Pellegrini clarifies sixth-place criticism, Budapest pain, and his absence for Sampdoria match

Roma spent the penultimate day of their United Kingdom pre-season tour in transit to Brighton on 7 August, departing Vale Resort after a final training session in the morning before flying to London at 18:00 and travelling by coach to the south coast. Brighton's official social media channels welcomed the Giallorossi with a video set to Lando Fiorini's 'Forza Roma', the club's anthem. Paulo Dybala and his teammates arrived at the Maldron Hotel in the evening, where they stayed overnight ahead of tomorrow's friendly. The fixture against Brighton takes place at the Amex Stadium at 16:00 Italian time on 8 August, marking the first meeting between the sides since their Europa League encounter two years ago. Roma will return to the capital immediately after the match, with training resuming on Tuesday. The club's pre-season schedule concludes with a final test against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August before the Serie A season opener on 24 August against Fiorentina at the Olimpico.

AS Roma concluded their time at the Vale Resort in Wales on 7 August, with the squad departing for Brighton as their pre-season tour in the United Kingdom entered its final stages. The players completed their last training session in the morning before flying to London at 18:00 and travelling by coach to Brighton. The CEO was present for the transfer to the south coast. Roma are in the closing days of their UK tour ahead of the 2026–27 season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club has been active in the transfer market this summer, and the journey to Brighton marks a key moment in their preparations for the new campaign. The pre-season schedule reflects the club's commitment to building match fitness and tactical cohesion ahead of the competitive fixtures to come.

Roma completed their journey to Brighton on 7 August, ending their pre-season training camp in Wales and relocating to England ahead of a friendly fixture at the American Express Stadium on 8 August. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini led the squad to the south-coast club, accompanied by newly appointed CEO John Galantic. The trip marks the final stage of Roma's summer preparation before the 2026–27 season. The club had previously held their training retreat at Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales, before moving to Brighton to conclude their warm-up schedule in the United Kingdom.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension with Roma through 30 June 2027, ending speculation from Premier League clubs and Juventus. An official announcement is expected in the coming hours. The move secures the club's number 7 and caps weeks of negotiation. Mile Svilar reinforced his commitment to the club in a radio interview, saying: "I am happy here, my family is happy here. I want to stay at Roma." He outlined the squad's objectives: progressing in the Champions League, starting strongly in Serie A, and maintaining competitive intensity. Bryan Cristante, speaking from the pre-season camp, expressed enthusiasm for Gian Piero Gasperini's work and confirmed the group is eager to reunite with Pellegrini. Cristante also dismissed reports of lingering tension with Paulo Dybala: "Everything was cleared up immediately, with no lasting issues." Ticket sales for Roma's home opener against Fiorentina on Monday 24 August at 20:45 began today, generating immediate demand with over 3,000 supporters queuing online. The 40,000 season-ticket allocation was exhausted long ago. Separately, Marash Kumbulla's departure to Rayo Vallecano on a loan with a right of redemption was confirmed, ending his Roma tenure after 68 appearances, 4 goals, and the 2022 Conference League triumph.

Nearly a year after requesting a left-sided attacking winger with a right foot, Gian Piero Gasperini remains without the reinforcement he wants. A meeting between Gasperini and Roma's ownership on the evening of 6 August ended without satisfaction; the coach is frustrated by the slowness of closing deals, with Greenwood and Summerville cited as examples. Roma face Brighton tomorrow at 15:00 local time in the final pre-season friendly of their UK tour before returning to Rome. The hunt for a left winger continues to complicate Roma's transfer agenda. Nusa of Leipzig remains the top target but the German club is demanding €60 million—too high for the Friedkin Group's budget for that role. Roma hope to negotiate the price down. Fofana of Lyon is an alternative, though doubts exist over his physical attributes. The delay is compounded by the need to offload Matías Soulé and Manu Koné first; neither has received concrete offers despite interest. Soulé's agent made a trip to Wales followed by Spain, but no news has emerged. Gasperini fears that if negotiations drag on, Roma may be forced to turn to backup targets. Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension until 2027 and will undergo medical examinations at the Campus tomorrow. The Brighton match concludes the tour; Gasperini will then grant two days' rest before a final test against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August ahead of the Serie A opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. Molina is expected to arrive between Sunday and Tuesday, with no doubts over that deal's completion.

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."

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Ticket sales have opened for Roma's Serie A season opener against Fiorentina on Monday 24 August at 20:45 at the Olimpico. The match marks the first competitive fixture of Gian Piero Gasperini's tenure, with the squad preparing after a pre-season camp in Wales and friendly matches. Gasperini's side is awaiting three additional signings to complete the squad. Donyell Malen is set to lead the attack in front of the home crowd for what the club views as an important early test of the season. Tickets are available via the club's official website according to phases and terms communicated by Roma, with pricing and availability varying by sector and sales window. The fixture represents a significant moment for the Giallorossi as they begin their 2026–27 campaign. The Olimpico is expected to provide crucial support from the opening whistle.

Santiago Castro, Roma's summer signing from Bologna for approximately 35 million euros, has declared his ambition to help the club compete for the Serie A title. Speaking from Roma's pre-season training camp in Cardiff, the Argentine forward said: "Certo, ho visto il valore di questo gruppo e possiamo giocarcela con tutti. Perché abbiamo giocatori forti in tutti i reparti e Gasperini è uno dei migliori allenatori d'Italia. Siamo al livello per competere per lo scudetto e per la Coppa Italia. E vogliamo fare bene in Champions. Se sei alla Roma devi ambire a vincere tutto." He added that other Italian clubs had approached him before his move, but that Roma was his only choice. Castro joins a squad already featuring Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, with whom he shares close ties. He said of Soulé: "Con Soulé ci conosciamo da undici anni, giocavamo insieme nel Velez e adesso è incredibile ritrovarsi qui insieme, da uomini e non più da bambini che rincorrevano un pallone sognando l'Europa." The 2004-born forward will compete with Donyell Malen for attacking minutes. On that rivalry, Castro stated: "Assolutamente no, io e Donny saremo in competizione per giocare tanto, ma soprattutto per il bene della squadra. Questa sana rivalità mi farà crescere tanto. Malen è un attaccante fortissimo, ci alterneremo, potremo anche giocare insieme."