Roma appoints Gobbetti as head of youth academy scouting

AS Roma have appointed Jacopo Gobbetti as the new head of scouting in a reorganisation of their youth academy structure. Gobbetti arrives from Hellas Verona, where he had worked with Massimo Margiotta. Margiotta, who is now part of Roma's sporting setup, championed Gobbetti's arrival and has integrated him into the club's new youth sector hierarchy. The appointment underscores Roma's commitment to strengthening not only the first team—where the transfer window remains open for new reinforcements to support head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—but also the academy and talent identification systems. Gobbetti's experience at Verona and direct collaboration with Margiotta position him to develop Roma's scouting operations across age groups.

Roma will discover their eight opponents in the 2026–27 Champions League phase when UEFA holds the draw on Thursday 27 August at 18:00 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo. The Giallorossi return to Europe's elite competition for the first time in seven years after finishing third in the 2025–26 season. Roma are seeded in the second pot for the new league-phase format. Under the revised structure, all 36 competing clubs play eight matches—two against opponents from each of the four UEFA-ranking pots, with one home and one away fixture per opponent. UEFA has imposed restrictions on pairings: no clubs from the same nation can face each other, and a maximum of two opponents may come from any single country. The eight group-stage matchdays run between September and January: 8–10 September, 13–14 October, 20–21 October, 3–4 November, 24–25 November, 8–9 December 2026, 19–20 January 2027, and 27 January 2027. The draw ceremony will be broadcast live on TV8 in the clear, on Sky Sport channels (subscription required), in live-streaming via NOW and Amazon Prime Video (subscription required), and on UEFA's official website.

The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League League Phase draw will take place on Thursday, with 36 clubs discovering their group-stage opponents. Roma, Inter, Napoli and Como represent Italy in the competition. Paris Saint-Germain will defend the title won in the last two editions, with their rivals aiming to dethrone the French champions. The final is scheduled for 5 June 2027 at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.