Gasperini holds summit with Friedkin Group over Totti return and Dybala renewal

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has reviewed his opening months at Roma in a question-and-answer exchange with La Gazzetta dello Sport, identifying the most emotionally significant match, the most difficult fixture and the player who most impressed him. Gasperini named Roma's league match against Verona as the most moving experience since his arrival. "I'd say the last league game against Verona, because the feeling of having reached an important milestone, with great satisfaction from the fans," he said. The reference is to Roma's qualification for the Champions League, which Gasperini regards as one of the highest points of his time at the club. When asked about the hardest match, Gasperini acknowledged that every fixture presents difficulties but singled out Roma's away game at Inter Milan last season as the moment of deepest decline: "They're all difficult. The most difficult was when Roma was at its lowest against Inter in Milan last year. But the last one we played was on another level entirely." On players who have surprised him, Gasperini chose Donyell Malen, whose goalscoring impact has exceeded even the coach's expectations. "Certainly the number of goals Malen has scored is something nobody could have imagined," Gasperini said. "The rest have all been very positive surprises." Gasperini has previously teased Malen about the possibility of approaching Gonzalo Higuaín's Serie A record of 36 goals. When asked which player he would have liked to coach during his career, Gasperini gave a single-word answer: "Messi."

Edoardo Bove spoke publicly for the first time since his medical emergency, addressing his past at Roma and his path forward during an appearance at the Festival dello Sport in Trento on 4 October. The former Roma midfielder opened up about the psychological toll of losing his career to sudden illness and his slow return to football, saying: "I have always cultivated the dream of returning to play. Football is a huge passion of mine. I wanted and want to live off this. What does it feel like to be a footballer without football? The sensation is similar to that of a great loss. For external reasons you are forced to face life differently. In this, how we react is important. We can do whatever we want. Football was everything to me in that moment. Now I have arrived at the idea that football is my greatest passion but there is also so much else." Bove's struggles followed his medical emergency during a Fiorentina-Inter match. He recalled: "The truth is I remember nothing from that moment. I woke up in hospital without remembering what happened. I found myself facing a difficulty from nowhere. I was forced to stay away from the pitch and my daily life for a while." He described how watching matches and children play initially caused him distress, leading him to turn to tennis briefly before rediscovering his commitment to football. A forthcoming documentary about his journey, he explained, became therapeutic: "It is an intimate account of my inner journey. If I gave permission for cameras to enter my private life it is to show the difficulties a young man can live through. I don't want to be a model, but it is a way to inspire people who live with difficulties and to give them the strength to look inside themselves and seek help." Bove also reflected on his Roma career and friendships forged at the club. He discussed Jannik Sinner (Cobolli), whom he met competing in tennis tournaments before both pursued football at Roma: "He didn't know how important he was to me. Watching him achieve his dreams, working—it gave me the strength to say 'I can do it too'. He left football for tennis. If you think about it, it is a rather mad choice because in tennis you have less chance of making it." Regarding Roma's finals, Bove said: "The one we won was a great emotion for the city. The one we lost was one of the darkest days of my life. I treasure the lost one more because in the Europa League I was more of a protagonist than in the Conference. The majority of changes happen in the most difficult moments. That defeat was a blow but it allowed me to grow." His Roma idols, he added, were Daniele De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan, and Andrea Pirlo. Bove credited José Mourinho with launching his career at Roma, recalling the moment Mourinho called him into his office to tell him he would be part of the first team. He described his Roma debut in their stadium as "a great emotion" despite it being empty due to the pandemic. He also named the Europa League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen as unforgettable and mentioned a derby loss as a match he would wish to replay.

Giuseppe Giannini, a Roma legend and former captain, has reflected on his enduring bond with the club and the city, speaking to Sportweek about his most vivid career memories and his status among the fanbase. The midfielder, still known as the 'Prince' by supporters who recognise him in the street, discussed how his life has changed since his playing days. 'Now it's easier to take a walk with my wife,' he said. 'As a player it was impossible to go out with her or my daughters. I lived under lock and key.' Giannini emphasised the symbolic weight of representing Roma and the capital. 'Being a Roma supporter means representing the capital,' he reflected. 'Nobody can say they don't know the capital and, consequently, AS Roma.' The midfielder's most powerful memory centres on the Olimpico stadium itself, where he spent his entire playing career. 'Every time I stepped onto the pitch at the Olimpico wearing the shirt of my beloved team, it really felt like I was touching the sky with a finger,' he said. When fans approach him today, they often exclaim: 'But you are...', and he responds with a laugh: 'Yes, it's me', to which they reply: 'You're the Prince!' Giannini also named Mario Kempes as his childhood idol, citing both his style of play and his distinctive long hair, which Giannini famously wore in the same fashion during his time at Roma.

Gian Piero Gasperini is already planning Roma's January window despite the club sitting top of the table with a functioning attack led by Dybala and Malen. Between appearances at the Trento Festival and work at Trigoria, Roma are targeting reinforcements in the attacking department, focusing on players currently struggling for minutes at their clubs. A conversation between CEO Galantic and Gasperini at the festival underscores Roma's philosophy of planning winter moves in advance. Roma's priority remains a quality wide forward, with evaluation also ongoing into a more complete profile like Oosterwolde. Four players already tracked in the summer transfer window remain in the club's sights: Gittens, Leweling, Luiz Henrique and Endrick. The common thread linking them is a shortage of regular playing time. Gittens, a Gasperini favourite, has yet to debut in the Premier League. Leweling plays only sporadic minutes at Stuttgart and was excluded from the initial squad list under new national team coach Klopp. Luiz Henrique remains blocked in Russia by bureaucratic issues that have also cost him national team call-ups. Endrick's situation is the most delicate. Mourinho secured him at Real Madrid over the summer, but the Brazilian has virtually disappeared: just four minutes across La Liga and the Champions League combined. That picture of underuse could shift as soon as November, when UEFA will make decisions on the Settlement Agreement, opening new scenarios potentially favourable to Roma heading into the winter market.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, hosted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, reflecting on his time at Roma. In an exchange on the club's social media channels, he was asked about defining moments from the previous season and fielded questions on several topics. When asked which match had moved him most since taking charge, Gasperini said: "I would say the last league match against Verona, because there was the feeling of having reached an important milestone and with great satisfaction from the supporters." On the season's most difficult encounter, Gasperini pointed to Roma's trip to Milan to face Inter last season as the period when the club's form dipped most severely. "However, the last match we played was on another level entirely," he added. The coach was also quizzed on which player had surprised him most. He highlighted Donyell Malen's goal tally as unexpected: "The number of goals from Malen was something no one could have imagined. For the rest, they have all been very positive surprises." When asked which player he had always wanted to manage but never had the chance to, Gasperini responded with humour to a question about Lionel Messi, laughing at the suggestion. The remarks came amid reports that Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina had declined to travel to Messi's farewell international event.

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."