De Rossi on Roma dismissal: anger but no bitterness

Bobo Vieri has declared Roma capable of challenging for the Serie A title, singling out Gian Piero Gasperini as the decisive factor in the club's ambitions. Speaking at the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour event, the former Inter and Italy striker told Il Messaggero that while Roma will not necessarily win the Scudetto, their participation in the title race is guaranteed by Gasperini's arrival. "Assolutamente sì, a livello di tutti i big mondiali, da Mourinho a Luis Enrique, da Guardiola a De La Fuente. Dove arriva Gasp, le squadre cambiano e aumentano il loro livello," Vieri said, placing the coach among world-class managers including José Mourinho, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Luis de la Fuente. Vieri emphasized that Gasperini's presence alone does not account for Roma's potential. "Ora poi non c'è solo lui ma anche un grande centravanti," he noted, highlighting the addition of a top striker to bolster the squad. Beyond tactical improvement, Vieri stressed the importance of individual quality and finishing in determining success. Vieri singled out Donyell Malen for particular praise, citing his 19 goals since arriving in January as evidence of genuine quality. "I gol sono gol e lui ne fa tanti, contano i numeri. Può vincere il titolo dei cannonieri," Vieri stated, dismissing suggestions that Malen's goals come primarily against weaker sides. He also highlighted Paulo Dybala as crucial to Roma's creative play: "Incide sulle partite come nessun altro in Italia e forse in Europa. Magari segna meno, ma lui inventa calcio e i gol li fa fare agli altri."

Radio pundits dissected Roma's recent performances in commentary collected by Romanews.eu, with particular focus on individual players and the squad's depth in key areas. Carina highlighted criticism of Roma as excessive, noting that in 30 years of broadcasting he had rarely been unable to speak with colleagues—disrupted by an unusually long pre-match show of an hour and a half before kickoff and 30 minutes after. He praised Roma's first-half display as dominant, saying from the stadium he had the sense Roma would not lose and could even win. However, he identified a pattern of defensive lapses: "Mancini has made errors in three matches: Lecce, Atalanta and Fenerbahce. There are some interpreters who at the moment are not doing well—for example, Mancini and Wesley." He noted Atalanta and Fenerbahce have both played with tight lines to double-mark Malen, a problem requiring tactical adjustment. Carina expected three changes for Monday's fixture, anticipating Balerdi might play and raising doubt about whether Koné would be risked after requesting a change mid-match. He observed Roma is short in midfield: "Koné came out and Pisilli came in, but he is a midfielder. De Roon is the substitute for Cristante. To me something is missing there." Pruzzo took a more critical view of squad quality, stating: "I have many doubts about the fact that the squad is qualitatively strong as one hears said—I don't have this perception." He praised Roma's first-half football but saw a dip in the second half when tactical changes were required. Pruzzo identified Castro as Roma's best option from the bench and believed the forward needed to unlock his potential. "The next one could be the right occasion," Pruzzo said. "It is inevitable that Castro has the need to score." He questioned other signings, noting Molina replicates Rensch's role and Mora contributed little in the most recent match.

Roma radio stations aired differing assessments of the club's draw away to Fenerbahçe and the squad assembled for the 2026–27 season. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio mattina, praised Roma's display as good but not spectacular, and expressed lingering doubts about the expanded squad's overall quality. He acknowledged that Castro is the best option among the substitutes, but highlighted concerns about the club's recruitment strategy. "I had many doubts about this enlarged squad, perhaps it is not qualitatively as good as people say," Pruzzo said. "When you need to change in the second half, a good player comes on but with different characteristics." On the forward Mason Greenwood, he added: "For Greenwood an extra effort should have been made—he is someone who changes the balance of matches. The problem was the wages, but in a season like this you needed certainties like him who in matches like these shakes everything up. I would not have spent money on Koulierakis, a profile Roma already has in the squad. I would have signed a midfielder instead." Pruzzo also offered qualified praise for Leonardo Balerdi, the summer arrival on defence, and said he expects Matías Mastantuono to prove decisive. He stressed that Roma must be competitive across every component of the squad. Nando Orsi, also of Radio Radio mattina, countered that the expanded roster was necessary for rotation across three competitions, and that Roma's single point from Istanbul was a valuable one. Filippo Biafora (Radio Manà Manà – 90.9) was less critical of the draw, calling it unexpectedly tough, and suggested that Manu Koné will be preserved for the match against Torino after a minor complaint, with Bryan Cristante and Niccolò Pisilli expected to form the midfield pairing.