Gasperini to face media on Tuesday as Roma prepare for Real Madrid

Roma return to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday 13 October to face Real Madrid in a fixture charged with emotion both on and off the pitch. The match marks Mourinho's return to Rome and Roma's first Champions League home game in seven years. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference at Trigoria at 13:30 on Tuesday 13 October. The team will train at 15:00, with the session open to media for the first 15 minutes. Real Madrid will conduct their morning session in Spain before arriving in Rome in the afternoon. Mourinho's press conference will take place at the Olimpico at 18:00.

Roma prepare for Sunday's 12:30 kickoff against Como at the Sinigaglia with fresh tactical notes from a recent friendly. In a training session against Sorianese, Gasperini tested Rodrigo Mora as a starter alongside Paulo Dybala, with Donyell Malen completing the attacking trio. Mora is therefore in contention for a first-minute place. Malen and Wesley completed full training and are confirmed fit to start, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro completed only recovery work and will not be deployed from the outset against Como. José Mourinho will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico as an opponent in six days when his Real Madrid face Roma in the second round of the Champions League. In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho reflected on his time in the giallorossi colours, calling the bond "unique and special". He recalled the fans' reception, the Conference League triumph and the Budapest final, while noting that the split with the ownership came after UEFA sanctions imposed in the aftermath of that match. On returning to the Olympic Stadium: "It will be different. I will have to prepare myself to enter that stadium without the passion of the Roma fans." Mourinho spoke of his relationship with former clubs and his affection for Francesco Totti. Santiago Castro spoke to TNT Sports of his emotions after his Argentina debut and witnessing Lionel Messi's final international match up close. The Roma forward explained that the group aimed to win "out of respect for the fans", stressing that with Messi "there are no friendlies". Castro said he had not fully processed the moment: "I looked at the photos all night." He emphasised the importance of daily work at Roma to ensure continued selection: "Getting to the national team is the maximum. I want always to be there, but I have to earn it." Roma had identified Endrick as an ideal attacking reinforcement, but Real Madrid appeared intent on retaining him. According to Fabrizio Romano, no final decision has been reached and the next two months will be decisive. Should the Brazilian's playing time remain low, Real could reopen the possibility of a loan in January, similar to what happened last year with a move to Lyon.

José Mourinho will return to the Olimpico as an opponent for the first time since his Roma departure, arriving on the bench of Real Madrid in a Champions League fixture within a week that will inevitably reignite memories of his connection to the club. In an interview with Ivan Zazzaroni for Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho reflected on his time in Rome and the affection of the supporters, while pinpointing the moment his relationship with the ownership definitively broke down. He spoke of the Conference League trophy Roma won during his tenure as a symbol of that era: "The other day a friend of mine, a procurer, sent me a photo of the Conference that is still at the entrance of the training ground." He also addressed the Europa League final lost to Seville, which he described as the peak of his connection with the fanbase. Mourinho stated: "They have been special with me. I always say: the day I arrived and I saw 1,000 people. I didn't understand why—I hadn't done anything yet. I didn't think I deserved it, but this is Rome and I understood that afterwards." He added: "Our relationship is special because they understood that I didn't care about my image or the relationships I could have with Italian football politics, with the press or with the ownership. I only cared about the good of Roma and the Roman fans. I fought for them, I gave everything." Regarding the Budapest final and its aftermath, Mourinho explained: "After the final, I go on holiday and when I return I am already dead for what the Uefa made me pay. What happened to Taylor at the airport is not my responsibility—what is my responsibility are the insults in the garage, and I should only pay for that." He described that moment as the breaking point with ownership: "And I paid for this in the relationship with Roma's ownership since they had a different approach. In that moment I was already out." On his departure itself, he said: "You know how much Roma's exit hurt me, but there is not a word from me against the club or the ownership. When I leave, I leave clean."