Dybala returns to starting lineup as Roma face Parma in crucial Serie A clash

Cesc Fabregas has publicly expressed respect for Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of Como's fixture against Roma in one week's time, moving to defuse tension between the two coaches after a heated encounter last season. The Spanish manager addressed the pair's previous conflict at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, where he stated: "I have great respect for him." Last season, Gasperini refused to shake Fabregas's hand after Como's 2–1 home victory, walking directly toward the tunnel in protest at Wesley's expulsion, which the Roma coach deemed dubious. Fabregas had called the gesture "unsporting" at the time, fueling friction between them. The article comes as Roma prepare for their next league match against Como. Gasperini, who took charge of Roma in 2025, is one of the most experienced and strongest coaches in Serie A, presenting a contrasting tactical approach to Fabregas's style. The incident has left some residual effects on their relationship, though Fabregas's recent comments suggest a willingness to move past it. Fabregas acknowledged his own mistakes and emotional nature, saying: "I myself make errors many times; I am still young and often still emotional." He then directed his comments at Gasperini specifically: "I hope that a more experienced coach, if I make a mistake, will tell me. For example Gasperini. I like to listen to people who know more than I do." He also noted that relationships cannot be identical with all colleagues: "You cannot keep the same friendship or relationship with everyone; we are all different."

Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé both earned their senior Argentina caps in a 7–0 friendly victory against Burkina Faso. Castro came close to scoring but struck the crossbar in the closing stages. Speaking to journalists after the match, the former Bologna forward reflected on the occasion with emotion. "I was nervous before the match, but once you get on the pitch you just have to play and be yourself. To be honest it makes me really happy, I feel so many emotions," Castro said. "After everything I've been through and all this time, I'm really happy. But the goal slipped away – the ball hit the crossbar. Lately I've hit quite a few crossbars and posts (laughs), but anyway I'm really happy and I just have to keep going like this." Castro's reference to recent woodwork touches on Roma's Serie A campaign. In the club's third league match against Atalanta, Castro struck the woodwork twice in what proved a narrow victory, with teammate Soulé scoring the decisive late goal. Both players have now made their mark at international level, with Soulé also featuring in the Argentina side against Burkina Faso.

Santiago Castro made his Argentina debut in a friendly against Burkina Faso last night, hitting the crossbar in the 92nd minute with a powerful right-foot strike from inside the box. The forward remains without a goal this season for both Roma and his national team, having struck the post and bar against Atalanta in Serie A. Castro has come agonisingly close to breaking his drought on multiple occasions. Speaking after the match, he said: "I was nervous before the game, but once you get on the pitch you just have to play and be yourself. Honestly, it makes me really happy—I feel so many emotions. After everything I've been through and all this time, I'm truly happy. But the goal got away: the ball hit the crossbar. Lately I've hit quite a few crossbars and posts (laughs), but anyway I'm really happy and I just need to keep going like this."

Matías Soulé made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly against Burkina Faso, a moment the Roma forward said he had been waiting for a long time. Santiago Castro also made his first appearance for the national team in the same match. Soulé will return to Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixtures against Como and Real Madrid. The 21-year-old has impressed during his time at Roma and earned his call-up as a reward for his performances. He spoke of the significance of finally representing his country at senior level, describing it as a dream realised with his family present for the occasion. At the end of the match, Soulé told Tyc Sports: "Yes, today it arrived. The truth is it's a dream. My whole family is here and it's an enormous emotion, I was waiting for this moment for a long time." On his form at Roma, he said: "Yes, obviously. I always gave everything to be able to be here. It's a dream to be here, it's a unique sensation. I was talking with some team-mates: being here is something magical. I'm really very happy, my whole family is here and now I want to enjoy this moment that I was waiting for a long time." On advice from team-mates, Soulé explained: "I always talk with him. Paulo told me to stay calm, like Molina who stayed in Rome together with Paulo. They obviously know the national team very well, I always listen to their advice."

Matías Soulé made his official Argentina debut on the night of 3 October 2026 in the match against Burkina Faso, speaking afterwards of his emotions and the advice he received from Roma teammates Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina ahead of the fixture. Soulé, who has had a strong season with Roma, described the occasion as a lifelong aspiration realised. The winger has worked consistently to earn his Argentina call-up and spoke of the magical feeling of representing his country, with his family present to witness the milestone. Both Dybala and Molina, who remained at Roma together, offered counsel before the match, drawing on their own extensive experience with the national team. Speaking to Tyc Sports, Soulé said: "Yes, it has arrived today. The truth is that it is a dream. My whole family is here and it is a huge emotion. I have been waiting for this moment for such a long time." On his Roma form, he reflected: "Yes, obviously. I have always given everything to be able to be here. It is a dream to be here, it is a unique sensation. I was talking about it with some teammates: being here is something magical. I am really very happy, my whole family is here and now I want to enjoy this moment that I have been waiting for such a long time." Asked about Dybala's counsel, Soulé explained: "I always talk with him. Paulo told me to stay calm, as Molina did—he stayed at Roma together with Paulo. They obviously know the national team very well, and I always listen to their advice."

Gian Piero Gasperini is already planning Roma's January window despite the club sitting top of the table with a functioning attack led by Dybala and Malen. Between appearances at the Trento Festival and work at Trigoria, Roma are targeting reinforcements in the attacking department, focusing on players currently struggling for minutes at their clubs. A conversation between CEO Galantic and Gasperini at the festival underscores Roma's philosophy of planning winter moves in advance. Roma's priority remains a quality wide forward, with evaluation also ongoing into a more complete profile like Oosterwolde. Four players already tracked in the summer transfer window remain in the club's sights: Gittens, Leweling, Luiz Henrique and Endrick. The common thread linking them is a shortage of regular playing time. Gittens, a Gasperini favourite, has yet to debut in the Premier League. Leweling plays only sporadic minutes at Stuttgart and was excluded from the initial squad list under new national team coach Klopp. Luiz Henrique remains blocked in Russia by bureaucratic issues that have also cost him national team call-ups. Endrick's situation is the most delicate. Mourinho secured him at Real Madrid over the summer, but the Brazilian has virtually disappeared: just four minutes across La Liga and the Champions League combined. That picture of underuse could shift as soon as November, when UEFA will make decisions on the Settlement Agreement, opening new scenarios potentially favourable to Roma heading into the winter market.

Marco Materazzi, the former Inter player and 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, has publicly backed Gianluca Mancini as the best defender in Serie A. Speaking at the Trento Festival to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Materazzi demonstrated his affection for the Roma defender, whom he has long been an idol to — Mancini wears the number 23 both for Roma and for Italy in tribute. Mancini is no stranger to Materazzi's admiration. When asked to rank Serie A's top defenders, Materazzi named Mancini ahead of Bisseck, Rrahmani, Akanji, Chalobah, Pavlovic, Balerdi, Ramón, Solet, Gila, Hermoso and Alaba. For Balerdi he noted: "You know he's a fan of mine and I'm his idol, so Mancini." On Gila he said: "I can't vote for a Milanista." When it came to Inter players, however, Materazzi's heart took over. Asked to choose between Mancini and John Stones, he replied: "Stones, he's Inter." The English defender prevailed over Scalvini and Bremer, but ultimately finished behind Alessandro Bastoni in Materazzi's final ranking.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Festival dello Sport on 2 October about the foundations of his Roma project, the character of his squad, and the club's ambitions this season. The coach outlined how he has built the team around a clear playing philosophy focused on taking the ball rather than waiting for opponents, and how he has shaped the personalities of senior players to match that vision. Gasperini praised his defensive line as "one of the best in Europe," highlighting Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as examples of players with both technical quality and the fighting spirit he demands. He also emphasised Bryan Cristante's importance as a player who sacrifices individual prominence for the collective good. On Paulo Dybala, Gasperini said the Argentine has enjoyed an exceptional start to the season with no injuries disrupting his availability: "He still has the enthusiasm to play football, you can see he is well. There have been years of physical fragility, with injuries that held him back. I always thought it was a training matter... He has remarkable fibre, he started training properly and this start to the season is extraordinary. He doesn't miss a minute." Gasperini suggested Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance stems from past injuries but believes he will regain that ability soon. On young players, Gasperini explained his approach to developing Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli. He brought Lulli into the first team after observing his characteristics in pre-season training. Regarding Gianluca Romano, whom Roma have sold, Gasperini said: "Another young player grown in Roma, very interesting. I was sorry he was excessively criticised after his first Nazionale match, but it is adults who must be more cautious in their judgements. Romano's sale is a capital gain; often societies are forced to sell young players, this is not a good thing. In football the finest jewels must be allowed to grow." On Donyell Malen's arrival and early goal-scoring form, Gasperini explained: "At times planets align and things happen you think are unrealisable. We needed a striker because Dovbyk was injured. There were several names, then I came to know of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for a tactical reason, he wanted to play as a centre-forward and I have always thought he must play in the penalty area. This his ability to make three very quick touches is his weapon." When asked if Malen could match the 36-goal tallies of Gonzalo Higuaín and Ciro Immobile, Gasperini replied: "I hope so, I've told him that to motivate him... If he reaches 30 goals I would be happy anyway." On Roma's prospects and the atmosphere at the club, Gasperini said: "It was a very positive surprise; outside Rome it is described as an environment that swings back and forth. I found passion and enthusiasm, beautiful but also mature attachment. At this moment the fans are happy and recognise themselves in this squad, then clearly the maximum result would be extraordinary. But the environment is beautiful, there is a desire to play well to enthuse them." He also commented on the new stadium project, saying he had seen the rendering and it was "fantastic" but that the Olimpico in Roma's colours is already "beautiful, though the stands are far from the pitch." Regarding Roma's centenary in 2027, when the first stone of the new stadium will be laid, Gasperini reflected: "A hundred years is a milestone of experience and for me also of emotion. Think of how many people have carried this society forward, how many fans have dedicated their lives to Roma. You must carry all the history without renouncing it, to have an even better future. Roma's second centenary will be even more beautiful than the first."

France and Italy drew 1-1 in a Nations League match at the Stade de France in Paris. Olise scored for France and Bastoni for Italy. Roma's two international representatives in the squads, Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini, both remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes. The fixture was billed as one of the tournament's flagship matches between the sides managed by Zidane and Mancini.

Mario Hermoso is moving closer to a contract renewal with Roma. The Spanish defender has established himself as a linchpin under Gian Piero Gasperini, demonstrating strong adaptation to the coach's tactical system. The club's management is now turning its attention to his future, with talks and negotiations set to begin in the coming weeks. Hermoso would prefer a two-year extension that would take his contract through to 2029. Roma's policy for players over 30, however, typically involves annual renewals. Both the player and the club are keen to continue together, though the length of any new deal remains to be settled in forthcoming discussions.

Mario Hermoso has become a cornerstone of Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma defence, and the club is already working on a contract renewal with the Spanish defender. Hermoso, who is out of contract on 30 June, shares the club's intention to extend their partnership. The former Atlético Madrid player has impressed through his ability to build play from the back, offensive instinct and aggressive style—qualities that align perfectly with Gasperini's football. Santiago Castro marked a special night by making his Argentina debut, coming on in the second half of a 7–0 victory against Burkina Faso. The Roma striker expressed his emotion at the milestone: "There are moments that stay with you forever. Representing my country is a pride difficult to put into words. As a child I dreamed of this moment, and today I can say it has come true." He added in the mixed zone: "Seeing my family, my pregnant wife… it's an incredible mix of things." Donyell Malen returns to Como aiming to score again, this time to carry Roma to victory. Gasperini continues to push his forward, saying: "No one thought the numbers could be like this. I always tell him what he has done is not enough—someone scored 36 in the past. But if he reaches 30 I am happy." Malen is currently exceeding that benchmark, averaging 1.20 goals per match, on a scoring rate that surpasses the historical records of Higuaín and Immobile.

AS Roma are already working on extending Mario Hermoso's contract, as the Spanish defender has established himself as a key figure both on the pitch and in the dressing room under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Hermoso embodies what Gasperini has called the team's defensive 'gladiators', a core element of the coach's tactical approach. Hermoso's current deal includes an automatic extension that was triggered in June and is set to expire in 2027. However, Roma are keen to keep the defender at the club beyond that date and have initiated fresh negotiations with his representatives to secure his long-term future at the Stadio Olimpico.