Cristante: Roma deserve Champions League and must win derby against Lazio

Manu Koné, AS Roma's midfielder, discussed France's match against Paraguay following the game. Speaking to Bein Sports France, Koné reflected on the encounter, describing it as a difficult match featuring continuous physical battles. He emphasized that France did not fall into Paraguay's tactical approach, suggesting his team maintained discipline and composure throughout the contest. The match highlighted the intensity typical of World Cup qualification or tournament play, where defensive organization and mental resilience are crucial. Koné's involvement underscores Roma's representation at international football's highest level during this window.

French midfielder Adrien Rabiot has spoken positively about his Roma teammate Manu Koné during France's World Cup campaign. Rabiot highlighted the differences between Koné and fellow midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni, noting that while Tchouameni operates deeper to build play from defence, Koné excels in dribbling and creating passing opportunities to break defensive lines. Rabiot stated: "The difference between Tchouameni and Koné? They are rather different players. Aurélien drops back and builds play between the centre-backs. Manu, instead, perhaps has greater propensity for dribbling and searching for passes to unlock opposition lines. You have to adapt, but they are two excellent players with whom it is easy to play." Koné has emerged as one of Roma's key players competing at the tournament alongside Donyell Malen. The midfielder featured in matches against Iraq and Norway after missing the opening game, accumulating 180 minutes and establishing himself as a regular starter under France manager Deschamps. Rabiot confirmed that both players have developed good understanding in midfield, including when they played together during France's encounter with Norway. The positive assessment underscores Koné's importance to Roma's plans as the club looks forward to the coming season.

Donyell Malen has given an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport, discussing his experience at Roma and his aspirations with the club. Malen expressed enthusiasm about his time at the Giallorossi, describing the atmosphere and environment as excellent. He stated his desire to win a trophy with Roma, balancing his ambitions at club level with his broader international football goals. The interview touches on both his immediate focus with Roma and his longer-term perspective in the sport.

Roma-supporting singer Ultimo held a record-breaking concert at Tor Vergata in Rome, attended by approximately 250,000 people, many of them Giallorossi fans. During the show, fans transformed Ultimo's 2018 single "Ipocondria" into a chant dedicated to Roma midfielders Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné. A banner spotted in the crowd read: "A me va bene anche Cristante, tanto c'ho Manu Koné" (I'm fine with Cristante too, as long as I have Manu Koné), adapting lyrics from the original song into a football-themed version that highlighted the midfielder pairing. The moment reflected the creative way Roma supporters express their connection to the club through popular culture and music. Ultimo, a prominent Roman artist and Giallorossi fan, has long been associated with the club's fanbase. The concert became a spontaneous celebration of Roma's squad, with thousands of fans participating in the reimagined chant. The incident was widely documented on social media, with photographs and videos of the banner and the crowd reaction circulating online.

Sergio Oliveira, the Portuguese midfielder who left Roma, returned to the city to attend the wedding of El Shaarawy and Ludovica Pagani. At the celebration, Oliveira reconnected with former teammates Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Cristante, and Gianluca Mancini—players with whom he won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022. Oliveira shared his reflections on social media about his time at Roma, saying: "Roma is special. It has brought me so much. Not only sporting moments but mainly fantastic people. I am very happy to be here on this beautiful day, a truly special moment for my friend Ste. Even though we spent little time together, when you share the same values it becomes easy to understand each other and lend a hand. Thank you to you all and I wish you a life full of happiness." The post underscores the bond formed during the Giallorossi's successful European campaign and the lasting relationships built within the club. The wedding also included attendance from other Roma-connected figures, with details of their presence marking another chapter in the club's recent history of trophy success.

Stephan El Shaarawy married Ludovica Pagani at Villa Aldobrandini near Frascati, with a significant Roma contingent in attendance. Current Roma players Gianluca Mancini, Bryan Cristante, and Lorenzo Pellegrini were among the guests, joined by former Roma midfielder Sergio Oliveira, who was visiting Rome for the occasion. Gollini also attended the celebration. A photograph posted on social media showed Oliveira and Pellegrini together, featuring emoji of a yellow heart, red heart, and the Roma wolf symbol. The reunion held special significance for several attendees. Mancini, Cristante, Oliveira, and Pellegrini all shared a memorable experience in 2022 when they won the UEFA Europa Conference League in Tirana. The wedding brought together members of that historic squad to celebrate El Shaarawy's marriage to the Bergamo-based DJ and influencer. The gathering highlighted the close bonds that persist among Roma's players and former squad members. El Shaarawy, nicknamed "the Pharaoh," has been part of Roma's recent history, and the presence of current players underscored the team's tight-knit culture.

AS Roma will announce details of its 2025–26 season ticket campaign on Monday, 6 July. The club posted social media hints with hourglass emojis signalling the announcement. The subscription drive will unfold in phases: first for renewals at the same seat, then for seat changes and the 25,000 fans on the waiting list. Roma aims to reach 40,000 season ticket holders, matching last season's target. A separate Champions League season ticket campaign will launch in late July or early August. Meanwhile, images of Roma's new kit for next season have surfaced online from overseas retailers ahead of the official reveal. The collar will feature the text "Con tutte le nostre forze" (With all our strength). Details of the design were already known, but the video confirms the kit is already in circulation in international stores. Transfer speculation continues around potential squad additions, with Pinamonti mentioned as a possible backup option to Malen.

Roma is exploring attacking reinforcements ahead of the upcoming season, with Pinamonti emerging as a potential option to serve as a backup to Donyell Malen. The club continues to pursue its primary offensive target, though details on the Pinamonti possibility remain limited. Roma's focus on strengthening the attack reflects ambitions to compete effectively in the coming campaign, with multiple options being evaluated in parallel to the main pursuit.

AS Roma is preparing to submit an official offer for English winger Mason Greenwood to Olympique Marseille in the coming days, with the bid expected around Tuesday. The package is reported to be worth approximately €45 million including bonuses, with Roma aiming to move ahead of rival interest from Atlético Madrid. In parallel, Argentine striker Artem Dovbyk is being pursued by Genoa, where former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi now coaches. Roma has shown openness to a loan arrangement for Dovbyk, though his wage demands remain a significant hurdle to any deal materializing. Meanwhile, Roma is also scouting attacking depth. For the role of deputy to Donyell Malen, the club is considering Nicolò Tresoldi from Club Bruges and Andrea Pinamonti from Sassuolo, with Lazio also keen on Pinamonti. Separately, midfielder Leandro Paredes has spoken publicly about Paulo Dybala's future. Paredes said: "For me it would be a pleasure to have him with me at Boca, then he will make his own decisions and surely will have many things on his mind." Dybala's contract status and potential departure remain topics of speculation as the transfer window enters a critical phase.