Dear Enemies: Mourinho and Luis Enrique Lie in Wait

Roma return to the Champions League after eight years with a curious contradiction: a squad seasoned in European competition but largely inexperienced in the continent's top tier. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, the giallorossi have navigated knockout stages, difficult away trips and high-pressure evenings in recent seasons, yet a significant portion of the squad presents as Champions League debutants when their record in the competition itself is examined. The drawn opponents—Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, Sporting, Lille, Fenerbahçe, Slovan Bratislava and AEK Atene—underscore the magnitude of the step up. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen stand as the principal points of reference, each with around 50 Champions League appearances. Behind them Nahuel Molina brings roughly 40 such matches from his time at Atlético Madrid, followed by Mario Hermoso, equally accustomed to the highest level of European football. The picture shifts sharply thereafter. Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini have played in the Champions League, though Roma's last participation dates back to the 2018–19 season. Other squad members have sampled the competition only briefly, while a substantial portion will encounter it for the first time. Key players such as Manu Koné, Wesley, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro have either never played it or collected minimal appearances. Yet Roma should not be labelled a European-inexperienced side. The club built a genuine identity in the cups: Cristante, Pellegrini, Gianluca Mancini, Mile Svilar and the core nucleus lived through the Conference League triumph in 2022, the Europa League final of 2023 and numerous knockout campaigns. Dybala, Evan N'Dicka, Koné, Pisilli and Matías Soulé have progressively accumulated international experience outside the Champions League but in matches where pressure, emotional control and reading momentum matter most. Here lies the true uncertainty: Roma possesses European aptitude but lacks a true Champions League identity. Errors recoverable in Europa League risk becoming instant goals against Real Madrid and PSG. The new League Phase format demands Gasperini navigate eight different fixtures without building a classic group-stage rhythm. The task ahead is not to teach Roma what a European night means, but to elevate what they have learned over five years.

AS Roma's eight opponents in the UEFA Champions League league phase have been confirmed following the draw on 27 August. Roma will face Real Madrid (home), PSG (away), Sporting Lisbon (home), Manchester United (away), Lille (home), Fenerbahçe (away), Slovan Bratislava (home) and AEK Athens (away). The UEFA will publish the official fixture calendar on 29 August, with matchday one scheduled for 8–10 September and the final round on 27 January. The league-phase format sees the top eight teams qualify automatically for the last 16, teams placed ninth to 24th enter a two-legged playoff round, and sides finishing 25th to 32nd are eliminated.

Roma radio stations aired conflicting assessments of the club's transfer priorities and Champions League prospects on 28 August. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo reported that coach Gasperini favours Jesurun Gittens over Sofyan Fofana for a midfield signing. According to Pes, Roma will continue pushing to construct a deal with Chelsea for Gittens while the English club has yet to open discussions. "If it becomes clear there will be no margin, then we'll turn to Fofana. The agreement was there with him. But Gittens has the financial and technical favour, and for that reason remains the favourite. The two clubs have good relations," Pes said. Meanwhile, fellow analyst Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport suggested Roma's pursuit of Franck Kessié may be part of a broader market dynamic involving Juventus. Torri commented that the club faces further difficulty in securing a midfield winger option. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino described Roma's Champions League path as "hard", calling the draw "mediately squads of good level" and expressing doubt about whether Kessié could still deliver significantly in Serie A. Tony Damascelli of the same station called the European campaign "a fascinating journey", singling out the fixture against Real Madrid as "always beautiful, because they are the most winning team in the world." The radio commentary reflects broader debate within Roma's fanbase about the depth and direction of the squad ahead of the league-phase campaign beginning 8 September.

The Champions League league-phase draw on 27 August paired Roma with eight opponents across the competition's opening phase, featuring two former Roma managers now in charge of Europe's elite: José Mourinho at Real Madrid and Luis Enrique at Paris Saint-Germain. The draw shapes Roma's European path from 8 September to 27 January under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Roma's return to the Champions League comes after seven seasons away. Real Madrid and PSG, both seeded in the first pot, headline the fixture list. From the second pot, Roma drew Sporting Lisbon (home), Manchester United (away at Old Trafford), Fenerbahçe (away), and AEK Athens (away). Lille and Slovan Bratislava complete the eight, both at home. The tie against Lille offers a potential redemption: Roma missed three penalties in last season's Europa League fixture against the French club, including a double failure by Artem Dovbyk and another by Matías Soulé. Mourinho will return to the Stadio Olimpico with Real Madrid. The draw has constructed a fixture list combining Roma's ambitions in European football's premier competition with the nostalgic dimension of facing two managers who shaped the club's recent history—Mourinho's tenure yielding markedly different results from Luis Enrique's time in Rome.

Artem Dovbyk made an underwhelming start to his Bologna career, squandering a clear chance in 30 minutes off the bench during his side's loss to Roma. The Ukrainian had told Bologna before his arrival that he expected to show his best form after struggling under Gasperini at Roma, where he said he was not enjoying himself. His opportunity came in the second half when Bologna, trailing by a goal, sent him on to try to change the match — but he failed to make an impact, mirroring his difficulties in the previous season with Roma's coach. Dovbyk had an immediate chance to make an impression, receiving a ball that needed only to be pushed into the net, but he missed it badly. That miss cost Bologna dearly, as they might have found an equaliser from the situation. His debut was far from the statement he had hoped to make. Bologna's supporters will be expecting a very different performance going forward.

Roman radio stations analysed Gasperini's post-match demeanour and Roma's transfer window on 24 August, with the coach reportedly venting frustration after a pre-match press conference. David Rossi of Rete Sport said Gasperini "attempted to maintain composure during the conference, so much so that once it finished he let off steam—we have audio of what he said after the conference, but we won't play it because we're decent people—but hearing the post-conference outburst tells you he is not serene." Gasperini has been actively involved in the market alongside D'Amico, reiterating his desire for a left-footed winger and left-sided striker, though the station noted that if those signings do not arrive, it is not a failure to pursue them but a failure to secure them. The broader consensus across the stations was mixed. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport identified Fofana as "the best option that remains," better than other targets, suggesting Lyon's potential Champions League qualification could enable a deal structured as a loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista offered strong backing of the existing squad, stating: "With him you would not win the Champions League, but you would not have won it either with Summerville; in fact, I think you have more chances with Mora than with the Dutchman. If you signed Gittens, you would have Gittens, Mora, Dybala, Soulé, Castro and Malen… Last year you had Venturino, Zaragoza, Baldanzi, Dovbyk, Ferguson… and we finished third. This is why I tell you we must be very satisfied with what is happening, very satisfied. And all of this without selling players. But guys, what more do we want? For me, if the market completes in this manner, it will be the best since the days of Batistuta." Analysts debated the likely formation and deployment of recent arrivals. Lorenzo Pes suggested Roma could play with a trequartista behind two strikers, noting uncertainty over whether Soulé or Rodrigo Mora would occupy that role. Mario Mattioli expressed scepticism about Mora's involvement, predicting he would not start and questioning whether he could break through substantially. Roberto Pruzzo backed Santiago Castro as a strong addition who would receive more minutes than expected, while Checco Oddo Casano voiced concern that Roma was not equipped to compete for the Champions League, predicting a third- to sixth-place finish in Serie A. Alessio Nardo highlighted Dybala's history of injury problems at Roma, noting that last season his meniscus injury was mismanaged; he added that should Dybala complete the season without significant injury, "it would be a sort of miracle of Gasperini and his staff." The match against Fiorentina was set for the evening of 24 August. Pes cautioned that Fiorentina would be difficult to assess as an opponent, having conducted an ambitious transfer window under new management. The window closes on 31 August, with Gasperini's requirements for additional signings still unmet.