Malen, metamorfosi totale: da flop in Premier a bomber europeo con la Roma

Pierluigi Massa has been appointed to referee Roma's upcoming match against Inter, a decision that has drawn scrutiny from former referee Graziano Cesari. Roma have failed to win in ten matches in which Massa has officiated, a record that has fuelled concern among supporters. The frustration stems partly from the recent Como–Roma fixture, where Wesley was sent off in a controversial decision. Cesari, now a commentator, spoke to Sportmediaset about the appointment, calling it a "conservative" choice by Giancarlo Orsato, who made the designation. "I expected one of either Massa or Marco Guida," Cesari said. "He is an arbitrator of great experience, with excellent knowledge of the players and their characteristics. If the match becomes more intense at an agonistic level, he could face difficulty in managing it. Experience, character and clarity can certainly help him, but that too is an aspect to keep in mind."

Gianluca Mancini rejected Inter's advances this summer and signed a contract renewal with Roma despite being offered more lucrative terms elsewhere. The defender's agent Giuseppe Riso, as Corriere dello Sport reported, actively pushed for a move to Milan, where Chivu was prepared to welcome him, but Mancini showed no hesitation about remaining in the capital despite childhood admiration for Inter's side under Materazzi. Mancini chose to extend his deal on reduced financial terms. His fixed salary fell from €2.5 million in the previous season, and he accepted a structure built around performance bonuses and seasonal objectives shared with Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante. The decision reinforces Roma's commitment to players willing to align compensation with team success. The 1996-born defender now aims to increase his goal tally against Inter, where he has already scored four times. Three of those goals came in a Roma shirt, though only one has so far yielded points for his side.

Gianluca Mancini turned down Inter's advances this summer despite the Milan club offering him higher wages, choosing instead to sign a contract renewal with Roma on revised terms. His agent Giuseppe Riso pushed for the move to Inter, where Chivu was ready to welcome him, but Mancini had no doubts about staying at the capital club despite childhood fondness for Materazzi's Inter. Mancini agreed fresh terms at lower figures than his previous salary. His fixed wage dropped from €2.5 million a season ago. The new deal follows the structure accepted by Dybala, Pellegrini and Cristante: players receive a base salary plus performance bonuses tied to appearances and the squad's seasonal objectives. The renewal underscores Roma's commitment to retaining a cornerstone defender while adapting to the club's financial framework. The 1996-born defender has now set his sights on increasing his goal tally against Inter. He already has four goals to his name, three wearing Roma's shirt but only one that delivered points so far.

Gian Piero Gasperini has outlined Roma's approach after a perfect beginning to the 2026-27 season, emphasizing that while supporters are entitled to dream of the Serie A title, the club itself remains grounded in reality. Speaking to Sky Sport on 17 September, the head coach reflected on four consecutive wins and the mental benefit they bring, noting that Roma started this season in a stronger position than a year ago. "Me lo auguravo, più che aspettarmelo," he said. "D'altronde avevamo la convinzione di avere alle spalle un buon rodaggio, e una squadra che partiva avvantaggiata rispetto all'inizio della scorsa stagione: siamo insieme da più tempo, ci conosciamo meglio, tante cose le abbiamo già assimilate." On the atmosphere at the club after more than a year in the capital, Gasperini stressed the positive influence of Roma's environment. "L'ambiente influenza tantissimo. Ma come ho sempre detto, influenza in modo positivo, non negativo, perché è un ambiente di grande passione e di grande amore verso la propria squadra, e quindi sono tutte componenti fortemente positive." He credited the unity between players, supporters, club and management as Roma's greatest strength. "Il pregio più grande, tra i tanti, è che si è creata una grande unità tra ambiente, squadra, tifoseria e società, e questo è qualcosa che ti aiuta a lavorare bene e ti dà fiducia per fare i migliori risultati." Gasperini praised the partnership between Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, explaining their complementary qualities. "Dybala ha la capacità di leggere gli smarcamenti di Malen anche quando sembra non guardarlo, e la qualità con cui lo serve è notevole. Malen dal canto suo ha una straordinaria capacità di tradurre in gol azioni che sembrano semplici ma non lo sono." He also highlighted the development of young players including Emanuele Lulli, Niccolò Pisilli and Daniele Ghilardi, noting their professionalism and desire to improve. On the Scudetto question, Gasperini rejected setting concrete objectives so early. "L'asticella non si alza mettendo degli obiettivi più o meno raggiungibili: si alza migliorando ogni giorno." He added: "Ci rendiamo conto che intorno a noi si fanno tutte le previsioni possibili, ed è giusto così: la gente ha i suoi sogni, vuole il massimo. Per quanto riguarda noi, come ogni anno, dobbiamo guardare in faccia la realtà." Gasperini described upcoming matches against Inter, Como and Real Madrid as opportunities to measure Roma's true capabilities against elite opponents, noting that Como are a team "doing truly giant steps" and now belong among the campaign's big sides. On Leonardo Balerdi's arrival and immediate impact, he explained a comparison he had made to Franco Baresi, emphasizing shared defensive characteristics rather than absolute level. Balerdi, he said, had arrived in excellent condition despite limited preparation time and had already proven himself a strong professional making an instant contribution.

Gian Piero Gasperini has reflected on Roma's perfect start to the 2026-27 season and the club's return to the Champions League after seven years, while cautioning against fixing title ambitions before the campaign has matured. In an extensive interview, the head coach said he had hoped for a strong opening but that Roma's advantage this season came from continuity: "We had the conviction of having behind us good preparation, and a squad that started with an advantage compared to the start of last season: we have been together for longer, we know each other better, we have already assimilated many things." Gasperini emphasized the self-improving culture within the group, which blends young talent with experienced players. He highlighted Leonardo Balerdi's immediate impact despite only partial pre-season involvement, describing the Argentine defender's characteristics as reminiscent of Franco Baresi—drawing the comparison from spontaneous association when discussing the best players who have ever existed. "Baresi had a speed in recovering dangerous situations, intensity in challenges, and security in building play. Baresi was thirty years ahead of his colleagues, but belonged to a very different football era. It is in this mix of modernity and old-quality characteristics that I see the similarity," Gasperini explained. He also praised emerging talents Emanuele Lulli, Niccolò Pisilli and Daniele Ghilardi for their hunger to grow without feeling they have arrived, and commended the understanding between Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, noting Dybala's ability to read Malen's runs and the forwards' capacity to convert seemingly simple opportunities into goals. On Roma's return to European football's top competition, Gasperini said the achievement was far from certain last year and that playing against the continent's strongest teams provides growth through difficulty and self-awareness. He identified unity between environment, squad, supporters and board as Roma's greatest asset this season. When pressed on title talk after four consecutive wins, he firmly set boundaries: "We are aware that all possible predictions are made around us, and that is right: people have their dreams, they want the maximum. For us, as every year, we must face reality. And reality is that we can only talk about objectives after about twenty matches. Setting them after four or five matchdays makes no sense. Of course we have confidence, of course we want to stay high in the table, but right now this is the only concrete objective." Gasperini added that managing such expectations is natural but that Roma's sole focus in the present moment remains maintaining their early momentum without premature forecasting.

Donyell Malen has silenced doubters with a stunning display at Roma after joining from Aston Villa. Last season he dragged the Giallorossi into the Champions League through goals alone, before a dip at international level under Koeman—a downturn the Dutch coach's tactical setup was responsible for, not Malen's form. This season he has picked up where he left off, scoring six goals in four matches and recording an assist in the Champions League. His performances have caught the attention of English media, with several at Aston Villa regretting his departure. The BBC analysed what has changed, and the answer centres on position. At Aston Villa he played as a centre-forward in 52% of his league minutes; at Roma under Gasperini, that figure has climbed to 99%. The impact is measurable: at Villa he scored once every 149.8 minutes; at Roma it is once every 96.7 minutes. Since 18 January he has 20 goals—more than any other player in Europe. Gasperini has found the role that unlocks the Dutch forward's talents. The early promise of a flash in the pan has given way to something far more serious: at Roma, Malen has become an inferno.