Ponte Milvio traders brace for derby night as police set kickoff time

Sabaudia, a coastal town 90 kilometres south of Rome founded in 1934, has become a cultural and artistic haven nestled within the Circeo National Park. The location has inspired writers including Pier Paolo Pasolini and Alberto Moravia, and hosted film productions since the 1930s including *Divorce Italian Style* (1961), *School Friends* (1988), and recent works by Paolo Genovese. Oscar-winning directors Bertolucci and Tornatore, fashion figures such as Armani and Fendi, and performers including Sophia Loren and Monica Bellucci have maintained homes there. Music videos by Elodie, Mannarino, and Michele Bravi have been shot on the dunes. For Roma supporters, the town holds particular allure: Francesco Totti owns a house in Sabaudia and spends much of his summer there. The town is easily accessible by car via the Pontina road, roughly an hour from Rome, or by train from Roma Termini to Priverno–Fossanova station (20–25 minutes by bus). Mayor Alberto Mosca reported that tourist numbers from 1 April to 20 July 2026 remained in line with the previous year, with parking meter revenues rising from approximately €490,000 in the same 2025 period to €503,000 in 2026. The town has faced challenges including legal disputes over beach kiosks, loss of the Blue Flag due to lifeguard shortages, and cancellation of the Sunset Jazz Festival. Beyond the beach, Sabaudia offers trekking, mountain biking, birdwatching, and visits to Domitian's villa archaeological site. The Arena del Mare hosts events including concerts by Fiorella Mannoia and Sal Da Vinci in the coming days. Local produce includes buffalo mozzarella and a vermentino wine called "253 giorni"—the number of days required to build the town.

AS Roma has constructed this fantasy XI to celebrate the club's 99-year history of attracting world-class talent. The feature categorises legendary signings by era, beginning with postwar arrivals: Alcide Ghiggia, who joined in 1953 after scoring in Brazil's 1950 World Cup final loss, and Juan Schiaffino, the other Maracanazo hero, who helped Roma lift their first European Cup in 1961 alongside fellow Uruguayan Manfredini. The 1980s elevated Roma's prestige dramatically, starting with Falcao and Vierchowod during the second Serie A title, followed by Cerezo, Boniek, Voeller, and Aldair, who pioneered Roma's succession of elite defenders including Samuel and Chivu. Cafu, who won the World Cup twice as a Roma player and once as captain of Brazil, anchored the right flank; his era also featured Candela, Montella, and Gabriel Batistuta. Later recruits—Maicon, Pjanić, Salah, and Edin Dzeko, who reached the top three all-time goalscorer rankings—maintained the club's magnetism for established stars. Paulo Dybala, still actively representing the club, exemplifies the ongoing mutual affection between world-class talent and Roma's brand.

Rodrigo Mora has agreed to join Roma. Director of football Tony D'Amico has tabled a five-year contract worth two million euros per season, including bonuses, for the Porto playmaker. The agreement with agent Jorge Mendes was reached yesterday after rapid negotiations. Porto's formal approval is awaited in the coming hours. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has pressed D'Amico to complete the deal quickly, expecting two new arrivals by 15 August. Gasperini received reassurances at an emergency meeting with ownership at Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales. Roma plan to close the signing of the new forward first, then turn attention to reinforcing other positions: a right winger to deputise for Paulo Dybala, and a left winger to rotate with Wesley.

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma concluded their British pre-season schedule with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton's American Express Stadium. Goals from Rutter in the 29th minute and a brace from Ayari in the 40th and 49th minutes sealed the result. Roma trailed at half-time after Rutter and Ayari's strikes, and Ayari's second goal early in the second half effectively decided the contest. The defeat followed Roma's earlier loss to Cardiff and victory over Newport County in the warm-up campaign. Head coach Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Dybala and Soulé deployed behind striker Malen. The lineup included Svilar in goal, a back three of Mancini, N'Dicka, and Hermoso, with Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs, El Aynaoui and Cristante in midfield. In a tactical experiment late in the match, Gasperini replaced Dybala with Castro in the 66th minute, allowing the Argentine and Dutch winger Malen to share almost twenty minutes together, though they created little of note. Roma made multiple substitutions throughout the fixture, with changes across defence, midfield, and attack at intervals. Brighton fielded a 4-3-3, with manager Hurzeler making significant alterations at the hour mark, bringing on Osman, Kostoulas, and Yohanna. The match was refereed by Bobby Madley.