Gasperini hails Mora as extraordinary talent, signals need for further reinforcements ahead of Champions League

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's mentality and attacking prowess after a 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on 24 August, singling out Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen as world-class talent and calling for further recruitment to strengthen the squad for a demanding fixture schedule. Speaking to DAZN, Gasperini said: "The mentality of this group. These boys have recommenced as it was last season. We carry more knowledge. Their attitude in the match and in training is extraordinary. There are players who have done everything to play at Roma or remain: Dybala, Pellegrini, also Mora with his agent. They feel the beauty of this environment." Gasperini highlighted Dybala's physical condition at 32 years old as crucial to the club's ambitions. "Absolutely yes. He is a boy who at 32 is in the fullness of maturity. He may have less speed, but not much, and less force in the shot. He is among the very first in our league, if not the first." He noted that Dybala suffered misfortune last season with injuries from a penalty kick and a free kick that cost him a meniscus, but has made an "absolute level" preparation and is now more resilient. Gasperini withdrew him during the match because other important players were available, "but he can play even extra time." On the Dybala-Malen partnership, Gasperini declared: "They are of European level, therefore World level. Dybala has always been so, he only had too many injuries. This one is a beast: anything but silk muscles as someone said. He can even play extra time. Malen is extraordinary, but it is not by chance: he feels appreciated and strong, he is a leader on the pitch and can grow further still." Gasperini stressed that Roma's recruitment remains incomplete despite the convincing display. "We are not done. If you look at the calendar after the international break there is something to shudder at. It is absolutely necessary to have some numbers more, not too many, to face the season with the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia. With this risk we know there is the risk of losing players in the same period." He praised recent arrivals Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro, and Rodrigo Mora for fitting into the team's structure, noting that the group has a foundation built over the past year and new arrivals are functional. He also commended the new Serie A rule extending effective playing time, saying: "Beautiful, fantastic. I like it very much. The public is advantaged this way: before it saw matches of deadly boredom, with the goalkeeper touching more balls than everyone else. These are excellent rules: no one now stays on the ground more. They were thought out very well, the public wants to see play and not waste time."

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's performance in their opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico, singling out Rodrigo Mora and Paulo Dybala as central to the club's ambitions. On Mora, the 19-year-old who has already completed two league seasons and scored ten goals two years ago, Gasperini said: "We are faced with an extraordinary talent. Even with a slight physical dip, which is normal, every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. He is resilient, has athletic values of a high level. He can play on the right and left. He has football, real talent. There is work to do with him too, of course—he has been here for a week. He will give us great satisfaction." The coach credited the group's mentality as the match's most pleasing aspect, emphasizing that players including Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini had made clear efforts to join or remain at Roma. On Dybala's role, Gasperini was emphatic: "Absolutely yes, he is the key to aiming high." At 32 years old, Dybala is "in the fullness of maturity," according to Gasperini, who noted that while the Argentine may have lost some speed and shooting power, "he is among the very best in our league, if not the best." Last season proved cruel: Dybala suffered meniscus damage from a penalty kick and a separate injury from a free kick, but his pre-season preparation has been exceptional. "He doesn't have silk muscles; he is ever more resilient," Gasperini said. "I substituted him because we have other important players, but he can play even extra time." Gasperini outlined his wider perspective on the squad's readiness. "The dimension of ourselves I am very happy with; this is an extraordinary group that finds motivation and quality too. The base is that—quality has come in, and now we start further ahead because we know each other better. The new arrivals are functional, which is very important," he explained. On deploying Mora immediately, Gasperini noted Roma's advantage from having accumulated a full season of matches, allowing them to play in multiple formations. Regarding Manu Koné's performance, Gasperini acknowledged pushing the midfielder: "He made it to the end of the World Cup, and there is a disparity in condition between those who played the World Cup and those who didn't. Tonight he went beyond and was in lactic acid at the end—he needs to train and regain fitness." Donyell Malen also drew praise, with Gasperini describing him as "extraordinary" and noting that the winger has found the right environment at Roma where he feels strong and appreciated. On his squad's Champions League calibre, Gasperini stressed that finding the right setting matters: "Probably he has found the right environment," he said of Malen. The manager expressed satisfaction with the squad's collective progress and the functionality of new arrivals as Roma look to build on their opening-day result.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised Rodrigo Mora as a talent of exceptional potential following Roma's first-day Serie A match against Fiorentina. The 19-year-old, who arrived from Porto after winning the Scudetto, showed personality and physicality in his appearance, entering the squad only a week before the fixture. Gasperini said: "We are in front of an extraordinary talent. He is 19 years old and has already won the Scudetto with Porto. He certainly has room for evolution but he has personality and showed it tonight. Every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. For the characteristics he has he is resilient and has athletic values at a high level. A versatile player who can play anywhere across the front and has football as a talent. There is work to do on all aspects, he has been here a week but will give us great satisfaction." Gasperini centred his post-match assessment on the squad's mentality and commitment. He highlighted the continuity from last season, noting that players including Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso had driven to remain at Roma, while new arrivals including Mora and others "did everything to come to Roma". The coach stressed the strength of the environment: "I feel strongly the desire and the beauty of this setting, where they want to express themselves." On Dybala's form at 32 years old, Gasperini was emphatic: "Absolutely yes, he is a boy who at 32 is in the full maturity both physical and technical. He may have a bit less speed but not that much less. He has a bit less power in his shot, but even today he is among the very first in our championship, if not the first. He is well, he plays. Last year he was very unfortunate, he had two injuries one kicking a penalty and one a free kick. This time he did a preparation as perhaps he had never done in recent years, proof that he is increasingly resilient. At the end I took him off but he can play even extra time and is always one of the freshest." On the squad more broadly, Gasperini noted that new signings including Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro and Mora were positioned correctly: "We have not yet completed, rather numerically we need to play three competitions. If you look at the calendar after the break there is reason to shudder, so we necessarily need to have some extra numbers to tackle the season." Gasperini acknowledged Roma's tactical flexibility and praised Donyell Malen as a world-class operator who feels valued in the environment and is "a leader on the pitch". He added that Manu Koné, who featured in the Fiorentina match, had been pushed slightly given his recent return from World Cup duty and is recovering his best condition. On the increased effective playing time implemented in the fixture, Gasperini supported the new rule: "It benefits the public, who no longer has to watch the goalkeeper wasting time holding the ball. Now nobody makes a scene anymore. These are very well thought-out rules: people want to see the game, not players wasting time."

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Roma faced Fiorentina at the Olimpico on 24 August 2026 in a Serie A match. Rodrigo Mora impressed on debut, earning praise from the ratings panel, while Radu Dragusin struggled with positioning and awareness throughout the encounter. The match saw mixed individual performances across the Roma squad, with standout contributions offset by defensive vulnerabilities. Mora's positive impact suggested a promising start for the new arrival, though Roma's backline will need to tighten significantly to compete at the highest level this season.

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Bryan Cristante was interviewed after Roma's opening match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August. The midfielder said the team had put in a strong performance from the start and credited the squad's preparation during pre-season for their readiness. "We're in good shape, we had a good pre-season with all our efforts. If we carry on with performances like this it's very good. We're more ready because the squad is the same one. We're more prepared for the workload and the manager's demands, so we started with an extra gear," Cristante said. Cristante highlighted the impact of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, saying they "make the difference when they're in good form." He noted that Dybala has been making a difference in Italian football for years, while Malen scored immediately in January. Cristante also praised a player referred to as "Lulli", describing it as "a great performance" and saying he "can give us a hand." On the team's defensive solidity, Cristante reflected: "We've always done great training sessions, but in pre-season the workload takes its toll. However, the staff always get us ready when matches that count begin." The midfielder also reflected on his personal milestone, saying he was entering Roma's top ten for players with the most appearances for the club. "It's an incredible club and city. I'm honoured to enter the top ten. I hope to make as many appearances as possible and continue to win with performances like this," he said. On the team's ambitions, Cristante added: "Yes, we want to do better. We're starting from a more consolidated base: we're the same group. We're starting with an extra gear, but the season is long. Starting well is important, we want to improve on last year's result."

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's mentality and attacking prowess after a 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on 24 August, singling out Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen as world-class talent and calling for further recruitment to strengthen the squad for a demanding fixture schedule. Speaking to DAZN, Gasperini said: "The mentality of this group. These boys have recommenced as it was last season. We carry more knowledge. Their attitude in the match and in training is extraordinary. There are players who have done everything to play at Roma or remain: Dybala, Pellegrini, also Mora with his agent. They feel the beauty of this environment." Gasperini highlighted Dybala's physical condition at 32 years old as crucial to the club's ambitions. "Absolutely yes. He is a boy who at 32 is in the fullness of maturity. He may have less speed, but not much, and less force in the shot. He is among the very first in our league, if not the first." He noted that Dybala suffered misfortune last season with injuries from a penalty kick and a free kick that cost him a meniscus, but has made an "absolute level" preparation and is now more resilient. Gasperini withdrew him during the match because other important players were available, "but he can play even extra time." On the Dybala-Malen partnership, Gasperini declared: "They are of European level, therefore World level. Dybala has always been so, he only had too many injuries. This one is a beast: anything but silk muscles as someone said. He can even play extra time. Malen is extraordinary, but it is not by chance: he feels appreciated and strong, he is a leader on the pitch and can grow further still." Gasperini stressed that Roma's recruitment remains incomplete despite the convincing display. "We are not done. If you look at the calendar after the international break there is something to shudder at. It is absolutely necessary to have some numbers more, not too many, to face the season with the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia. With this risk we know there is the risk of losing players in the same period." He praised recent arrivals Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro, and Rodrigo Mora for fitting into the team's structure, noting that the group has a foundation built over the past year and new arrivals are functional. He also commended the new Serie A rule extending effective playing time, saying: "Beautiful, fantastic. I like it very much. The public is advantaged this way: before it saw matches of deadly boredom, with the goalkeeper touching more balls than everyone else. These are excellent rules: no one now stays on the ground more. They were thought out very well, the public wants to see play and not waste time."

Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala spoke to DAZN after Roma's latest fixture, with the pair highlighting their early understanding on the pitch. In seven matches together, Malen has scored six goals and Dybala has provided six assists. When asked about reports that Gasperini said he returned sad from the World Cup, Malen responded: "I'm happy to be back, what's done is done. Now we've started again and I felt the energy of the stadium." Asked about matching his tally of 14 goals in half a season last year, Malen said: "I don't want to give numbers. I have to create goal-scoring chances, then we'll see." Dybala offered effusive praise for his young teammate. "We're facing an extraordinary talent," Dybala told DAZN. "At 19 he's already completed two campaigns, winning as well. Two years ago he scored 10 goals. He's a boy in evolution, also in the personality with which he played tonight. He's had a bit of physical decline too, which is normal. Every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. He's resilient, he has elite athletic values. He can play on the right and left. He has football, real talent. There's work to do with him too, clearly—it's been a week he's been here. He'll give us great satisfaction." On the group's mentality, Dybala said: "The attitude of these boys is extraordinary. They've started again as they did last season. We carry more knowledge with us. Their attitude in matches and training is extraordinary. There are players who've done everything to play for Roma or stay: Dybala, Pellegrini, also Mora with his agent. They feel the beauty of this environment." Gasperini stressed Dybala's physical condition is key, noting: "At 32 he's in the fullness of maturity. He may have less speed, not much, and less shooting power. He's among the very first in our league, if not the first. Last year he was very unlucky. He had an injury kicking a penalty and one on a free kick. It cost him a meniscus, the penalty. But he's done absolute-level preparation. He's not made of silk, he's increasingly resilient. I took him off because we have other important players but he can play extra time too." Gasperini acknowledged Roma's squad remains incomplete despite the strong performance. "We've put the right players in the right places this year, like Koulierakis and Molina, who has an important past, Castro, Mora. But we haven't completed," he said. "If you look at the calendar after the international break there's reason to shiver. It's absolutely necessary to have some additional numbers, not too many, to face the season with the league, Champions and Coppa Italia. Knowing this risk, we know there's the risk of losing players in the same period."

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's performance in their opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico, singling out Rodrigo Mora and Paulo Dybala as central to the club's ambitions. On Mora, the 19-year-old who has already completed two league seasons and scored ten goals two years ago, Gasperini said: "We are faced with an extraordinary talent. Even with a slight physical dip, which is normal, every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. He is resilient, has athletic values of a high level. He can play on the right and left. He has football, real talent. There is work to do with him too, of course—he has been here for a week. He will give us great satisfaction." The coach credited the group's mentality as the match's most pleasing aspect, emphasizing that players including Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini had made clear efforts to join or remain at Roma. On Dybala's role, Gasperini was emphatic: "Absolutely yes, he is the key to aiming high." At 32 years old, Dybala is "in the fullness of maturity," according to Gasperini, who noted that while the Argentine may have lost some speed and shooting power, "he is among the very best in our league, if not the best." Last season proved cruel: Dybala suffered meniscus damage from a penalty kick and a separate injury from a free kick, but his pre-season preparation has been exceptional. "He doesn't have silk muscles; he is ever more resilient," Gasperini said. "I substituted him because we have other important players, but he can play even extra time." Gasperini outlined his wider perspective on the squad's readiness. "The dimension of ourselves I am very happy with; this is an extraordinary group that finds motivation and quality too. The base is that—quality has come in, and now we start further ahead because we know each other better. The new arrivals are functional, which is very important," he explained. On deploying Mora immediately, Gasperini noted Roma's advantage from having accumulated a full season of matches, allowing them to play in multiple formations. Regarding Manu Koné's performance, Gasperini acknowledged pushing the midfielder: "He made it to the end of the World Cup, and there is a disparity in condition between those who played the World Cup and those who didn't. Tonight he went beyond and was in lactic acid at the end—he needs to train and regain fitness." Donyell Malen also drew praise, with Gasperini describing him as "extraordinary" and noting that the winger has found the right environment at Roma where he feels strong and appreciated. On his squad's Champions League calibre, Gasperini stressed that finding the right setting matters: "Probably he has found the right environment," he said of Malen. The manager expressed satisfaction with the squad's collective progress and the functionality of new arrivals as Roma look to build on their opening-day result.