Roma bid for Champions League return at Verona in €70m showdown

AS Roma earned over 1 million dollars from FIFA's Club Benefits Programme during the 2026 World Cup, ranking sixth among Serie A sides in total club payments. The FIFA scheme, run jointly with the European Football Clubs association, distributed 355 million dollars (300 million euros) to compensate clubs for releasing players to international duty. Each club received a minimum of approximately 5,000 dollars per day (4,300 euros) for every player loaned to their national federation. Roma fielded five players across the tournament held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico: Evan N'Dicka, Zeki Çelik, Neil El Aynaoui, Manu Koné, and Donyell Malen. These five accumulated 211 days of competition, generating 1.055 million dollars for the club. Milan topped Serie A's earnings with over 2.3 million dollars from ten players, followed by Atalanta (1.6 million from eight players) and Inter (1.55 million from seven). Juventus collected 1.2 million and Bologna 1 million. Among individual Roma players, Koné was the most valuable, earning 280,000 dollars for the club—second only to Lautaro Martinez of Inter and Nico Paz of Como, who each generated 285,000 dollars.

Inter, Milan, Juventus and Roma launched their summer training camps on Monday, 13 July as Serie A's leading sides begin preparations ahead of the new season. Many players remain committed to international duty at major tournaments, though several have returned to their clubs ready to start preseason. The four giants are among the first to commence their respective ritiri, or structured training retreats, with friendlies scheduled to build match fitness and tactical cohesion. Roma joins the elite quartet in kicking off summer work, with Gian Piero Gasperini's squad assembling for the intensive preparation phase. The timing reflects the staggered return of internationals, as some personnel are only recently emerging from extended competition calendars. These camps serve as the foundation for competitive readiness before the Serie A campaign resumes. Preseason schedules typically span several weeks and include a mix of internal drills, controlled matches and friendly fixtures against lower-division or regional opponents. The early start by these five major clubs underscores the demands of modern elite football, where conditioning and collective understanding must be rebuilt efficiently during the summer window.

Mario Balotelli has named AS Roma among the contenders for next season's Serie A title, alongside Napoli and Inter. Speaking to Sportmediaset, the former Milan striker said: "Napoli and Inter are the favourites, but I want to add a surprise: Roma will also fight for the Scudetto." Balotelli, now based in Saudi Arabia, predicted that Gian Piero Gasperini's side will be in the mix for the championship despite not being among the usual elite. Roma have not yet completed any significant transfer business ahead of their squad gathering tomorrow. The pursuit of Greenwood has fallen away, while the club continues to work on signing a backup to Malen, with Tresoldi identified as a target, and also Garnacho. The Giallorossi are preparing to restart their season following a challenging campaign. Balotelli's endorsement represents external confidence in Roma's prospects, though the club's transfer activity will be crucial to whether they can genuinely mount a title challenge.