Margiotta to succeed Conti as youth academy head; Çelik set to sign three-year deal

Atlético Madrid have taken aim at Real Madrid's medical team after Valverde made a rapid return to full training following a heavy challenge from Lee in the derby. The incident, which left the Uruguayan midfielder requiring intervention, went unpunished by the referee and drew an angry response from José Mourinho at his post-match press conference, where he presented footage of the tackle to criticise the official's decision. Real Madrid initially signalled a lengthy absence, but Valverde has accelerated his recovery and is now targeting a return for the trip to Roma. Atlético responded with a public jab on social media: "We want to congratulate Real for continuing to make history, proving that 100% of the world medical community was wrong." The news carries significance for Mourinho, who will regain a key midfielder, but presents another challenge for Gasperini at the Olimpico, where he must now contend with Valverde's availability. The recovery timeline initially suggested a prolonged injury layoff, making the midfielder's swift return to group training a surprise. Atlético chose irony to comment on the recovery, casting doubt on Real Madrid's original injury prognosis with their social media jab.

Roma held a training session at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on the afternoon of 8 October as preparation ramped up ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture at Como, which kicks off at 12:30. The session, conducted in heavy rain but with a relaxed atmosphere mixing athletic work, running and tactical drills, saw the final reunion of the South American contingent with the rest of the squad. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, who returned to Italy on the morning of 8 October, completed the entire session and put themselves at the disposal of the coaching staff. CEO John Galantic attended the training to show the board's proximity during this phase of preparation. Former Roma legend Antonio Tempestilli, who celebrated his 67th birthday, reflected on the approaching match in an interview. He spent 12 seasons at Roma between 1981 and 1993, split evenly with Como. Tempestilli highlighted the risks of the long international break, saying: "A break that long can cause some problems with many players away on international duty: you have to see if there has been fatigue, hope everyone has returned fit. But that applies to everyone, starting with Como. Now you have to switch back on the mentality that Roma showed before the break. Gasperini is a guarantee in that sense." Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference at Trigoria tomorrow at 13:30. Elsewhere, Vincenzo Montella's tenure as Turkey's head coach has officially ended. The Turkish Football Federation announced today that its board formally removed him from his position following a series of four consecutive defeats in the recent UEFA Nations League cycle. Montella, an ex-Roma player and former manager of the club, had held the role since September 2023.

Porto president André Villas-Boas has said the club would have closed its 2025-26 accounts with a profit if Rodrigo Mora's transfer to Roma had been completed before 30 June. Speaking at a press conference where he presented the club's financial results, Villas-Boas noted that Porto instead posted a loss of approximately €21 million for the season. Mora moved to Roma for €25 million plus 50 per cent of any future resale fee, but the timing of the deal meant it fell outside the financial year that would have swung the balance into the black. The transfer underscores the importance of window deadlines in club accounting, with even major deals capable of shifting a significant deficit into profit territory when registered at the right moment.

Roma will play Como in the sixth Serie A matchday on Sunday at 12:30. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold a press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the fixture. Selection uncertainty surrounds Roma's attacking setup, with one player among Rodrigo Mora, Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini set to support Paulo Dybala behind Donyell Malen.

Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media on 10 October at 13:30 at Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixture at Como's Sinigaglia stadium. The head coach will field questions on team selection and player fitness as Roma prepare for the match. Bryan Cristante is ruled out with a knee problem. In midfield, Rodrigo Mora is expected to start as the attacking midfielder behind the strike pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. At the back, there remains competition between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka for a defensive place.

Roma face Como in a tactical battle between Fabregas and Gasperini, two coaches with contrasting philosophies seeking to dictate play. Gasperini is considering deploying Rodrigo Mora on the trequarti in support of Dybala and Malen, a move with both technical and tactical significance. Against Como's four-man defence, this setup would allow Mora to exploit space between the lines and combine quickly with two players whose strengths complement each other: Dybala's ability to read situations others miss and Malen's capacity to attack space immediately. Marten de Roon is expected to anchor midfield, providing equilibrium and tactical knowledge of Gasperini's systems crucial against Como's possession-based approach. Evan N'Dicka is favoured over Leonardo Balerdi in defence, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley operating on the flanks. The match's decisive factor may lie on the wings. Como build superiority through passing and draw pressure to free players in space; Roma counterpress through individual aggression and advanced recovery. The fullbacks will be fundamental, needing to support attacking play without leaving the corridors Como exploits. Molina and Wesley could prove decisive both in pressing and by forcing Como's wingers to defend, preventing Fabregas's side from developing their game with continuity. The sides have met twice previously in contrasting circumstances. At the Olimpico, Roma imposed themselves through intense pressing, with Wesley scoring the decisive goal. In the return fixture, a side lacking clear attacking reference points gradually lost shape and ceded initiative to Como. However, this Roma present different offensive possibilities. The presence of Malen, Dybala's talent and Mora's potential deployment offer Gasperini solutions capable of troubling a well-organised team like Fabregas's. Roma must start aggressively, press immediately and prevent Como from gaining confidence in their passing patterns.

Antonio Tempestilli, the former Roma and Como player who spent twelve seasons equally divided between the two clubs from 1981 to 1993, has assessed the tactical battle ahead between the two sides as Roma prepare for their fixture at Como. Speaking on the eve of the match, Tempestilli weighed the strengths of both coaches: "Entrambi. Credo che si rispettino e si remano a vicenda: sono due che amano attaccare, giocare a viso aperto; fanno un gran calcio seppure con principi diversi; proprio per questo mi aspetto una gran partita" — both Fabregas and Gasperini respect each other and love to attack and play openly, making great football with different principles, which is why he expects a great match. On Roma's form, Tempestilli stressed the challenge of the international break: "Ti può dare qualche problemino con tanti giocatori fuori, in giro con le nazionali: bisogna vedere se c'è stato affaticamento, sperare che siano tornati tutti a posto…però vale per tutti, a cominciare dal Como. Ora bisogna riaccendere il tasto della mentalità che la Roma ha mostrato fino alla sosta. Gasperini in questo senso è una garanzia." The long pause poses risks with players scattered across nations, but the same applies to Como. Roma must reignite the mentality Gasperini has instilled before the break. On Leonardo Balerdi's emergence as a regular, Tempestilli noted: "Direi che come definizione ci può stare, viste le caratteristiche; quando Gasperini lo ha paragonato a Baresi chiaramente voleva intendere questo. È migliorabile sotto alcuni aspetti e con il lavoro a Trigoria lo sta già facendo, ma la tempra e il piglio battagliero mi piacciono molto." He described Balerdi as having an 1980s-style defender's character, and said having multiple centre-back options is a fortune for Gasperini given the high number of matches ahead. Regarding Gianluca Mancini's slow start, Tempestilli insisted the midfielder possesses the right mentality and experience to rediscover his leadership. On Lorenzo Pellegrini's potential involvement, Tempestilli said: "Gasperini sa valutare ogni particolare, a cominciare da condizione e motivazioni. Una cosa è certa: Pellegrini è un valore aggiunto, resta da porsi una domanda: che minutaggio ha nelle gambe?" Pellegrini is valuable added value, but his match fitness remains to be established. Looking ahead, Tempestilli cautioned against reading too much into any single result: "Troppo presto. Piedi per terra, perché il campionato è lungo. Al tempo stesso, una cosa possiamo permetterci di dirla: sognare è lecito." It is too early to identify an Inter challenger, he said, but dreaming is allowed.

Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi have returned to full training with Roma ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture against Como, scheduled for 12:30 at the Sinigaglia stadium on 11 October. The three Argentine internationals had completed only a recovery session the previous day after their national team commitments but trained normally with the squad on 9 October. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini now has nearly his entire roster available, with Bryan Cristante remaining the sole absentee and set to miss the Como match. Cristante's absence creates an opening in midfield, where Marten de Roon is increasingly favoured to start alongside Manu Koné. Two selection decisions remain unresolved. On the attacking midfield line, competition continues among Rodrigo Mora, Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Mora currently holding a slight edge. At the back, Evan N'Dicka appears to have the advantage over Balerdi, partly because the Ivorian has been able to train consistently at Trigoria during the international break. Roma CEO John Galanic was present at the training session on 9 October. Gasperini will conduct the final preparation session on 10 October before making his final team selection ahead of the journey to Como. The club is now nearly at full strength following the extended international window.

Roma will play Como in the sixth Serie A matchday on Sunday at 12:30. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold a press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the fixture. Selection uncertainty surrounds Roma's attacking setup, with one player among Rodrigo Mora, Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini set to support Paulo Dybala behind Donyell Malen.