Gasperini and CEO Galantic hold pitch-side talks after training in Cardiff

Konstantinos Koulierakis arrived in the capital on 1 August 2026 and trained with Gian Piero Gasperini's squad this morning, becoming the second summer reinforcement after Castro. The defender gave his first interview as a Roma player, explaining his immediate decision to join: "When my agent told me Roma was interested in me, I answered straight away: 'Let's go'. I want to do my best to become part of this great Italian club. I had no doubt whatsoever." Koulierakis cited Tsimikas and Joakim Maehle, both former Wolfsburg teammates, as sources of information about Gasperini. "They told me he is one of the greatest coaches in Italy and I'm very excited to work with him," he said. The 25-year-old Greek defender named Sergio Ramos as his childhood idol "for his mentality, his strength and his character" and Aymeric Laporte as a stylistic influence, noting they share the left-foot trait. On his own attributes, he said: "I believe my main strength is my left foot, but also my mental strength: I never give up and I always want to win." Koulierakis expressed eagerness to play at the Olimpico, saying the atmosphere is "incredible," and revealed he had spoken with Kostas Manolas by telephone this summer, discussing Roma's importance as a step in his career. He also recalled Manolas' Champions League header against Barcelona, describing it as "an incredible match." He closed with gratitude to the club's owners: "I am really happy to be here right now. Forza Roma!"

Konstantino Koulierakis has spoken about his move to Roma, expressing enthusiasm about joining the club and working under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. "I am very happy to be here," Koulierakis said in an interview with the club. "When my agent informed me that Roma was interested in me, I told him straight away: 'Ok, let's go'. I asked him to do everything possible to make me a Roma player." On Gasperini, he added: "Tsimikas spoke to me a bit about the manager: he is one of the best in Italy, and this makes me very enthusiastic about working with him." Koulierakis, a left-sided defender, cited Aymeric Laporte as a professional inspiration, noting their similar characteristics and shared left-footed style. He also spoke warmly of Manolas, saying he had telephoned the former Roma defender over the summer. "It was a nice conversation," Koulierakis explained. "When we discussed Roma, I told him it would be a very important step for me. It felt like a conversation between friends." Manolas, he added, "is one of the most important defenders in Roma's history, especially for that night against Barcelona." Looking ahead to his debut at the Stadio Olimpico, Koulierakis expressed excitement about the atmosphere. "I have never been to the Olimpico, but from what I have seen the atmosphere is extraordinary," he said. "I have watched many videos from the past and I cannot wait to play in this stadium, because I know the environment will be very warm. I have high expectations."

Roma continued their pre-season preparation in Cardiff on 2 August with a training session that was disrupted by fresh injury concerns. Koulierakis arrived at the camp after completing his medical and paperwork in Rome, and took part in the open session alongside new CEO John Galantic and about fifteen travelling supporters. However, Wesley was forced to abandon the session after just minutes when an ankle sprain sustained in the previous day's friendly against Cardiff proved too painful to continue; he left the field visibly limping with significant strapping on his right leg. Jan Ziółkowski briefly caused alarm with a knock to his ankle during the session but recovered to continue without issue. Gasperini's squad is preparing for a Tuesday match against Newport while managing workload rotation through the summer window. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable despite being in the group, while defender Bah is awaiting an MRI scan scheduled for 3 August after sustaining a knee sprain in training on 1 August. Neil El Aynaoui, recently returned to training following World Cup duty, completed an extended fitness session around the resort and briefly paused for a minor left-knee discomfort before resuming his run.