Pedro reflects on Roma exit and maiden derby victory with Lazio

Bryan Cristante expressed excitement about Roma's return to the Champions League following a strong season, speaking from the club's pre-season camp in Wales. The midfielder emphasized the importance of the Friedkin Group's involvement: "Important is that the society is always present here, it gives everyone extra momentum, on the market, on everyday situations. Now they are focused on the market, then other discussions will happen later when the squad is final." Cristante acknowledged the club's ambitions while stressing immediate priorities. "Certainly it is always a dream anyway, but now it is still too early," he said of potential trophies. "We want first and foremost to repeat the great season of last year, to stay in the top four, which is already something very difficult in the Italian league for the competitiveness that exists, and to play a great Champions League. Then, if we arrive in January or February, when the league will be a bit more outlined, and we are still there playing for it, we will try. But the important thing is to do another solid season and continue to grow." Cristante also reflected on previous managers, saying his memories with one were "only beautiful" and that the club's objective is "to be reborn and return to where we belong." He noted improvements in the squad's physical conditioning and expressed a desire to visit Real Madrid's rebuilt Bernabéu stadium.

Mile Svilar has expressed his ambition to play at some of Europe's biggest stadiums with Roma in the Champions League. Speaking on Radio Romanista, the goalkeeper revealed he has never visited the Bernabéu as a professional and has also never appeared at Dortmund's ground or Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes. Svilar stressed the importance of Roma starting the 2026-27 season strongly in Serie A before the club's European campaign begins. He noted that fine margins often decide final positions, observing that in each of his last two seasons Roma missed Champions League qualification by just one or two points from Juventus and Milan. "We must aim to finish in the top eight and then play in the play-offs," he said. "Before we see who we'll play in the Champions League, we must first start the season well in Serie A." The goalkeeper expressed particular enthusiasm about the prospect of playing at the Bernabéu, saying: "For me at the Bernabéu, just for the experience of the stadium. But it would also be beautiful at the Olimpico!" He added that Roma will travel to Dortmund within ten days. Svilar believes matches against elite European opponents offer valuable learning opportunities and are enjoyable contests to play in.

Roma captain Bryan Cristante spoke to Sky Sport from the club's pre-season camp in Wales, ahead of a friendly at Brighton tomorrow that concludes the week's matches overseas. Cristante expressed pride at Roma's return to the Champions League after a prolonged absence. "We've been wanting to play in the Champions, we'd been close a few times, we're proud to play it," he said. "It's important to have the society's presence, which gives an extra gear even in the market; we talk about it daily." Cristante highlighted his desire to face Real Madrid in Europe and revealed that Lorenzo Pellegrini, expected to rejoin the squad soon, remains a key part of the project. "I'd like to play at the Bernabéu in the Champions, it would be nice to play in the new stadium and see Mourinho again," he added. The midfielder also confirmed he and Paulo Dybala had resolved a disagreement that arose during Roma's pre-season match in Cardiff. "We cleared it up straight away, it was a small disagreement that happened on the pitch and ended there," Cristante explained. On domestic ambitions, Cristante acknowledged the Serie A title as Roma's dream objective but cautioned about the campaign's difficulty. "The Scudetto is the dream but it's still early, the league is difficult and very competitive. We want to have a good Champions, we hope to be in the fight in January to try to play for the championship." Cristante also reflected positively on his experiences under Italy manager Mancini, saying the goal is to "be reborn and return to where we belong."