Roma angered by Allegri's jibes over last season's Champions League race

Roma are visibly irritated by comments Massimiliano Allegri made after Napoli's match at the Maradona, which questioned how the club secured its Champions League place last season. Speaking between television interviews and his press conference, the Napoli coach said: "Last season they put the Champions League in their pocket. It's always them…" Those words have caused deep annoyance within the Roma camp, where the club's management and entourage consider it disrespectful to question a qualification earned on the pitch. At Trigoria, the reaction is that Allegri's insinuations have no foundation. Roma point to the finish of last season, when the side then coached by Gian Piero Gasperini collected 19 points from the last seven matchdays. They secured fourth place with six wins, against Pisa, Bologna, Fiorentina, Parma, Lazio and Salernitana, and a draw at Atalanta, clinching the Champions League spot on the penultimate matchday. The club insists the route was a straight run with no favours or preferential treatment. Allegri's anger was also directed at the refereeing of the match, particularly the 3-3 equaliser scored by Leonardo Balerdi. He was sent off after the final whistle for protesting and reacting vehemently against the referee. Sporting Judge Gerardo Mastrandrea is expected to rule on that dismissal today, 26 October 2026. If match officials' reports and the referee's VAR team recorded the remarks made in the tunnel or dressing room, federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè could open an investigation into whether the comments breached sporting rules by casting doubt on the impartiality of the referees and the integrity of the competitions.

Gian Piero Gasperini has already turned the page on Roma's 3-3 draw at Napoli, with the squad back in training for Tuesday's home match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. The Roma head coach consoled himself with a traditional Roman Sunday lunch at the historic restaurant La Villetta dal 1940, where he was pictured smiling on the restaurant's social media channels. The draw at the Maradona came less than 24 hours before the lunch, and the result still stings. The smile reflects both his frustration at the result against Napoli and his belief that this side, although not at full strength and missing important players, can still compete. Gasperini will face the media at a press conference tomorrow at 13:30. Roma's focus now shifts to Cagliari, with the squad already back on the training ground to prepare for the Tuesday fixture.

Roma have reportedly reacted with surprise and irritation to comments from Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri after the 3-3 draw between the two sides. Allegri's remarks, which suggested favourable refereeing decisions in the race for Champions League qualification, have been at the centre of the debate, and the Roman club considered the attack out of place. According to journalist Nicolò Schira, Roma view the remarks as inappropriate. The club's position is reportedly clear: qualification for last season's Champions League was earned on the pitch, through results achieved over the course of the league campaign, with no alleged refereeing assistance. Schira's account also refers to Milan, who lost at home to Cagliari in the final round of last season's Serie A, a result cited in the context of the European qualification race to support the view that Roma reached their goal through results on the field. The club's stance, as reported, is that the accusations of refereeing favours have no basis, and that the qualification achieved last season belongs to Roma's own performances in the league.