Hermoso to join Gasperini at press conference; Impallomeni: Roma can compete in Champions League

Giuseppe Cruciani, a Lazio-supporting radio broadcaster and host of the programme La Zanzara, has expressed serious concern about Roma's prospects under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking on the podcast Numer1 alongside Ivan Zazzaroni and Sandro Sabatini, Cruciani openly admitted his fear of seeing Roma go all the way in the Serie A title race. He said: "I have a terror of the Circus Maximus and that Roma win the title. The reality is only one, and it is a reality that destroys me. I have not been saying this since today: I have been saying it since the construction of the market, from the fact that Gasperini has everything in hand and that the club is following a straight, sure and coherent path, which is that of putting everything in Gasperini's hands." Cruciani highlighted Roma's level of performance in the first three matches of the season. He stated: "Roma is a notch above, at least in these first three matches, both Juventus and Milan. I read a statistic and I believe that Roma in three matches has taken 70 shots on goal, of which I don't know how many inside the penalty box. I see a situation where they could really win every match." Cruciani also recounted his experience following Roma's comeback victory against Atalanta. He explained: "I was in a restaurant and following the result on one of those websites where updates appear. At a certain point I see that 0–1 was holding, but I was not watching the match and so I did not realise the dominance. I thought: 'At most they draw.' Then I get up, go into the other room where there was a screen and I see four chances in stoppage time."

José Mourinho has identified Roma as the sole Italian side capable of challenging Inter's dominance after his Real Madrid beat Inter 2–1 on the opening day of the Champions League. Speaking in the post-match press conference at the Bernabéu, Mourinho offered substantial praise for both clubs, positioning the Nerazzurri as Italy's standout force while reserving a notable compliment for the Giallorossi. "Inter is a top team and by far the best team in Italy. I only see Roma with the legs to be able to stay close to them," Mourinho said. He elaborated on Inter's credentials: "It is a team that is dominating in Italy and has played two Champions League finals in the last four or five years. It has an extraordinary squad, the ambition to win the Champions League, and a very good coach who creates empathy with the players. It is a perfect team to do great things." The comments represent a significant endorsement of Roma as Italy's second force, with Mourinho viewing them as the only formidable Italian outfit positioned to mount a sustained challenge to the league leaders. Mourinho will face his former club Roma in European competition, a prospect he addressed with evident emotion. "I cannot hide it: with Roma in Rome is the first time I am returning. I will be emotional before and after, but not during," he told Sky Sport after the match.

Radio pundits across Rome's airwaves offered their verdicts on Gasperini's Roma ahead of the new season. The debate centred on Francesco Totti's absence from the club's plans, with Ugo Trani claiming the former captain was let down by both the national team and Roma itself. Trani defended Totti's character and noted that Gasperini alone had given his approval to a return: "Gasperini was also the only one to go to dinner with him and, as he has stressed, is a free man: he does what he wants, without anyone being able to tell him what to do." Francesco Balzani observed that Totti appeared hurt by how things unfolded at Roma, having waited for a call that never came. Looking ahead to the squad's composition, Balzani predicted Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné would start in Turkey, with Rodrigo Mora also featuring behind Dybala and Donyell Malen. Roberto Pruzzo praised the bond between squad and coach: "The team and manager have formed a working group that functions very well, this is a positive signal. This year Gasperini also has quality substitutes; now we'll see what happens with congested fixture schedules." Nando Orsi took the boldest stance on Roma's ambitions this season: "Gasperini knows how to manage multiple competitions. Roma will fight for the Scudetto; it is a squad that can take advantage of stumbles by Inter and Napoli. The Champions League is a fine reality, but the objective must be to win the league."

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Roma face Fenerbahçe on 10 September in their first Champions League match in seven years, with the squad departing Rome's Fiumicino airport at 12:00 today. Mario Hermoso will be the first player to speak alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at a press conference from the Chobani Stadium after the team lands in Turkey. Following the media commitments, Gasperini will oversee a training session at around 18:30 before the Champions League fixture.

Roma defeated Atalanta 2–1 on matchday three of Serie A, with goals from Matías Soulé and Mario Hermoso securing the win in the closing stages. Following the fixture, the Lega Serie A announced disciplinary decisions from the Match Commissioner. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has received his first sanction. Roma were also fined €2,000 by the Match Commissioner "for objective responsibility, having unjustifiably caused a delay of approximately one minute to the start of the first half."

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Roma begin their Champions League group stage with a trip to Fenerbahce in Istanbul—a match that reunites them with Mason Greenwood, the English forward Gian Piero Gasperini pursued at length as a key target to elevate the squad before negotiations dragged on and allowed Fenerbahce to complete the signing. The fixture carries immediate weight in Roma's European campaign. With Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and a visit to Old Trafford looming in the group, Gasperini has signalled a tightly controlled approach to rotation: the need to gather points early is paramount given the calibre of opponents ahead. Gasperini's selection plan centres on defensive and midfield adjustments. Nahuel Molina will replace Lulli in defence, while in the attacking midfield role the coach favours deploying a central playmaker against a four-man defensive line. This calculation means Rodrigo Mora holds the edge over Matías Soulé in the battle for that berth. Mora has recently been named by the New York Times as one of ten Champions League debutants to watch this season. Approximately 2,300 Roma supporters will travel from the capital to back the team at the Turkish ground. A notable detail of the evening concerns the match kit: under local regulations that prohibit branding linked to gambling, the Eurobet.live logo will be absent from the shirt and will be temporarily replaced by the branding of a charitable organisation.

Roma will line up against Fenerbahce on 10 September using the tactical system Gian Piero Gasperini has favoured since pre-season: a central playmaker operating behind two mobile strikers, rather than two wide attacking midfielders. The formation is designed specifically to disrupt Fenerbahce's build-up play. Ismail Kartal's side typically deploy a 4-2-3-1, which leaves a deep-lying regulator vulnerable in the opening phase; Roma aim to press that regulator and rapidly flood the opposition half once possession is won. This approach proved effective against Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta in the early league matches. The key tactical uncertainty centres on who plays as the central playmaker. Rodrigo Mora naturally favours the role, receiving the ball inside the pitch and immediately seeking a vertical pass. Matías Soulé, deployed from the same position, tends to drift right where he finds his preferred angles and space. However, after scoring decisively against Atalanta, the Argentine appears to have gained ground and could start ahead of the Portuguese midfielder. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are expected to lead the attack; Gasperini has made clear he will not "preserve" Dybala when he is fit, and Dybala is keen to return to Champions League football after a five-year absence. Malen has started the season strongly as a primary attacking reference. On the flanks, Roma are likely to employ the successful approach used against Atalanta: overloading the right to draw pressure and freeing space on the left, where Bryan Cristante launches switches to Wesley. Wesley will be asked to push high and operate almost as an extra attacker during periods of possession in the opposition half. Nahuel Molina's candidacy for the right-back slot has grown after a positive appearance against Atalanta; his international experience may see him preferred to Emanuele Lulli in the starting eleven, though Lulli has delivered solid performances. Leonardo Balerdi, who impressed on Saturday, is in contention at centre-back, though Evan N'Dicka remains the favourite. The expected base formation will see Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, N'Dicka, and Konstantinos Koulierakis in defence, with Molina and Wesley as full-backs, Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, and either Soulé or Mora supporting Dybala and Malen. Gasperini intends minimal rotation and continuity in identity: high pressure, aggressive spatial occupation, and numerous players advancing into the opposition half.