Roma celebrate Champions League return with special 'Ad Astra' shirt

AS Roma asked its squad members to reveal which team they will support in tonight's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, kicking off at 21:00 in New York. The club's social media campaign featured responses from Bryan Cristante, Jan Ziółkowski, Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Niccolò Pisilli, Mile Svilar, and Gianluca Mancini among others. Mancini, the club's number 23, backed his former teammate Leandro Paredes with the message: "Vamos Leandro!" The Argentina contingent within Roma's squad showed their colours during the exercise, with both Dybala and Soulé participating in the video responses. The engagement reflects the global reach of Roma's playing staff, with strong connections to both European and South American football. The campaign concluded with Argentina ultimately prevailing among the respondents, though the article emphasises that the pitch will ultimately decide the true winner of the match.

Roma's squad will enjoy a day off tomorrow after their first pre-season test at Trigoria this morning. Gasperini's team defeated the Primavera 6–0 in a friendly split into four 20-minute periods. The players will return to training on Tuesday afternoon at 18:00. The break comes at the end of Roma's opening week in pre-season retreat. While the squad enjoys their rest day, director of sport Tony D'Amico will have little downtime over the next 48 hours. He is expected to accelerate work on the Summerville front, following instructions from the club's ownership during this crucial window.

Roma concluded their first pre-season friendly with a commanding 6–0 victory over the Primavera side. Matías Soulé, Bryan Cristante, Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala were among the scorers, with Dovbyk and Dybala each netting twice. The result provided a positive opening statement as Roma prepare for the campaign ahead. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini granted his squad a rest day following the dominant display. Training resumes on Tuesday at 18:00 when the team will step up their physical and tactical work. The progressive increase in intensity is designed to build match fitness ahead of further pre-season fixtures and the official start of the season. Gasperini and his coaching staff are satisfied with the early indicators but emphasise that preparation is in its infancy.