Gasperini and Friedkin align on Roma's transfer strategy: continuity over revolution

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to Sky Sport from a vineyard in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Asti, during the launch of his wine project "3-4-3"—named after the formation that has defined his career—and addressed multiple Roma themes including Bryan Cristante's recovery, the Friedkin family's engagement, and the summer transfer window. Gasperini expressed his desire to involve the Friedkin family more closely with the squad and supporters ahead of Roma's centenary. He acknowledged that the Percassi family, from his previous club, had maintained daily contact and a relationship extending beyond work, but with the Friedkins the dynamic differs. "I feel their trust and support even though they come to Rome very little," he said. "Now they have appointed Galantic, who certainly creates a tighter connection between Roma and them. My objective remains to involve them more—not for me, but for them and for the fans. To bring a closer relationship into the centenary is an objective." He praised the appointment of Galantic as a link between the club and ownership. On Cristante's fitness, Gasperini said: "He is recovering, it takes time. We will not be willing to risk anything. The objective is to recover him properly even if he were to miss one or two more matches." Regarding Koné and summer market rumours of a late departure, Gasperini explained: "We could not replace him in such a short time. It was not feasible. The market was long, arriving at very few hours before closure there were no timescales. These transfers bring the involvement of many people; I do not see how an operation like that could have been done. Personally I am happy. He will have the opportunity, and is already doing so, to increase his value." On the tight fixture list, Gasperini noted that five substitutions help manage the energy expenditure, and that injuries remain a constant risk in football. He praised Soulé's early-season form, noting he had recovered from pubalgia over the summer, and expressed happiness with Dybala's recent output: "He is a boy who when he takes the field does well. He was born with the ball at his feet. The fact of having to miss many matches made him sad. Now he is happy, he has enthusiasm, these are good milestones." Gasperini also reflected on his first season at Roma, calling it a major success to win the appreciation of supporters who initially viewed him as an opponent.

Gian Piero Gasperini has outlined his ambition to strengthen the relationship between AS Roma and ownership, revealing in a Sky Sport interview that while the Friedkin Group maintains confidence in him despite their infrequent presence in Rome, he wants to build closer ties ahead of the club's 100th anniversary. Gasperini used the occasion to discuss his newly launched wine label "3-4-3", named after his signature formation, and drew parallels between his philosophical approach to football and viticulture. He reflected on last season's success, attributing it to finding "a group of players with enormous willingness towards me" who arrived from a positive spell in the previous campaign and demonstrated eagerness to embrace a different style of football. The manager also highlighted his pride at winning over a fanbase that had initially viewed him with scepticism. Gasperini acknowledged Roma's strength in attack while commenting on the transfer market's difficulty: "Strikers are always the most sought-after and expensive players on the market. Those who have them rarely part with them—it's every team's quest." He expressed satisfaction that Manu Koné remained at the club after late-window interest, stating the timescale made a deal impossible: "The market was long, arriving at just a few hours before closure there was no time. These transfers bring insertions of many people; I don't see how such an operation could have been done. Personally I'm happy. He will have the opportunity, and is already doing so, to increase his value." On Bryan Cristante's recovery from injury, Gasperini counselled patience: "He's recovering; it takes its time. We won't be willing to risk anything. The goal is to recover him at his best even if he misses one or two more matches." Gasperini analysed the expanding squad depth afforded by five substitutions and a congested fixture list: "Four changes are made significantly, one is reserve. Energy expenditure is considerable. Management for coaches is a bit less complicated; you have the chance to use the whole squad better. All players hope to play in more matches. The drawback is injuries, which happen in football always and there's no scientific explanation." Regarding individual attacking players, he noted Matías Soulé had recovered from pubic pain suffered last season: "He trained during summer; when he arrived, logically he was overweight because he'd been out for a long time. His league start was at a high level. Now he's made his Argentina debut. When Roma players go to their national team and play, it's a reward for the whole squad." He praised Paulo Dybala's commitment and happiness since his return to regular action, and explained why he withheld Dybala and Nahuel Molina from international duty given a forthcoming important fixture: "We're too close to an important match. It meant forcing them to do many hours of flying." Gasperini offered measured praise for Como's emergence as title contenders: "We all appreciate this team's evolution. For the quality of the players and the play. Como is justly one of the accredited teams and among the best in our league. Can they win the Scudetto? Everyone recognizes Inter as the strongest, but Como with all the others can compete." He also reflected on Lionel Messi's imminent retirement from international football: "I struggle to think of a player who has done what Messi has done. It's a shame such a player ends his career, but there's also satisfaction in having seen him play—it's been a gift."

Luciano Spalletti has reflected on his time managing Roma in an interview with Tuttosport, drawing comparisons between the three cities where he has worked. "Turin is perfect — they let you live in peace," Spalletti said. "At Naples the fans' love takes your breath away, and for some it can become suffocating, but I breathed it all in completely. The same at Roma. I understand that way of living football, because I've been through it myself." Spalletti praised Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi in separate remarks. When asked which emerging managers he admires, Spalletti named De Rossi and mentioned observing Francesco Farioli at Porto. On Totti, Spalletti addressed recent comments about settling differences: "No, don't make me cause trouble. In November we're shooting the second part of the advert you've already seen on television — we climbed trees, put rafts in the lake, created tunnels. But let this be clear: in these years I've argued more with those around him than with him. We both made mistakes, but he's good. Also at being light, at coming to take the piss out of you constantly." Describing Totti as a player, Spalletti said: "He was able to construct technical malice. He had the strength to transform plays into schemes, and usually the opposite happens. I gave him the machine of the future: I suffered for years his charisma, his power, and when I arrived at Roma and found myself coaching him I couldn't believe my eyes. I loved and suffered him as a totem of football beauty."

Roma players will begin filtering back to Trigoria from tomorrow, 6 October, as Gian Piero Gasperini prepares his squad for the trip to Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30. The club have trained with a reduced group during the international break, and the staggered returns will allow Gasperini to resume full preparations. Evan N'Dicka, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Giorgio De Marzi are expected back in the morning, with further arrivals throughout the day. The Italy contingent—Gianluca Mancini, Daniele Ghilardi, Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli—will arrive in the evening. Manu Koné, the France midfielder, will be the last to rejoin, returning to the squad on Wednesday and training with the group a day behind the initial batch of returnees.

Roma's radio stations have focused heavily on the upcoming Como fixture and squad selection as Gasperini's side prepares for a demanding period. Checco Oddo Casano argued that Devyne Rensch, bought for €5 million, could be sold in January for a profit to bring in a stronger left-back in the style of Moreira. "Rensch is a little player who can fit in Roma's squad, but he'll hardly become a new Gosens, a new Zappacosta or a new Wesley," Casano said. "You bought him at a good price and you can make a profit—maybe in January you can sell him and get a stronger player to improve in that area of the pitch." David Rossi noted that Roma's last league defeat came in April when they lost to Inter at San Siro, despite playing a strong first half. He questioned whether Roma are genuinely weaker than Como or whether the psychological pressure of the fixture is one-sided. Gianluca Piacentini acknowledged Como's strength—demonstrating a solid project over the past season and a half—but emphasised that Roma are equally capable, with both teams among the three strongest in the league. Fabio Petruzzi said Roma and Como have shown significant growth over the last 18 months and play the best football in Italy, even better than Inter, though Inter's superior squad makes them favourites. Piero Torri predicted De Roon will start against Como, saying "he seems made specifically to play with Gasperini." Torri noted Lorenzo Pellegrini could play as a midfielder but has never featured in that role under Gasperini and hasn't played a match since April, making an immediate start unlikely. Torri stated: "I'll be called mad, but for me the Como match is harder than the Real Madrid one." Marco Valerio Corsi reported that Bryan Cristante appears to have a lateral knee ligament problem and will miss both Como and Real Madrid, with the length of the absence still unclear. Roberto Pruzzo called De Roon "a proven reliable player" and "a solid used buy," saying he cannot be ignored as an option despite potential fitness concerns over a run of ten consecutive matches. Nando Orsi said De Roon will "challenge the titularity of one of the two sacred monsters of midfield" if he is physically fit, having praised the signing in advance. Stephan El Shaarawy was not mentioned. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso featured prominently in defenders' debate, with Carina suggesting N'Dicka was sidelined too easily and forming the best back three with Balerdi and Hermoso. Pruzzo still favoured Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso as the core defensive line, while Mattioli predicted Balerdi will become immovable once fully integrated into Italian football and Roma's system.

Gianluca Mancini has been selected for Italy's Nations League finale against Turkey this evening, with the Roma defender set to feature before returning to Trigoria and rejoining Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. Daniele Ghilardi, meanwhile, has been excluded from the national team setup and did not feature in any of the four matches during this international window. The headline news from the squad announcement centres on Samuele Inacio, a Borussia Dortmund midfielder born in 2008, who has the opportunity to earn his senior debut for Italy at just 18 years old. Ricci and Mandragora remain absent, while Romano, the Cagliari midfielder who missed the previous fixture in Paris, returns to the 23-man group. Romano is competing with Fagioli for a starting berth. For Roma's perspective, the focus rests on Mancini's possible involvement in what will be the final match before the international break ends and domestic action resumes.

Roma's defensive record has become one of the Serie A's most impressive assets under Gian Piero Gasperini, continuing the momentum built in the previous season. The team has conceded just 5 goals in the opening 6 matches of the 2026-27 campaign, averaging 0.83 per game—a rate that mirrors the defensive solidity of last season, when Roma finished with the second-best defence in the league after shipping 31 goals across the campaign. The strength lies not in defensive caution but in an aggressive approach to ball recovery. Roma leads Serie A in regains on the attacking third, averaging 11.8 balls won per match in the final third of the pitch. This high pressing directly feeds the attack: the side has created 17 shots directly from possession won in advanced areas. Mile Svilar has anchored a centre-back unit that Gasperini can rotate among six centrals of comparable quality—a tactical advantage as Roma juggle domestic and European fixtures. Ahead of the trip to Como, international commitments will shape team selection. Evan N'Dicka is primed for a starting berth at centre-back after representing Ivory Coast, expected back at Roma's training ground Trigoria on Tuesday and able to complete a full week under Gasperini's staff. Leonardo Balerdi will not arrive until Thursday following Argentina's South American duties, limiting his availability. Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has managed only 22 minutes of action so far, stands to gain further opportunity as the congested fixture schedule develops across the coming weeks.

Gian Piero Gasperini has praised Roma's defensive unit as a group of "gladiators", a characterization that reflects the rearguard's emergence as one of Serie A's strongest this season. After five matches, Roma's defence ranks among the league's best, a position earned through sustained excellence rather than a single run of form. Roma's back line finished last season in second place defensively, conceding 31 goals across the campaign—an average of 0.82 per match—behind only Como, who managed 29. Como, however, has since conceded six goals in five matches this season, underlining the durability of Roma's defensive structure. The strength of the unit rests on both tactical discipline and personnel. Roma's high pressing game, played man-to-man across the pitch, generates consistent pressure. The four central defenders—Evan N'Dicka, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi and Mario Hermoso—represent an exceptional collection; no other Serie A club, including defending champions Inter, can match that calibre at centre-back. Supporting them is goalkeeper Mile Svilar. The defensive setup is further bolstered by fullbacks Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, creating a unit built to sustain both offensive recovery and positional solidity.

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."