 million euros net annually through 2029, while Dybala will sign a one-season contract with an option until 2028 worth 2.5 million euros plus bonuses. Director D'Amico has accelerated the renewal process across multiple fronts. Lorenzo Pellegrini, formally out of contract since the start of the month, faces a different timeline—there remains economic and contractual distance between the club and the captain, and he will not begin pre-season immediately as he recovers from a late-season setback. Bryan Cristante's new contract remains on hold. According to Simone Valdarchi in the Corriere della Sera, the Mancini, Çelik, and Dybala announcements are expected soon. Pellegrini's situation is more complex; talks are ongoing and a resolution will be found, but the number 7's delayed return to training reflects both the ongoing negotiations and his need for recovery time.

Roma are moving decisively in the transfer market to provide head coach Gian Piero Gasperini with reinforcements for the new season. Directore sportivo D'Amico is working on three primary targets approved by the technical staff after the Greenwood deal fell through: Alejandro Garnacho, Diego Moreira, and Nicolò Tresoldi. For the attacking flank, Garnacho remains Roma's first choice. Contacts with Chelsea continue and an update is expected immediately after the weekend. The English club are open to selling but have ruled out a loan or loan-with-option deal, valuing the Argentine-passport Spanish winger at approximately €40 million (with 10 per cent due to Manchester United). Roma hope Chelsea will soften their stance. In parallel, talks with Strasbourg over left winger Moreira have intensified; D'Amico tracked him from his Verona days and wanted to bring him to Bergamo last season. Strasbourg are asking €40 million, but Roma aim to reduce that figure, banking on Moreira's strong desire to join the club and a tripled salary. For the vice-Malen role, Tresoldi has given his full approval, but Club Brugge present the main obstacle, valuing their prospect at no less than €30 million. Atlético Madrid and Ajax are also competing for him. Beyond new arrivals, Roma are focused on securing key squad players. After Çelik and Dybala's renewals, the club are close to finalising deals with Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante. A gap remains with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini over contract length—he is requesting a three-year deal—and wages, though both parties wish to continue together.