Friedkin and Gasperini ready to work together on transfers from Monday

Roma's pre-season tour of Britain concluded with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium, marking the final fixture of an intensive preparation cycle that took Gian Piero Gasperini's squad through Cardiff, Newport, and England. The loss came after encouraging signs against Newport but exposed defensive frailties and a need for sharper athletic conditioning as the squad builds towards the 2026–27 campaign. The intensity of Brighton's play and elevated tempo highlighted areas where Roma's match fitness still requires development, a natural consequence of the heavy workload sustained during the early weeks of the British training block. The squad flew back to Italy immediately after the final whistle and returned to Rome yesterday evening. To allow recovery from the accumulated fatigue and to process the tactical lessons from the Amex, Gasperini granted the group two full days of rest. Training resumes on Tuesday afternoon at Trigoria. The next major test arrives on Ferragosto (15 August) in a high-profile friendly against Borussia Dortmund, a fixture intended as a final dress rehearsal before the opening competitive matches of the new season.

Pietro Mezzaroma, a defining figure in Rome's urban development across the second half of the 20th century, died on 4 August at the age of 91. Born in Rome in 1935, Mezzaroma began his career in his father Amerigo's carpentry business before pivoting decisively to residential construction during the 1950s economic boom. With his brothers Gianni and Roberto, he founded Impreme (Imprese Mezzaroma), which became a cornerstone of the capital's property development. After a 1996 family restructuring, he established Pietro Mezzaroma & Figli with his four children—Massimo, Barbara, Valentina, and Alessandra—and continued to shape entire neighbourhoods across Rome. Mezzaroma's work fundamentally altered the city's landscape, from the Torrino and EUR districts to Talenti, Cinecittà, and Dragoncello, as well as San Basilio and Tor Bella Monaca. He was known for direct pragmatism and a visceral connection to Rome's social fabric; Paolo Buzzetti, former president of the Roman builders' association, recalled: "Pietro advised others, including institutional contacts, to be practical, not to get lost in sophisms and flowery language. Few political and financial analyses, and much concrete action: spontaneity and pragmatism was the mix that distinguished him." Mezzaroma also collaborated on architectural projects with Paolo Portoghesi, a towering figure in Italian architecture. In May 1993, Mezzaroma acquired AS Roma alongside Franco Sensi, taking the club from Giuseppe Ciarrapico. He remained co-owner for approximately six months before transferring his shares to Sensi.

Roma's training camp in the UK ended in defeat as they lost a friendly match against Brighton at the American Express Stadium. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the media after the loss, indicating that something was lacking in the team's performance. Lorenzo Pellegrini signed a contract extension through 2027 during this period. Separately, Torino president Urbano Cairo commented on Alessio Cacciamani and Roma's interest in the player, though no transfer details were specified.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma lost 3–0 to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, their final test during their warm-weather camp in England. Goals from Rutter and Ayari in the first half, and a second from Ayari in the second, secured the home side's victory. Despite a decent opening 45 minutes, Roma's display deteriorated markedly after the interval. Gasperini fielded several academy players and made experimental changes, including replacing Çelik with Molina and Dovbyk with Castro. After the match, Gasperini addressed the media about the transfer market. He said: "If I do the count at the moment we are few. We have replaced Çelik with Molina. We have replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I think will give us good satisfaction and for me it was a good operation. And then this boy (Koulierakis) arrived to complete the defence, and he seems interesting to me." The coach acknowledged further work remains: "If you count numerically it seems to me we still need something, but you know who to go for and how to close. There are good possibilities. D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the indication." Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension keeping him at Roma until June 2027. Roma announced the deal, describing Pellegrini—developed through the academy—as embodying the club's sporting vision and values. The squad returns to Trigoria before Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. Real Madrid's Endrick remains a target for the attacking midfield, with Gasperini viewing him as a priority to strengthen the forward line.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."

Roma's training camp in the UK ended in defeat as they lost a friendly match against Brighton at the American Express Stadium. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the media after the loss, indicating that something was lacking in the team's performance. Lorenzo Pellegrini signed a contract extension through 2027 during this period. Separately, Torino president Urbano Cairo commented on Alessio Cacciamani and Roma's interest in the player, though no transfer details were specified.

Roma lost 3–0 to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, their final test during their warm-weather camp in England. Goals from Rutter and Ayari in the first half, and a second from Ayari in the second, secured the home side's victory. Despite a decent opening 45 minutes, Roma's display deteriorated markedly after the interval. Gasperini fielded several academy players and made experimental changes, including replacing Çelik with Molina and Dovbyk with Castro. After the match, Gasperini addressed the media about the transfer market. He said: "If I do the count at the moment we are few. We have replaced Çelik with Molina. We have replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I think will give us good satisfaction and for me it was a good operation. And then this boy (Koulierakis) arrived to complete the defence, and he seems interesting to me." The coach acknowledged further work remains: "If you count numerically it seems to me we still need something, but you know who to go for and how to close. There are good possibilities. D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the indication." Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension keeping him at Roma until June 2027. Roma announced the deal, describing Pellegrini—developed through the academy—as embodying the club's sporting vision and values. The squad returns to Trigoria before Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. Real Madrid's Endrick remains a target for the attacking midfield, with Gasperini viewing him as a priority to strengthen the forward line.

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."