Gasperini backs Castro as a starter in Roma's Champions League project

Gian Piero Gasperini outlined one of his key ambitions for the season as Roma prepare to travel to Como on Sunday. The head coach said: "I feel their confidence, but I want to bring the Friedkin Group closer to Rome. Bringing greater presence with the centenary and the new stadium in mind is an objective of mine." Roma will return to their Trigoria base from Tuesday as players rejoin from international duty, ahead of the Como fixture and a demanding stretch of nine matches in 27 days. Gasperini also addressed the fitness of Bryan Cristante, who continues his recovery from injury. "Cristante is recovering but it will take time," the coach said. On Manu Koné, who did not leave the club during the transfer window, Gasperini explained: "For Koné there were no suitable timings." The coach also paid tribute to José Mourinho, describing him as "a special person." In a lighter moment with Como manager Cesc Fabregas, the two coaches discussed pressing tactics using a Subbuteo table football set, with Gasperini joking: "He beat me here, but on Sunday..."

Italy's Under-21 side secured qualification for the 2027 European Championship with a 6–2 demolition of Poland at the Stadio Adriatico in Pescara. The emphatic victory saw the Azzurrini overtake Poland at the top of their qualifying group on goal difference in a decisive head-to-head encounter. Niccolò Pisilli started in midfield for Italy and played the full 90 minutes, continuing his run of regular selection at Under-21 level. Fellow Roma player Emanuele Lulli remained on the bench throughout. Ndour scored twice in Italy's commanding performance, with additional goals from Koleosho, Lipani, Fini and former Roma forward Cherubini. Manager Baldini's side demonstrated overwhelming attacking prowess to seal their place at the 2027 tournament.

Donyell Malen spent a scheduled rest day exploring Rome as a tourist, visiting the Vatican Museums with his wife Delisha. The Dutch forward shared a selfie from the Stanza della Segnatura, the room decorated by Raffaello Sanzio. Malen has been at Roma since January, when he arrived from Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund, and has quickly won over the Giallorossi supporters despite appearing to have played for the club for years. During the current international break, Malen declined a call-up to the Netherlands squad due to knee discomfort. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini granted the forward a rest day before training resumed at Trigoria on 6 October. Malen is expected to return to the attack for the trip to Como on 11 October.

Matías Soulé made his Argentina debut at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, marking a milestone he has long pursued. The Roma winger came on in the second half in a 7–0 friendly victory over Burkina Faso against Nico Paz, and celebrated the achievement through a social media post: "A dream I've had since childhood has come true today. Making my debut for the National Team is something I will carry in my heart forever. So much effort, sacrifice and people who have walked with me every step of the way. Thanks to God, my family and everyone who was part of this journey. It is an enormous pride to represent my country." Soulé added a forward-looking note: "The start of a dream that still has a long way to go." Santiago Castro, another Roma player, also earned his Argentina debut in the same fixture. Both represented the Albiceleste for the first time on 5 October 2026.

AS Roma are planning to establish an Under 23 side to compete in Serie C, following the model adopted by Juventus, Atalanta, Milan and Inter. Chief executive John Galantic announced the project at the Festival dello Sport, emphasising the need to build a bridge between the youth academy and the first team and reduce the discontinuity that often hinders the transition from Primavera to professional football. Galantic said: "We don't live by sales alone, we need more Lullis and more Pisillis, we must focus on youth development," and indicated potential strategic partnerships with Cannes, another club owned by the Friedkin family. The initiative aims to develop homegrown talent and prevent young prospects from leaving the club. The project hinges on two critical elements the club will address in coming months. The first concerns the stadium that will host the second team's home matches. The Tre Fontane currently lacks the structural requirements for Serie C football, and Roma are evaluating whether renovation is feasible. The alternative under consideration is the Stella Polare stadium in Ostia, home to Ostiamare, managed by Daniele De Rossi. The second element is financial sustainability: the initial investment is estimated at €20 million, with approximately €3 million annually required for operational costs including wages, travel, logistics and registration fees. The UEFA classifies spending on second teams and youth sectors as "virtuous" investments, providing direct benefits to the club's balance sheet under Financial Fair Play regulations. The Under 23 project reflects Roma's established commitment to youth development, evident in recent transfer activity. The club has recruited Rodrigo Mora (19), Konstantinos Koulierakis (22), a player named Vaz (19) and Santiago Castro (21). This direction will continue in the winter window, with the club monitoring prospects including Endrick, Kvernadze, Van Bommel and Bakola. Recent encouragement has come from Matías Soulé and Castro earning senior debuts for Argentina.

Matías Soulé has made his Argentina debut against Burkina Faso, with Santiago Castro also appearing for the national team in the second half of the same match. The pair are among a number of Roma players currently away on international duty and due to return to Trigoria over the coming days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will see his squad reassemble gradually. Evan N'Dicka, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Giorgio De Marzi are arriving on the morning of 6 October, while Gianluca Mancini, Daniele Ghilardi, Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli will return this evening after commitments with Turkey and Poland respectively, at Bologna and Pescara. Manu Koné is expected on the afternoon of 6 October and will rejoin full training on 9 October. Rodrigo Mora, currently with Portugal's Under-21 side, has his final fixture on the evening of 6 October and will report back on 9 October. The trio of South American players—Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Castro—will not return until the morning of 7 October after their transatlantic journey. Training resumes on 6 October.

Donyell Malen spent a scheduled rest day exploring Rome as a tourist, visiting the Vatican Museums with his wife Delisha. The Dutch forward shared a selfie from the Stanza della Segnatura, the room decorated by Raffaello Sanzio. Malen has been at Roma since January, when he arrived from Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund, and has quickly won over the Giallorossi supporters despite appearing to have played for the club for years. During the current international break, Malen declined a call-up to the Netherlands squad due to knee discomfort. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini granted the forward a rest day before training resumed at Trigoria on 6 October. Malen is expected to return to the attack for the trip to Como on 11 October.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to Sky Sport from his wine estate in Asti, addressing Roma's upcoming fixtures against Como and Real Madrid after the international break. The head coach discussed the club's ownership, the fitness of his squad, and the decision to retain Manu Koné in the summer transfer window. Gasperini outlined his relationship with the Friedkin Group, saying: "A relationship different to the one I had with Percassi, which was present daily and went beyond work. With the Friedkin it doesn't happen, but I always feel their trust and support from a distance. They come little to Rome, but they put Galantic here who now acts as close liaison between Roma and them. My objective is to manage to involve them much more, but not so much for me as for them themselves and for the fans. Bringing greater presence in view of the centenary and the new stadium is an objective of mine." On José Mourinho, Gasperini said: "He is a special person, and people like that achieve success beyond what happens on the pitch. Here he won a Conference and played a final; in the league perhaps he did less, but he is someone who was appreciated by the supporters and that means he really has something special." Gasperini explained the squad's unusual break during the international pause, noting the team had reduced numbers and could not play friendlies, so "we decided to give continuity the first week. Then we took days of rest like today." On Bryan Cristante's injury, he said: "Cristante has a collateral ligament problem, he is recovering but it will take time. I'm not sure if he will miss both Como and Real but we won't risk anything since there are now many matches and we want him at his best." He praised Matías Soulé's form, noting Soulé "did something extraordinary in the first half last season then was held back by a groin injury. He recovered and when he arrived at the pre-season camp he was overweight but now he is playing at a high level. He debuted with Argentina and that for me is always a reward for the whole squad." Gasperini also confirmed that Malen is fit and Dybala is training as he has since early July. On Koné specifically, Gasperini stated: "He couldn't be replaced in so little time. There was nothing feasible. The market lasted long and making a sale at the last moment was impossible even for the timing. These transfers then require the entry of so many people. Personally I'm happy it went this way; he will have the chance, as he is already doing, to increase his value further." The coach declined to commit to signing a striker in January, saying: "It's not easy; strikers are always expensive and are sought by many. We have a good department; that role is lacking but it's not like we're playing with ten."

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has decisions to make ahead of the trip to Como, with injuries and international commitments affecting selection in midfield and defence. Matías Soulé, who has been with Argentina, is expected back at Trigoria only on Thursday, opening the door for either Lorenzo Pellegrini or Rodrigo Mora to start alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in the attacking midfield role. Pellegrini, who has not played since 10 April, is fully fit and ready to return; a start would mark his 350th appearance for Roma. Mora, meanwhile, is currently with the Portugal U21 side and is chasing continuity after scoring an overhead kick against Gibraltar. Gasperini has built a significant strength on Roma's flanks this season—a reversal of last season's problems. The club's wingers have created 24 goal-scoring chances so far: 13 from Wesley, 7 from Nahuel Molina and 4 from Emanuele Lulli, a tally that places Roma second only to Inter. The coach is expected to field Molina on the right and Wesley on the left at Como, with the Brazilian given a more attacking brief and the Argentine tasked with greater defensive responsibility, though Gasperini has signalled he does not regard the flanks as fixed assignments and may shuffle them during the match. Defence has also emerged as a major weapon. Gasperini described Roma's back line as a "difesa di gladiatori" (defence of gladiators), and the numbers back that assessment. Roma lead Serie A with 5.8 recoveries per match in the attacking third and 141 regained possessions in the central areas, generating 17 shots from high-pressure recoveries. The coach has several defensive options in Evan N'Dicka, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Mario Hermoso, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis. N'Dicka could return to the starting line-up at Como in place of Balerdi, who is still with Argentina and due back at Trigoria later. Gasperini's defensive philosophy is encapsulated in one of his favourite sayings: "Si difende in 11, si attacca in 11"—defence involves all eleven, as does attack.

Robinio Vaz has had limited playing time since joining Hull City on loan in August, with only eight minutes against Chelsea and twelve against Newcastle to his name so far this season, plus a subdued showing in the Curaçao Cup. The French midfielder has moved between benches at Marseille, Roma and now Hull City, where he arrived on a temporary deal with a buyout option. Vaz joined Roma in January on a €22 million transfer at the behest of Massara, but failed to win over head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who opted to send him out on loan rather than allow his valuation to diminish further. The club structured the deal as a €2 million loan fee coupled with a €30 million buyout clause for Hull City, which carries no performance or appearance conditions—it depends solely on the English club's judgment of the player. Despite injuries to Hull's Gelhardt and Ansah, Vaz has not broken into their starting hierarchy. The arrangement came at a time when Vaz also faced racist abuse on social media, prompting Hull City to issue a statement in his defence. The hope now, whether or not the buyout is triggered, is that the midfielder finds regular football in England and can rebuild his career after a difficult spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

AS Roma are planning to establish an Under 23 side to compete in Serie C, following the model adopted by Juventus, Atalanta, Milan and Inter. Chief executive John Galantic announced the project at the Festival dello Sport, emphasising the need to build a bridge between the youth academy and the first team and reduce the discontinuity that often hinders the transition from Primavera to professional football. Galantic said: "We don't live by sales alone, we need more Lullis and more Pisillis, we must focus on youth development," and indicated potential strategic partnerships with Cannes, another club owned by the Friedkin family. The initiative aims to develop homegrown talent and prevent young prospects from leaving the club. The project hinges on two critical elements the club will address in coming months. The first concerns the stadium that will host the second team's home matches. The Tre Fontane currently lacks the structural requirements for Serie C football, and Roma are evaluating whether renovation is feasible. The alternative under consideration is the Stella Polare stadium in Ostia, home to Ostiamare, managed by Daniele De Rossi. The second element is financial sustainability: the initial investment is estimated at €20 million, with approximately €3 million annually required for operational costs including wages, travel, logistics and registration fees. The UEFA classifies spending on second teams and youth sectors as "virtuous" investments, providing direct benefits to the club's balance sheet under Financial Fair Play regulations. The Under 23 project reflects Roma's established commitment to youth development, evident in recent transfer activity. The club has recruited Rodrigo Mora (19), Konstantinos Koulierakis (22), a player named Vaz (19) and Santiago Castro (21). This direction will continue in the winter window, with the club monitoring prospects including Endrick, Kvernadze, Van Bommel and Bakola. Recent encouragement has come from Matías Soulé and Castro earning senior debuts for Argentina.

Roma's Under-23 side is no longer a concept. Following John Galantic's announcement at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, the Friedkin Group is developing the intermediate step between the Primavera and first team that currently does not exist, matching the structure already in place at Juventus, Atalanta, Milan and Inter. Galantic said: "We need more Lulli and more Pisilli, we must invest in the youth academy. And then we need a growth stage between Primavera and first team. So we need an Under-23 side." The project aims to prevent the academy's best products from being sold or loaned out during the most sensitive phase of their development, while also incorporating possible synergies with Cannes. Two major obstacles remain. The first is the stadium: Tre Fontane does not currently meet all necessary requirements, and Roma is evaluating a renovation. The alternative is Stadio Stella Polare, the ground used by Ostiamare. The second concerns the cost of the operation. The total investment needed is estimated at around 20 million euros, with annual running costs between 2.5 and 3.5 million euros for salaries, staff, travel and logistics. Serie C admission requires a non-repayable contribution of 720,000 euros, provided a place becomes available in the league. While significant, this investment aligns with the club's sustainability strategy and is viewed favourably under UEFA financial rules. The Under-23 would allow Roma to manage directly the development of young players, filling the gap that often emerges when a player outgrows the Primavera but is not yet ready for regular Serie A football. The club's philosophy reflects this commitment: forming more players at Trigoria, guiding them toward professional football, and making the academy a structural component of the sporting and economic project. This approach is evident in recent recruitment, with signings including Rodrigo Mora, Koulierakis, Vaz and Santiago Castro, all with significant development potential.