Former Roma goalkeeper backs Wesley to stay longer at the club, praises Svilar

Giuseppe Giannini, a Roma legend and former captain, has reflected on his enduring bond with the club and the city, speaking to Sportweek about his most vivid career memories and his status among the fanbase. The midfielder, still known as the 'Prince' by supporters who recognise him in the street, discussed how his life has changed since his playing days. 'Now it's easier to take a walk with my wife,' he said. 'As a player it was impossible to go out with her or my daughters. I lived under lock and key.' Giannini emphasised the symbolic weight of representing Roma and the capital. 'Being a Roma supporter means representing the capital,' he reflected. 'Nobody can say they don't know the capital and, consequently, AS Roma.' The midfielder's most powerful memory centres on the Olimpico stadium itself, where he spent his entire playing career. 'Every time I stepped onto the pitch at the Olimpico wearing the shirt of my beloved team, it really felt like I was touching the sky with a finger,' he said. When fans approach him today, they often exclaim: 'But you are...', and he responds with a laugh: 'Yes, it's me', to which they reply: 'You're the Prince!' Giannini also named Mario Kempes as his childhood idol, citing both his style of play and his distinctive long hair, which Giannini famously wore in the same fashion during his time at Roma.

Roman radio commentators debated Endrick's future and Roma's midfield depth in their daily round-up of opinion from the Rome airwaves. Agresti reported that Real Madrid want to loan out Endrick, and that despite Roma remaining in the picture and able to offer Champions League football, the forward is currently more inclined toward Milan. He has played only 4 minutes for Madrid this season. Mourinho had blocked his departure in the summer, but Endrick wants to showcase himself, and Milan are ready to give him playing time. The club from the San Siro have close relationships with Endrick's agents and had already tried to advance the matter over the summer; they are now reassessing in light of his minimal usage at Madrid. "Tutto dipende da Mourinho e dal fatto che lasci andare il giocatore" — everything depends on Mourinho and whether he lets the player leave, Agresti said. Pugliese suggested Mourinho's intervention in blocking the deal last summer reflected poor relations with the Friedkin ownership. He noted that Cardinale has a close relationship with Roc Nation, and Rodrygo will return to the Real Madrid fold in December, creating crowded options: Díaz, Yoro, Bernardo Silva, Mbappé, Vinicius, Diomande — too many players for too few places. If Mourinho wants to help someone, Pugliese said, "Penso che Mou se vuole dare una mano potrebbe darla Amorim, non a Gasperini" — he thinks Mou could lend it to Amorim, not Gasperini. On Roma's midfield, Pruzzo said young players must be given chances despite the errors they will make. He praised Bryan Cristante for playing every match and providing equilibrium and security to the squad and to Gasperini. "Nel momento in cui ti viene meno, devi avere un'alternativa a centrocampo: la Roma ha i giocatori contati, e questo può essere un problema" — the moment he becomes unavailable, you need an alternative in midfield, and Roma's options are limited, which could be a problem. Pugliese added that Portugal are pushing for Rodrigo Mora to play for the national team in the position left by Cristiano Ronaldo; Mora is a recognizable technical talent and should grow athletically. At Como, if Pellegrini is fit, he will play ahead of Mora.

Fabián Berlanga, president of Velez Sarsfield, launched a fresh attack on Matías Soulé on the occasion of the Roma forward's debut for Argentina. Speaking from the Monumental stadium to Cadena 3, Berlanga argued that Soulé should face exemplary punishment rather than be rewarded with a place in the Argentina squad. "Soulé as Argentina's new number 10? No, he should instead face exemplary punishment," Berlanga said. "For example, permanent exclusion from the possibility of ever wearing Messi's shirt, or from wearing the captain's armband. He is not a good example." Soulé left Velez as a 16-year-old in 2019 using a legal mechanism called 'Patria Potestas', which allows parents or legal guardians of a player to terminate a club contract if the player has not signed a professional deal. The move saw Velez receive only 108,000 euros in compensation, a figure that continues to rankle the club's leadership. Berlanga's resentment centres on players departing on free transfers and what he views as unethical conduct by agents. "We don't like when young players leave on free transfers, but we know it's a battle to fight against agents who sometimes act in bad faith," he added. Berlanga has previously criticised Soulé on the international stage. Two years ago, when Soulé was called up to the Argentina squad without playing, Berlanga said: "I was at River's stadium for the Argentina-Chile match; I went to greet Flaco Gareca and, deep down, I prayed that Soulé wouldn't come on. All this makes me angry." Berlanga also referenced his own decision to respect club protocol, noting that in January he had the chance to activate a release clause for a goalkeeper but chose not to pursue it out of respect. "You have to be able to look people in the eye," he said. "I don't do those kinds of things."

AS Roma have been working on a move for Real Madrid forward Endrick over the last few months, with increasingly positive signals that a deal could materialise in January. Sporting director Tony D'Amico is driving the initiative, and crucially, Endrick has already given his approval to join the Giallorossi, viewing a Roma move as an opportunity to regain prominence after his time in Madrid. Endrick's father is also supportive of the transfer, particularly given that his Brazilian teammate Wesley is performing well at Roma. The player has confided to close friends that a switch to the Giallorossi is a genuine possibility. AC Milan have also attempted to recruit Endrick, but Roma are ahead in the race, having already held initial talks with the player and his representatives. A forthcoming fixture between Roma and Real Madrid could provide a suitable moment for both parties to advance discussions further on the deal.

Wesley was spotted at Ponte Milvio test-driving his new Lamborghini during the international break. The Roma defender, born in 2003, remained in the capital rather than travel during the national team pause, taking the opportunity to enjoy some leisure time away from Trigoria. Wesley is currently recovering from a physical problem that prevented him from answering Brazil's call-up. He is expected to rejoin full training in the coming days with the goal of returning to Gian Piero Gasperini's squad for the resumption of the league campaign.

Roma continued their preparation at Trigoria on 2 October with a session focused on the international break, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini worked with a reduced squad while players were away on national team duty. The club's next fixture is a trip to Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30, where they will face the Serie A side at the Stadio Sinigaglia. Lorenzo Pellegrini trained regularly with the group and has recovered from injury, though he remains without competitive minutes this season. The Como match could offer him an opportunity to return to action, with Gasperini to assess his readiness based on the coming days' training. Wesley and Donyell Malen are expected to return to full training in the next few days as staff monitor their condition, while Bryan Cristante will miss the Como fixture due to a knee problem. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico attended the session at Trigoria to oversee preparations for the away trip.

Radio pundit Piero Torri has voiced concern that Bryan Cristante's injury could be more serious than initially thought, and has outlined how he would approach Roma's upcoming fixtures if the midfielder is unavailable. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9), Torri said: "I'm afraid Cristante's injury may not be a short one. If he's not fit, I wouldn't risk trying to get him back for Real Madrid. I would play de Roon at Como and Pisilli against Real Madrid." Torri also reflected on head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's handling of Paulo Dybala's minutes, saying the manager's approach has shifted his perspective. "What Gasperini said about Dybala struck me—it erased my previous beliefs about his playing time and management. And so far he's been proved right," Torri noted. He suggested Roma should begin discussions about Gasperini's contract intentions, given that the coach's deal will expire at the end of the season. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's importance to the team: "Svilar is a world-class goalkeeper for Roma, I have no doubt about it. If there's a normal goalkeeper, it's easy to lose 3–1. But with him it's different."

Roma radio commentators have praised Paulo Dybala and Mile Svilar as central to the club's prospects under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini this season. Carina told Radio Radio that Dybala represents Gasperini's main gamble and is succeeding in it. "The big difference compared to the past is exactly Dybala," Carina said. "If he continues like this, at these high levels, I would sign off on it. It's clear that at Roma it can change important targets. Gasperini is right: Dybala doesn't miss a training session, he has found the key to extend Dybala's career, who is a champion of Italian football." Carina also noted that Bryan Cristante has a knee inflammation that, while not serious, is a concern. Roberto Pruzzo backed goalkeeper Svilar without reservation. "Svilar is world-class for Roma, I have no doubt," Pruzzo said on Radio Radio. "If there is a normal goalkeeper, it is easy then to lose 3–1." Orsi, also speaking on Radio Radio, observed that goalkeepers in Italy are not generally regarded as world-class figures.

Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the Gazzetta dello Sport's Festival dello Sport in Trento, reflecting on his arrival at Roma and the squad's early development under his management. He described his first message to the players as the creation of something new from the ground up. "It's like when you do a new construction: you must lay new and different foundations straight away," Gasperini said. "We never spoke about my previous years. We had to build something new immediately, founded on concepts different from what many players were used to, but also what they expected from me and asked of me. Football can be played in many ways, but the first concept was to win the ball back from the opponent and not wait for him to make a mistake." Gasperini singled out the defensive group for particular praise, naming Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso as standout performers but extending credit to goalkeeper Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka, who he said had been among Europe's best defenders for months. On Mancini, he revealed his approach: "I knew him when I was his opponent and I would think 'why is he so disagreeable?' and I immediately tried to tell him 'look, this penalises you, for many years you didn't go to the national team because of these attitudes.' That was the first thing I worked on." Mancini had "a fantastic season" and has since returned to the Italy squad. Hermoso, despite a difficult previous year, brought experience from Atlético Madrid's defensive discipline alongside Spanish quality and tactical knowledge. On Bryan Cristante, Gasperini explained his confidence in the midfielder despite early doubts. "I knew him as a young player. Very often in players you don't look at the 'control room'—personality, the way of playing for the squad and putting teammates' needs first—and that's something I've always considered," he said. "When I was at Atalanta we sold Gagliardini to Inter and he couldn't stand out. Sartori gave me his name, I met the young Beppe Riso and got to know this guy. He couldn't have lost his technical qualities. I spoke to him a lot and he convinced me. I was facing the right person, with motivation, and I hoped that footballistically he would come out and he did." Cristante has suffered a knee injury but should recover quickly. Gasperini acknowledged that "playing many matches, if you're out two weeks you risk missing five matches. He'll miss the first matches but will recover soon." On Paulo Dybala's remarkable early form this season, Gasperini said: "He's started the way it hasn't happened to him for years. I knew him in Palermo when he was very young. As with all great players, he still has enthusiasm and strength. When he's on the pitch he's well and wants to play." Regarding Romano, a young academy graduate, Gasperini was critical of circumstances beyond football: "The fact that Romano was sold is down to needs for capital gains and balance-sheet requirements. This is not something good for our football—you need the chance to let your best gems grow, but when there are these needs they become the first to be cut." Gasperini also discussed Donyell Malen's unexpected summer arrival. "Sometimes the planets align and things happen that you weren't thinking about days before," he said. "Malen was a known player; in summer we'd seen his characteristics, which were already known. Then things happen during the market where you think you've planned everything and then maybe something unforeseen comes up—sometimes bad, in this case good. In a moment when we were looking for a striker, this opportunity with Malen came up, exiting Aston Villa for a tactical reason. He wanted to play centre-forward and I've always seen centre-forward characteristics in him."