D'Amico says Roma will back the coach with resources in January

Francesco Totti was at the Stadio Olimpico for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Slovan Bratislava, the third matchday of the group stage. The Roma legend was on the touchline to watch the game. Before taking his seat, Totti spoke with Paulo Dybala and then gave Donyell Malen a warm embrace before the Roma players went out to warm up. The moment was shared by Sky Sport (Italia) in a post on social media.

Former Roma striker Stefano Okaka Chuka says Gian Piero Gasperini is a top coach and that Roma will fight for the Scudetto, speaking exclusively to Retesport ahead of the Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava. Okaka said he was almost sent to AC Milan before joining Roma, and claimed that Bruno Conti phoned his father and asked him to come to Trigoria, which kept him from moving to Milan. Okaka recalled the early stages of his career, saying there were many champions around him and that he was a prodigy when he emerged. He said the chipped goal against Siena is still something fans in Rome bring up with him. "I was born and raised in giallorosso, I have a history here: those are moments that are human and difficult to repeat," he said. Asked about the Roma-Slovan Bratislava match, he said: "I don't know what happened... The coach put me in place of Francesco, but I don't know why." He also spoke about leaving the game, saying the body tells you when to stop and that it becomes very hard to keep a daily routine when going from 100 to zero. On Gasperini, Okaka said: "He is a top coach and will fight for the Scudetto. The team needs people who love this sport and want the good of Roma, and Gasperini is one of them. He has no prejudices, he doesn't clash, he just wants to take the team to another level." He added: "Soulé has been reborn, there are regenerated players who are doing well. Roma will fight until the end to win the Scudetto." Okaka also praised Nahuel Molina, who arrived at Udine on a free transfer from Boca Juniors. He said that in the first two or three training sessions he told Paulo de Paul that Molina would go to Real Madrid. "He is very strong, he uses both right and left foot, he is fast and knows how to score thanks to his technique. Roma have made a great signing."

Roma's Primavera side beat Slovan Bratislava 5-0 at the Tre Fontane in the third matchday of the UEFA Youth League, bouncing back immediately from their league defeat to Torino. Paratici scored a hat-trick in the second half, with Arena providing two assists before scoring the final goal himself. Coach Mattia Scala's side dominated the game from the start, although Slovan initially managed to contain the Giallorossi pressure. The opening goal came in the 35th minute. Arena sent Camara through on the counter-attack, and Camara opened his body and finished past Gramblička to make it 1-0 at half-time. The match changed completely after the restart with the introduction of Paratici, who came on in the 56th minute in place of Camara. He needed just five minutes to make his mark, as Arena played him through again and he took the ball into the area and beat the Slovak goalkeeper. Slovan collapsed in the closing stages and Roma ran riot. In the 79th minute Paratici was quickest to react to a loose ball in the area after a shot from Terlizzi and made it 3-0. Six minutes later, from a corner taken by Cama, the young striker rose alone and completed his personal hat-trick. In the 87th minute Arena added the definitive 5-0, having already been involved with two assists, completing a practically perfect afternoon for Scala's team. The result was a wide and convincing victory, built once again through the academy players of the Giallorossi youth sector. Sporting director Tony D'Amico, CEO John Galantic and youth sector manager Massimo Margiotta were in the stands, and Paratici, Arena and their team-mates sent an important message to the first team as well, at a time when Gasperini continues to open the doors wider to the young players of Trigoria.