Mora impresses on debut as Gasperini sees a future star in the making

Daniele Chiffi will referee Lecce versus Roma in Serie A's second matchday on Monday in Salento. Chiffi will be supported by assistants Imperiale and Cecconi, with Di Bello serving as fourth official. Chiffi has a history with Roma spanning 16 previous meetings. In those 15 prior encounters, Roma's record stands at 8 victories, 3 draws and 4 defeats.

Franco Peccenini, who played 152 matches for Roma in the mid-1970s, delivered a glowing assessment of the club's prospects after watching their opening fixture. Having harboured doubts during the summer friendlies about Roma's readiness, Peccenini said that within the first ten minutes against Fiorentina he was convinced the team would have a great season. "Viste tutte all'esordio, secondo me la Roma non ha niente da invidiare a Inter e Napoli," he told Retesport, arguing that if the club could provide Gasperini with another outside forward—something the coach has been actively seeking—no objective would be off limits for Roma. Peccenini reserved particular praise for left-back Lulli, who like him hails from Palestrina. He emphasised the teenager's composure on his debut at a packed Stadio Olimpico, contrasting it sharply with his own early career. "Il mio debutto non ha nulla a che vedere con il suo, perché Lulli ha avuto un esordio grandioso. Personalità, sicurezza, carattere in uno stadio pieno come l'Olimpico, mi ha lasciato esterrefatto," Peccenini said, adding that while Lulli still has refinements to make, "ha enormi potenzialità." He urged the club to let the player work with confidence without pressure. Peccenini reflected on Roma's centenary year and what the club means to him personally. He revealed that on Monday at the stadium, the club presented him with a personalised shirt and did the same for fellow former players including Nela, Scarnecchia and Candela. "Non ho bisogno del pezzo di stoffa per sentirmi romanista. Sono nato e morirò romanista," he said, noting he made 150 appearances in the first team after coming through the youth academy.

Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen combined to destroy Fiorentina 4–0 at the Olimpico in Roma's seasonal opener, with the Argentine supplying three assists for Malen's hat-trick before Niccolò Pisilli added a fourth. The rout showcased the potency of the attacking pair after Roma finished third last May. Gian Piero Gasperini cautioned restraint despite the dominant display, but the statistics underline an exceptional understanding between the two forwards. Across eight appearances together—six as starters and two as substitutes—Malen has scored seven goals, six of them directly from Dybala's passes plus one penalty. The scale of the victory extended beyond the partnership alone, with the entire squad delivering a comprehensive performance, yet the chemistry between Dybala and Malen invites comparison to the great striking duos of Italian football history, from Pulici-Graziani and Mancini-Vialli to the celebrated forward pairings that have defined Roma across the decades. The Dybala-Malen axis now shapes itself as the driving force behind Roma's championship ambitions this season.

Roma are preparing to let Jan Ziółkowski leave on loan to Monza, but the deal hinges on first securing a replacement. The club have identified Morato of Nottingham as their target, according to Il Tempo. Ziółkowski is expected to join Monza on an outright loan, while negotiations with Nottingham continue over different terms for Morato. Roma's sporting director D'Amico has proposed a loan with a purchase option, but Nottingham want to insert an obligation to buy under certain conditions. Talks were ongoing on 27 August, though Roma will not greenlight Ziółkowski's departure until a replacement arrives from Trigoria. With five days left in the transfer window, D'Amico is working to complete the squad and satisfy head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The defensive reshuffle reflects the club's push to finalize their roster before the market closes.

Roma are restructuring their defence with two loan moves: Jan Ziółkowski is close to joining Monza, while the club have targeted Morato from Nottingham Forest as his replacement. Both transfers would begin as loans, with Roma holding an option to buy Morato and Monza seeking the same clause for Ziółkowski. Ziółkowski, signed from Legia Warsaw a year ago for €6 million, featured 19 times for Roma in the most recent campaign but is no longer a central part of the squad's plans. Monza are eager to make him a regular, though it remains uncertain whether they will exercise their purchase option, having previously considered keeping him rather than selling him to a Saudi club earlier in the summer. Morato, 25, moved to Nottingham Forest from Benfica in 2024 for €11 million and has made 66 appearances since, including 37 in the most recent campaign. Roma targeted him for his versatility—he can play as a left-back if needed—making him a more seasoned contributor than Ziółkowski at this stage. Separately, Roma are working to renegotiate the terms of Jayden Oosterwolde's transfer from Fenerbahce after he requires more recovery time than expected from a thigh injury. There is optimism the deal will proceed regardless. The club are accumulating left-footed defenders, though the Ziółkowski-Morato swap would net a more experienced player while allowing the young talent additional development time before becoming a regular rotation option.

Giancarlo Antognoni, Fiorentina legend, has praised Paulo Dybala as the best attacking midfielder in Serie A and the player capable of driving Roma towards the title under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Antognoni analysed Roma's recent victory and Dybala's role in it, singling out the Argentine's quality on the ball as decisive. "Dybala is one of the strongest in the league, the best in his position," Antognoni said. "If he continues like this, Gasperini will be able to fight for the Scudetto. With the ball he does what he wants: pure spectacle. Fiorentina gave him too much freedom, but if bad luck leaves him in peace, Gasperini has an ace in his hand." Antognoni also highlighted Dybala's impact on Roma's opening goal, noting how he "jumped past half the team before setting up Malen." Antognoni reflected on the rarity of the number 10 role in modern football, observing that Italy has few players of such quality. "Football has become too tactical and physical," he explained. "The number 10 still exists in youth academies, but at club level results come first and fear of losing stifles imagination. So the number 10s have to adapt: Calhanoglu became a regista, Dembélé is a ten disguised as a nine, Yildiz starts wide but moves inside the pitch." He detected signs of revival, citing Nico Paz at Como, Liberali, and Mastantuono as promising talents, and suggested that talented players in midfield positions—like Lautaro at Inter—can make their teams unpredictable. Antognoni also praised Rodrigo Mora, describing him as another talented signing Roma has brought in who "seems already almost ready."

The relationship between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Ricky Massara deteriorated throughout the 2025–26 season, marked by clashing views on transfer strategy, public criticism and mounting friction that became irreparable. Massara, who felt treated as an amateur despite his substantial track record, endured difficult months in silence, though tension grew steadily. The conflict began last summer during negotiations for Sancho and Fabio Silva, then escalated in late August when Massara said "Sancho at the moment remains a suggestion because I don't think there are the conditions or the motivations," while Gasperini later replied: "Sancho never refused Roma." The situation exploded in early September during a heated discussion at Fulvio Bernardini, where Gasperini accused Massara of being too slow in negotiations, dismissing the restrictions imposed by Financial Fair Play and inherited difficulties. Disputes over specific targets fuelled the rift further: Gasperini's veto on Raspadori, his preference for Malen over Zirkzee, and disagreements over Robinio Vaz. The breakdown continued from a distance after Massara moved to Juventus, with the director's pursuit of Zeki Çelik irritating Roma while Gasperini attempted to insert himself into the Juventus deal for Kessié. The definitive rupture came in spring, when Gasperini rejected Kerim Alajbegovic and made his position clear: having secured the departure of Ranieri, he wanted Massara gone as well to remain at Roma.

Giancarlo Antognoni, Fiorentina legend, has praised Paulo Dybala as the best attacking midfielder in Serie A and the player capable of driving Roma towards the title under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Antognoni analysed Roma's recent victory and Dybala's role in it, singling out the Argentine's quality on the ball as decisive. "Dybala is one of the strongest in the league, the best in his position," Antognoni said. "If he continues like this, Gasperini will be able to fight for the Scudetto. With the ball he does what he wants: pure spectacle. Fiorentina gave him too much freedom, but if bad luck leaves him in peace, Gasperini has an ace in his hand." Antognoni also highlighted Dybala's impact on Roma's opening goal, noting how he "jumped past half the team before setting up Malen." Antognoni reflected on the rarity of the number 10 role in modern football, observing that Italy has few players of such quality. "Football has become too tactical and physical," he explained. "The number 10 still exists in youth academies, but at club level results come first and fear of losing stifles imagination. So the number 10s have to adapt: Calhanoglu became a regista, Dembélé is a ten disguised as a nine, Yildiz starts wide but moves inside the pitch." He detected signs of revival, citing Nico Paz at Como, Liberali, and Mastantuono as promising talents, and suggested that talented players in midfield positions—like Lautaro at Inter—can make their teams unpredictable. Antognoni also praised Rodrigo Mora, describing him as another talented signing Roma has brought in who "seems already almost ready."

Donyell Malen has been nothing short of extraordinary in Serie A since January, scoring 17 goals at an average of one every 91 minutes. According to Opta, among players with at least ten Serie A goals, only Malen holds a better conversion rate than Cristiano Ronaldo (one every 105 minutes) and Ronaldo (one every 117 minutes). The Dutch forward has bounced back from World Cup disappointment and returned to the form he showed before. Malen has now scored his second hat-trick in a Roma shirt, matching his achievement from last year against Pisa, when he was the only player in Serie A to achieve that feat throughout the entire season. The winger shows no sign of slowing down and is eyeing the Capocannoniere title.

Paulo Dybala has committed to Roma by accepting a dramatic wage cut, restructuring his contract around performance bonuses that could ultimately make him the club's highest-paid player. His base salary fell from 8 million euros net to 2.2 million, but a complex bonus structure rewards every appearance, goal and assist. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Dybala's commitment after Roma's victory against Fiorentina, saying: "In this squad there are players who wanted Roma very strongly or wanted to stay at Roma very strongly." Dybala reached 100 Serie A appearances for Roma in that same match. The contract, signed on 12 July, reflects both an act of loyalty and a calculated gamble on his own performance. Dybala will earn 100,000 euros for each starting appearance lasting at least 45 minutes, capped at 20 matches for a maximum of 2 million euros. He has already collected 100,000 euros following the Fiorentina win. Substitute appearances of 20 minutes or more earn him 75,000 euros. From his 21st match onwards, the appearance bonus rises to 150,000 euros per game. Goal contributions drive even larger payments: every five goal involvements trigger a bonus ranging from 100,000 to 1 million euros. Dybala has already begun accumulating these rewards, recording three goal involvements in the opening matchday alone. The structure is straightforward: the more prominent Dybala becomes, the more he earns. If his season stalls and he plays infrequently, he will pocket only the 2.2 million base salary—a scenario neither he, Roma nor Gasperini wish to see unfold. Over the course of his fifth season at the club, the bonus framework could elevate his total compensation to rival or exceed that of any teammate.

Giancarlo Antognoni, Fiorentina legend, has praised Paulo Dybala as the best attacking midfielder in Serie A and the player capable of driving Roma towards the title under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Antognoni analysed Roma's recent victory and Dybala's role in it, singling out the Argentine's quality on the ball as decisive. "Dybala is one of the strongest in the league, the best in his position," Antognoni said. "If he continues like this, Gasperini will be able to fight for the Scudetto. With the ball he does what he wants: pure spectacle. Fiorentina gave him too much freedom, but if bad luck leaves him in peace, Gasperini has an ace in his hand." Antognoni also highlighted Dybala's impact on Roma's opening goal, noting how he "jumped past half the team before setting up Malen." Antognoni reflected on the rarity of the number 10 role in modern football, observing that Italy has few players of such quality. "Football has become too tactical and physical," he explained. "The number 10 still exists in youth academies, but at club level results come first and fear of losing stifles imagination. So the number 10s have to adapt: Calhanoglu became a regista, Dembélé is a ten disguised as a nine, Yildiz starts wide but moves inside the pitch." He detected signs of revival, citing Nico Paz at Como, Liberali, and Mastantuono as promising talents, and suggested that talented players in midfield positions—like Lautaro at Inter—can make their teams unpredictable. Antognoni also praised Rodrigo Mora, describing him as another talented signing Roma has brought in who "seems already almost ready."

Radio pundits gathered to assess Roma's transfer activity and title ambitions on the opening day of the Champions League league-phase campaign. The debate centred on whether the squad can challenge for the Serie A title, with most speakers expressing optimism contingent on further additions before the window closes. Sabatini offered the strongest endorsement, saying: "If Roma had Dybala for 38 matches as he played against Fiorentina, the club could compete for the scudetto. What we saw from Dybala—I haven't seen him like that in ten years." Other analysts echoed the view that the squad has the foundation to compete. Di Giovambattista noted that Roma's defence is the best in Italy and, with recent reinforcements, the team can fight for the title. Orsi added that a Fofana signing would complete the squad, and that Gasperini did not engineer these changes merely to compete in the Champions League—"he wants to win the scudetto." Roma's transfer focus remains on midfield. Carina reported at Radio Radio: "There is this negotiation with Ziolkowski going to Monza. El Aynaoui is on the market, but there isn't a queue for him: if an offer arrives, Roma evaluates it, otherwise El Aynaoui stays. In this final part of the market many names will come out, there are clubs with surplus players, but Roma's market is outlined. You have to understand how it will end with Fofana: I am optimistic, because if you have an agreement with the club and the player, you find a formula to close it. Roma must compete for the scudetto: it is behind Inter, but it can play for it." Pes, reporting on Oosterwolde, said Roma has resumed contact with Fenerbahce and the formula is now a free loan with a right of purchase that can become an obligation once the player reaches 20 appearances. Torri noted that Lyon must sell Fofana regardless, facing a requirement to raise €100 million over the next year, and that selling El Aynaoui for €30 million would ease funds for further Fofana negotiations. He added that Roma is structured to compete for the top four and that "with Malen, Dybala and Fofana, that is a lot of quality." The window's final phase will determine whether Fofana and a left-sided player arrive. Lyon's financial crisis and Champions League status remain central to negotiations, with Roma and the French club still seeking agreement on terms.