Molina completes first Roma training session as CEO Galantic watches on

Italy manager Roberto Mancini brushed off criticism after the national team's loss to Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, ahead of tomorrow's Nations League fixture against Turkey in Turkey. Mancini said in a press conference: "The criticism does not touch me, there is too much agitation, let's stay calm. With Turkey I will make changes to evaluate other players. Anyway, no one would have played four matches in close succession. There are cycles, and unfortunately Italy is going through one like this, without a generation with Totti, Del Piero and people like that. We only need time to work and put together a competitive squad. Nothing else." Gianluca Mancini, the Roma defender, was left out of the squad for the match, while Daniele Ghilardi of Roma is included and hopes to find playing time during the game.

Francesco Totti, who turns 50 today, has disclosed in his new book Oltre that he personally recommended Santiago Castro to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini during a dinner in March. Castro, the Argentine forward who arrived this summer for €35 million from Bologna, was one of three players Totti suggested to Gasperini at that meeting. Totti told Gasperini: "I recommended an attacker to you, Castro, a winger and a midfielder." Gasperini's response was positive on the forward, saying: "Castro I really like too, I think we see football the same way." The coach also noted concerns about one of the other suggestions, saying: "The winger costs a lot, I hadn't thought about the midfielder and it wouldn't be a bad idea." The book also covers other moments from Totti's life, including a clash with Spalletti, the beginning of his relationship with Noemi, and the possibility of a return to Roma.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is spending Roma's four-day break in Tuscany with his family before returning to action. The midfielder, sidelined by an injury sustained in the final stages of last season that prevented him from taking part in summer preparation, was pictured at the seafood restaurant La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre in Capalbio alongside chef Ricardo Takamitsu. Roma return to work on Tuesday with their sights set on the Como fixture at the Sinigaglia. Pellegrini's comeback carries significance for Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. If the 7 appears against Como, he will reach 350 Roma appearances, moving to within one of Tommasi's tally, currently 12th in the all-time list. With nine matches in 27 days ahead, Gasperini intends to call on Pellegrini in a role that has been shared between Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora this season.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina want to attend a farewell match for Lionel Messi with Argentina on 6 October, but the timing poses a logistical and sporting problem for Roma. The event is scheduled for 22:00 in Argentina, and factoring in travel, time zones and recovery, both players would not be available until 8 October. Roma face Como three days later on 11 October at 12:30 in a crucial fixture for the top of the league that also opens a demanding run of consecutive Serie A and Champions League matches. The question of whether the pair should travel has become one of the most delicate issues during Roma's current international break. Reports differ on where the resistance lies. According to Il Messaggero, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini gave approval for Dybala and Molina to depart, recognising the special significance of the occasion for two players who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi. However, Corriere dello Sport reports that the Friedkin family themselves have applied the brakes, judging the cost in fatigue, travel and recovery too high ahead of such an important match. No final decision has been made. The situation remains open, though the lean of opinion is currently towards preventing the trip. A definitive resolution is expected on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria, when the club, Gasperini and the players must weigh sporting demands against personal wishes and reach a shared conclusion. Meanwhile, other Argentina internationals will attend the Messi event regardless. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi are all on regular national team duty and will participate in the farewell ceremony, meaning they will be among the last national team players to return to Rome ahead of the Como fixture.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina face uncertainty over attending Lionel Messi's final Argentina match, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having approved the trip but the club moving toward blocking it. The two Argentine players, not called up for Argentina's opening international break friendlies, were invited to the farewell friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. Both would not return to Italy until 8 October, leaving only three days before Roma's away fixture against Como on 11 October—the start of a gruelling run of nine matches in 27 days. The decision will be made on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi will definitely return, as all three have been called up and are the last to arrive back in Italy.

Roma have decided to deny Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina permission to travel to Buenos Aires for a friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental stadium, organised by the Argentine Football Association to mark Lionel Messi's farewell from the national team. Despite the symbolic weight of the occasion—particularly for Dybala, who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi—the club has rejected the request. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was decisive in his opposition, viewing the intercontinental round trip to South America as excessively demanding at a critical point in the season, just five days before Roma's Serie A match at Como on 11 October. Dybala had hoped to make the trip a rapid visit, but no authorisation came from the club's Trigoria training ground. The club's rigid stance reflects broader concerns among Italian sides about the match's timing and short notice. Both Inter and Fiorentina have formally registered their disapproval with the AFA over the scheduling, which they regard as poorly timed during the European campaign. Gasperini's firmness was the decisive factor, with the club unwilling to release two key players for an unofficial fixture. The decision marks a firm boundary as Roma prepare for the resumption of their season.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is ready to feature for Roma at Como after six months away from competitive football, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini considering deploying him as a lone attacking midfielder behind two front strikers. Facing Como's organised four-man defence under Cesc Fàbregas, Gasperini has identified a specific tactical solution: positioning Pellegrini in the space between Como's midfield and back line, where the Roma captain can operate as a difficult-to-mark presence. Two opposing centre-backs cannot push forward aggressively without ceding depth to Roma's two forwards, while Como's midfielders risk being caught between lines and forced to cover ground without the ball. The role demands more than creative finishing or the final pass to forwards — whether the pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala or the option of Santiago Castro from the start. Pellegrini must provide the aggression and positional awareness essential in the defensive phase. As a central attacking midfielder, the Roma captain becomes the first player tasked with pressing Como's initial build-up, screening the opposition playmaker and disrupting their play from the back. A 3-4-1-2 formation would offer Pellegrini a dual responsibility: playmaker when Roma regains possession, and first line of defence when closing space is needed. The shape appears tailored specifically for the trip to the Stadio Sinigaglia.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is spending Roma's four-day break in Tuscany with his family before returning to action. The midfielder, sidelined by an injury sustained in the final stages of last season that prevented him from taking part in summer preparation, was pictured at the seafood restaurant La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre in Capalbio alongside chef Ricardo Takamitsu. Roma return to work on Tuesday with their sights set on the Como fixture at the Sinigaglia. Pellegrini's comeback carries significance for Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. If the 7 appears against Como, he will reach 350 Roma appearances, moving to within one of Tommasi's tally, currently 12th in the all-time list. With nine matches in 27 days ahead, Gasperini intends to call on Pellegrini in a role that has been shared between Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora this season.

Francesco Totti celebrated his 50th birthday on 27 September in Las Vegas, but his milestone resonated across Rome's football community and beyond. The former captain, who spent his entire career at the club and retired in 2017, holds no formal position at AS Roma despite contact and attempts in recent months to bring him back into an official role. He currently serves as an advisor to Maxima Roma, a newly promoted basketball franchise making its Serie A debut, and has recently published an autobiography titled *Oltre*. Despite his absence from the club's structure, Totti embodies the supreme symbol of Roman football identity. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has recognised and valued a unique asset in the current squad: three players developed in Roma's academy who are visceral supporters of the shirt they wear. Gasperini has demonstrated this understanding through his handling of Lorenzo Pellegrini, whom he has protected and guided through a contract renewal; Niccolò Pisilli's emergence as a significant midfielder; and his immediate block of Matteo Lulli's departure on loan to Avellino. These decisions underscore how the thread of belonging remains a determining factor for the club's present and future.

Francesco Totti celebrated his 50th birthday on 27 September in Las Vegas, but his milestone resonated across Rome's football community and beyond. The former captain, who spent his entire career at the club and retired in 2017, holds no formal position at AS Roma despite contact and attempts in recent months to bring him back into an official role. He currently serves as an advisor to Maxima Roma, a newly promoted basketball franchise making its Serie A debut, and has recently published an autobiography titled *Oltre*. Despite his absence from the club's structure, Totti embodies the supreme symbol of Roman football identity. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has recognised and valued a unique asset in the current squad: three players developed in Roma's academy who are visceral supporters of the shirt they wear. Gasperini has demonstrated this understanding through his handling of Lorenzo Pellegrini, whom he has protected and guided through a contract renewal; Niccolò Pisilli's emergence as a significant midfielder; and his immediate block of Matteo Lulli's departure on loan to Avellino. These decisions underscore how the thread of belonging remains a determining factor for the club's present and future.

Francesco Totti celebrates his 50th birthday today, 27 September 2026, surrounded by loved ones in Las Vegas, but his significance to Rome and its football culture transcends the distance. The city's neighbourhoods—Porta Metronia, Trigoria, Casal Palocco, the Eur and Vigna Clara—mark the occasion, and Roma as a whole observes a tradition of birthday wishes that has endured since his playing days. Beyond football, Totti is now an advisor to Maxima Roma, a newly formed basketball club that debuts in Serie A today, and has released a new book, *Oltre*, documenting his life after football. Though he has been linked with a return to Roma's leadership structure, no such appointment has materialised. Gasperini has built something rare: a Roma squad featuring three academy graduates who are genuine supporters of the club they now represent—a strength rather than a limitation. The coach has nurtured this foundation, most notably with Lorenzo Pellegrini, whom he persuaded the board to tie down with a contract renewal, and Niccolò Pisilli, who has carved out a significant role despite limited initial expectations. The third is Emanuele Lulli, whose emergence proved important enough that the club blocked his planned loan move to Avellino. In Serie A's upper tier, few clubs can claim such a cohort of homegrown, emotionally invested players. Totti's enduring presence in Rome's consciousness—despite holding no official role—illustrates a singular bond between player and place. He carries the identity of the city even in his absence from the club structure, much as the academy graduates now do through their performances on the pitch.

Manu Koné impressed France manager Zinedine Zidane on Friday evening when deployed in an unfamiliar role as a regista—a deep-lying playmaker—during a 1–0 victory in Turkey. Zidane positioned Koné as the fulcrum of France's midfield and asked him to play a more withdrawn role, focusing on defensive support for the centre-backs and restoring balance across the team. After the match, Zidane said: "Manu was very good. He's not used to playing in that position, and I wanted to see how he would handle that role. And I must say he demonstrated excellent balance." Koné's performance has clear implications for Roma. Though the midfielder has typically played as a mezzala for France in previous years, he showed he could thrive in a more defensive midfield function—something he had previously demonstrated once before when then-France manager Deschamps fielded him in front of the back line at San Siro, earning widespread praise. Gasperini's Roma system typically operates with two midfielders rather than three, so a direct replica of Zidane's setup is unlikely. However, head coach Gasperini may ask Koné to undertake similar responsibilities, particularly defensive and playmaking duties, especially when partnering with Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Koné had started this fine run of form the previous week with a brace against Inter—a first such achievement in his career—which drew the attention of the newly appointed Zidane, a manager with extensive knowledge of midfield craft.