Cristante: Roma started better than expected in Serie A opener

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Roma marked their first official victory of the season with a commanding 4–0 win over Fiorentina at the Olimpico under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The performance was described as high-level, with no debate over the scoreline. Gasperini rewarded the squad with a day off following the Monday night debut, meaning no training session is scheduled at Trigoria on 25 August. Bryan Cristante addressed the media, noting that the workload in the current phase is noticeably lighter and more manageable compared to the summer preparation period. The squad will resume training on Wednesday afternoon.

Roma marked their first official victory of the season with a commanding 4–0 win over Fiorentina at the Olimpico under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The performance was described as high-level, with no debate over the scoreline. Gasperini rewarded the squad with a day off following the Monday night debut, meaning no training session is scheduled at Trigoria on 25 August. Bryan Cristante addressed the media, noting that the workload in the current phase is noticeably lighter and more manageable compared to the summer preparation period. The squad will resume training on Wednesday afternoon.

Bryan Cristante was interviewed after Roma's opening match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August. The midfielder said the team had put in a strong performance from the start and credited the squad's preparation during pre-season for their readiness. "We're in good shape, we had a good pre-season with all our efforts. If we carry on with performances like this it's very good. We're more ready because the squad is the same one. We're more prepared for the workload and the manager's demands, so we started with an extra gear," Cristante said. Cristante highlighted the impact of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, saying they "make the difference when they're in good form." He noted that Dybala has been making a difference in Italian football for years, while Malen scored immediately in January. Cristante also praised a player referred to as "Lulli", describing it as "a great performance" and saying he "can give us a hand." On the team's defensive solidity, Cristante reflected: "We've always done great training sessions, but in pre-season the workload takes its toll. However, the staff always get us ready when matches that count begin." The midfielder also reflected on his personal milestone, saying he was entering Roma's top ten for players with the most appearances for the club. "It's an incredible club and city. I'm honoured to enter the top ten. I hope to make as many appearances as possible and continue to win with performances like this," he said. On the team's ambitions, Cristante added: "Yes, we want to do better. We're starting from a more consolidated base: we're the same group. We're starting with an extra gear, but the season is long. Starting well is important, we want to improve on last year's result."

Bryan Cristante entered Roma's top 10 all-time appearance makers after the club's 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season. Speaking in the post-match interview, Cristante highlighted the impact of the attacking pair on display: "Dybala is in Italy for years now, and when he's fit he makes the difference in every match. Malen since he arrived in January has scored from the first game and has given us so much right away. Hopefully they continue like this as much as possible." The midfielder praised Roma's preparation over the summer and the consistency of Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical foundation. "We're doing well, we had a good pre-season and we've put in our work. As long as it leads to performances like this, that's fine. We arrive more ready than last year—the core group is the same. We're more prepared for the coach's workload, his ideas and his style of play. We have an extra gear." Cristante expressed pride at reaching the milestone: "It's an incredible club and an incredible city. I'm honoured to have entered the top 10. Hopefully I can make more appearances and continue winning and putting on performances like this." On the opening match itself, Cristante described the performance as near-perfect: "It went better than we could have hoped. It was hard to do better than this. A massive match—we needed to start strong, and the opening games are always important." He outlined Roma's ambition for the campaign: "The objective is to do what we did last year, if not better. We're starting from a more solid base, the same playing principles, the same coach, and we're starting with an extra gear compared to last year. The league is long but it's important to start like this." On summer arrival Donyell Malen's clinical finishing, Cristante said: "He's a killer in the box, a finisher, an extra weapon that becomes essential. Hopefully we have him at this level always."

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Bryan Cristante was interviewed after Roma's opening match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August. The midfielder said the team had put in a strong performance from the start and credited the squad's preparation during pre-season for their readiness. "We're in good shape, we had a good pre-season with all our efforts. If we carry on with performances like this it's very good. We're more ready because the squad is the same one. We're more prepared for the workload and the manager's demands, so we started with an extra gear," Cristante said. Cristante highlighted the impact of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, saying they "make the difference when they're in good form." He noted that Dybala has been making a difference in Italian football for years, while Malen scored immediately in January. Cristante also praised a player referred to as "Lulli", describing it as "a great performance" and saying he "can give us a hand." On the team's defensive solidity, Cristante reflected: "We've always done great training sessions, but in pre-season the workload takes its toll. However, the staff always get us ready when matches that count begin." The midfielder also reflected on his personal milestone, saying he was entering Roma's top ten for players with the most appearances for the club. "It's an incredible club and city. I'm honoured to enter the top ten. I hope to make as many appearances as possible and continue to win with performances like this," he said. On the team's ambitions, Cristante added: "Yes, we want to do better. We're starting from a more consolidated base: we're the same group. We're starting with an extra gear, but the season is long. Starting well is important, we want to improve on last year's result."