Dybala Ready to Lead Roma's Champions League Return

Roma rejected an approach from Chelsea in the closing stages of the summer transfer window over the sale of Manu Koné, the club's hierarchy deciding to keep the midfielder despite financial pressure. Chelsea had identified Koné as the ideal replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who moved to Manchester City, but no formal offer reached sporting director D'Amico's desk. The decision to hold firm reflects Gasperini's reliance on Koné as a cornerstone of the Roma midfield since arriving last year, with the coach having only been without him due to injury. Koné's importance to Gasperini's system lies in his dynamism and physical power in the centre, qualities that enable the manager to control matches. His presence allows the team to dominate possession and transition play. The midfielder has started all three league fixtures, putting in strong performances against Fiorentina and Lecce before Saturday's match against Atalanta delivered further proof of his value to the project. In that Atalanta fixture, Koné recovered the ball seven times and made two interceptions while also orchestrating transitions quickly, supporting Bryan Cristante in build-up play with key passes and through balls. Gasperini's faith in him underlines how central he remains to Roma's Champions League ambitions this season. The club chose sporting stability over the balance-sheet relief a transfer would have provided.

Roma trained at Trigoria on 7 September with full focus on their Champions League debut on Thursday in Istanbul, under the watch of CEO John Galantic and sporting director Tony D'Amico, ahead of a possible visit from the Friedkin ownership. No residual effects from the intense Atalanta match meant the entire squad was available to Gasperini, who allowed himself a smile when Santiago Castro performed penalty press-ups during a training session. Lorenzo Pellegrini, who recently signed a contract renewal, has fully recovered from a right thigh rectus femoris injury and has been training with the group for a week, putting him in contention for the Fenerbahçe encounter. However, his debut in the competition will likely come on the following Monday at Turin.

Roma return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in seven years on Thursday against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini ruling out wholesale rotation in favour of his strongest available team. Paulo Dybala will reclaim his starting place alongside Donyell Malen after rotation in the previous league match, while Nahuel Molina is preferred to Emanuele Lulli at right-back to bring experience and familiarity with top European fixtures. Gasperini is leaning on his extensive pedigree in the competition, having recorded significant results in the Champions League and conceded just four defeats across his last twenty-three matches in the tournament. The manager has made clear his intention to start the European campaign with a strong statement rather than manage the squad's workload. Roma's fixture schedule intensifies immediately after Istanbul: the team travel to Turin on Monday 14 September for Serie A's fourth matchday, then face Inter at home on Saturday 19 September. The Fenerbahce encounter kicks off at 18:45 on Thursday and marks Roma's competitive reintroduction to the group phase after their seven-year absence from the competition.

Roma return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in seven years on Thursday against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini ruling out wholesale rotation in favour of his strongest available team. Paulo Dybala will reclaim his starting place alongside Donyell Malen after rotation in the previous league match, while Nahuel Molina is preferred to Emanuele Lulli at right-back to bring experience and familiarity with top European fixtures. Gasperini is leaning on his extensive pedigree in the competition, having recorded significant results in the Champions League and conceded just four defeats across his last twenty-three matches in the tournament. The manager has made clear his intention to start the European campaign with a strong statement rather than manage the squad's workload. Roma's fixture schedule intensifies immediately after Istanbul: the team travel to Turin on Monday 14 September for Serie A's fourth matchday, then face Inter at home on Saturday 19 September. The Fenerbahce encounter kicks off at 18:45 on Thursday and marks Roma's competitive reintroduction to the group phase after their seven-year absence from the competition.

Alessandro Florenzi has spoken about Roma's return to the Champions League after seven years, expressing optimism about the club's prospects under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Sky Sport, Florenzi said of the European return: "Certainly I expect many emotions, the ones I experienced on the pitch and which I hope to relive as a fan. It has been missing for too long. Manager Gasperini has done great work, I expect many good things." Florenzi believes the primary objective is to secure another Champions League qualification while maintaining Roma's prominence in Serie A following last season's form. However, he stopped short of directly discussing the Scudetto, saying: "There is a long way between saying that and saying other words that are forbidden in Rome. We will see in spring when the accounts are drawn up where Roma will be both in the Champions League and in the league." On the summer transfer market, Florenzi singled out Paulo Dybala as a key signing. "The way Roma started, I would say Dybala. When he is fit he becomes a player of another category. I hope he can really do well this year and continue as he has started. When he ignites, Roma ignites," Florenzi said. Regarding Europe's favourites, he picked PSG among the main contenders but predicted Barcelona would win the Champions League, calling three consecutive titles "truly extraordinary."

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Roma return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in seven years on Thursday against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini ruling out wholesale rotation in favour of his strongest available team. Paulo Dybala will reclaim his starting place alongside Donyell Malen after rotation in the previous league match, while Nahuel Molina is preferred to Emanuele Lulli at right-back to bring experience and familiarity with top European fixtures. Gasperini is leaning on his extensive pedigree in the competition, having recorded significant results in the Champions League and conceded just four defeats across his last twenty-three matches in the tournament. The manager has made clear his intention to start the European campaign with a strong statement rather than manage the squad's workload. Roma's fixture schedule intensifies immediately after Istanbul: the team travel to Turin on Monday 14 September for Serie A's fourth matchday, then face Inter at home on Saturday 19 September. The Fenerbahce encounter kicks off at 18:45 on Thursday and marks Roma's competitive reintroduction to the group phase after their seven-year absence from the competition.

Santiago Castro entered Roma's match against Atalanta at the 62nd minute as an unlikely substitute, replacing the league's in-form forward Donyell Malen, yet the move proved to be the turning point in a game the hosts trailed. In his brief appearance, Castro struck the post and crossbar while providing two key passes, underscoring the quality of Roma's bench and prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to praise his aggression. The Argentine's introduction illustrated the gulf between Roma's attacking depth now and the crisis that plagued them throughout the previous season. Last season Gasperini struggled with inadequate backup at centre-forward. Artem Dovbyk managed only 386 minutes in the league, while Evan Ferguson accumulated 776; injuries to both forced the coach into makeshift solutions, sometimes fielding a lone striker. Malen's January arrival from Dortmund transformed the dynamic, yet even then Gasperini was stretched thin managing the Dutchman's workload in a frenetic system that demands fresh energy. Castro's arrival this summer completes the picture. The forward combines goal-scoring instinct, the ability to run channels, ball retention and defensive work rate—qualities already evident in his early outings in red and gold. Gasperini's post-match verdict captured the shift: "The changes were good and that's what we were looking for—to complete this squad with substitutes who could give important help across matches. In finishing and in the forward area we were good, but we lacked intensity. We were sometimes too neat, aside from Castro's post and crossbar." Against Atalanta, Castro fired four shots—two on target and two off the woodwork—laying down a marker as a genuine alternative to Malen. Soulé scored, Molina offered fresh options on the flank and Balerdi commanded the defence like a squad veteran. Gasperini acknowledged the possibility of using both attackers together: "Castro and Malen together? It's an idea for the future. They can coexist, definitely. They can play together. We'll see; we're doing evaluations now. We'll have many matches so there will be chances for everyone and also to vary these systems." The contrast with previous seasons is stark. Roma's manager can now turn to a bench and find genuine competition for the starting eleven rather than, as José Mourinho once lamented, mere children. The scale of available rotation across the squad—particularly in attack and defence—represents a luxury rarely seen at Trigoria in recent years.

Zeki Çelik's departure this summer has proven beneficial for Roma, with the Turkish defender struggling at his new club while the Giallorossi have found capable alternatives. Çelik, who had agreed a renewal with Roma before changing his mind to join another side, has posted uninspiring numbers in his opening matches. Against Milan yesterday he recorded zero successful crosses, matching the same figure across his previous two outings against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism has already mounted, with fans questioning the absence of a 'Çelik cam'—a reference to a video DAZN produced weeks earlier following his first friendly appearance. His exit has cleared the path for Emanuele Lulli, who has become integral to Gasperini's setup. Initially withdrawn from the transfer market, Lulli started in all three of Roma's opening matches and has impressed the coaching staff considerably. Equally significant is the emergence of Nahuel Molina, the Argentine fullback who is continuing to build his fitness following Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Against Atalanta, Molina made a decisive 36-minute appearance, creating multiple dangerous situations and setting up a header from Santiago Castro that struck the crossbar. He recorded 100 per cent of tackles won and 90 per cent pass accuracy. Roma's first Champions League fixture arrives Thursday against Feyenoord, with Molina and Lulli in direct competition for the fullback berth. Molina's experience in high-pressure stadiums should serve him well as Roma prepare for what the article describes as an extremely hostile environment.

Roma return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in seven years on Thursday against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini ruling out wholesale rotation in favour of his strongest available team. Paulo Dybala will reclaim his starting place alongside Donyell Malen after rotation in the previous league match, while Nahuel Molina is preferred to Emanuele Lulli at right-back to bring experience and familiarity with top European fixtures. Gasperini is leaning on his extensive pedigree in the competition, having recorded significant results in the Champions League and conceded just four defeats across his last twenty-three matches in the tournament. The manager has made clear his intention to start the European campaign with a strong statement rather than manage the squad's workload. Roma's fixture schedule intensifies immediately after Istanbul: the team travel to Turin on Monday 14 September for Serie A's fourth matchday, then face Inter at home on Saturday 19 September. The Fenerbahce encounter kicks off at 18:45 on Thursday and marks Roma's competitive reintroduction to the group phase after their seven-year absence from the competition.

Zeki Çelik's departure this summer has proven beneficial for Roma, with the Turkish defender struggling at his new club while the Giallorossi have found capable alternatives. Çelik, who had agreed a renewal with Roma before changing his mind to join another side, has posted uninspiring numbers in his opening matches. Against Milan yesterday he recorded zero successful crosses, matching the same figure across his previous two outings against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism has already mounted, with fans questioning the absence of a 'Çelik cam'—a reference to a video DAZN produced weeks earlier following his first friendly appearance. His exit has cleared the path for Emanuele Lulli, who has become integral to Gasperini's setup. Initially withdrawn from the transfer market, Lulli started in all three of Roma's opening matches and has impressed the coaching staff considerably. Equally significant is the emergence of Nahuel Molina, the Argentine fullback who is continuing to build his fitness following Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Against Atalanta, Molina made a decisive 36-minute appearance, creating multiple dangerous situations and setting up a header from Santiago Castro that struck the crossbar. He recorded 100 per cent of tackles won and 90 per cent pass accuracy. Roma's first Champions League fixture arrives Thursday against Feyenoord, with Molina and Lulli in direct competition for the fullback berth. Molina's experience in high-pressure stadiums should serve him well as Roma prepare for what the article describes as an extremely hostile environment.

Zeki Çelik's departure from Roma has proved no source of regret, particularly given how his exit has benefited the club's defensive options. The Turkish defender, who chose not to renew his Roma contract and joined Torino, made a slow start at his new club. In yesterday's match against Milan, he completed zero successful crosses, a tally he matched in earlier friendlies against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism emerged, with supporters questioning whether the club would repeat a promotional video similar to one released by Dazn weeks earlier following Çelik's opening pre-season appearance. Celik's departure has cleared space for Emanuele Lulli, who was removed from the transfer market and has impressed considerably. The 2007-born defender started all three pre-season matches and has largely convinced onlookers. Nearby, Nahuel Molina is gradually building match fitness despite still recovering from the demands of Argentina's World Cup campaign, which reached the final. His performances with Roma have proven decisive. Over thirty-six minutes, Molina won 100 per cent of his duels, achieved 90 per cent passing accuracy and created a clear chance that Santiago Castro struck against the crossbar. Roma face Fenerbahçe in their opening Champions League fixture on Thursday, which will reignite the battle between Lulli and Molina for the full-back position. The away venue promises to be an intense atmosphere, though Molina has shown no fear of such occasions. His experience at this level will be invaluable as Roma look to navigate European football's biggest stage.