Roma Continue Pre-Season Work as Molina Trains with Squad; Nearly 10,000 Season-Ticket Holders Sign Up for European Competitions After One Day

Greece produced a surprise 1-0 victory over Germany in the second matchday of the Nations League, with a goal from Kourbelis in the 74th minute. The win puts Greece top of their group with six points. Netherlands sit second after beating Serbia 2-1. Roma defender Konstantinos Koulierakis was not included in the Greece squad for the match against Jürgen Klopp's Germany side and watched from the stands.

Paulo Dybala has recorded four assists in Roma's first six matches of the 2026–27 season, marking the strongest opening of his playing career by that measure. The Argentine has yet to score, but has emerged as one of Gian Piero Gasperini's principal architects of attack, delivering a creative output that far exceeds any comparable period in his time at Roma, Juventus or Palermo. The contrast with Dybala's previous seasons in the Giallorossi is striking. In his debut campaign, 2022–23, he registered two assists across the opening six matches and finished with eight overall. The 2023–24 season saw him record ten assists for the entire campaign but zero in the first six games. Last season, 2025–26, followed the same pattern: zero assists in the opening six appearances, with four accumulated by season's end, and his first assist arriving only at the end of October against Parma. This year he has already doubled his previous best start for Roma. His record at Juventus reveals the same picture. Dybala never reached four assists so quickly at any stage of his time there. In 2021–22 he managed two in the opening six matches and six for the season. In 2020–21, he recorded zero in the first six before reaching four overall. Even in one of his most prolific assist seasons, 2019–20, he began more slowly with two in the opening six before accumulating fourteen across the full campaign. His previous career high for a six-game opening had consistently remained at two assists. At Palermo, the pattern was similar: in 2014–15, a season he finished with ten assists, he delivered just one in the opening six matches; in 2012–13, he managed zero. Dybala's impact extends beyond raw assist numbers. After the opening rounds of Serie A, he ranked first for assists, chances created, big chances created and completed passes in the attacking third. The evolution of his role under Gasperini is evident: the manager is receiving primarily finishing service from him—quality in the final pass and the ability to place teammates in scoring positions. Given that some of his most productive assist seasons began far more slowly, the four passes he has already accumulated make his opening to 2026–27 particularly significant.

Francesco Totti marked his 50th birthday on 27 September with reflections on his Roma career and a revelation about the club's recruitment. In a long interview and in his book *Oltre*, published on his birthday, Totti spoke about the debt he owes to Roma: "Roma has allowed me to realise my dream, to wear a single shirt, number 10, and to be captain." On the historic number 10, Totti insisted it should go to a player who could stay at Roma long-term rather than a passing figure. Totti also disclosed a curious behind-the-scenes transfer story involving the club's current squad. During a dinner with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini in recent months, Totti recommended several potential signings. Among them was Santiago Castro, the forward who arrived from Bologna this summer. Totti recalled: "I suggested an attacker to Gasperini—Castro, a winger, and a midfielder." Gasperini, the article reports, held a positive view of the Argentine's profile, saying: "Castro appeals to me a great deal; I think we see football in the same way." Separately, Gianluca Mancini will not travel with Italy for the Nations League away fixture against Turkey. Roberto Mancini, the Italy coach, has opted to manage the squad's workload, leaving ten players at Coverciano including Roma's defender. Daniele Ghilardi, also of Roma, has been called up and will be part of the Italian delegation for the match scheduled for tomorrow evening in Bursa. Mancini will follow a personalised training programme at the Italian Football Federation's technical centre. Former Roma players paid tribute to Totti on his milestone birthday. Fabrizio Aspri, speaking on Radio Radio, reflected on his character: "I remember feeling unwell after the goal against Genoa. I liked Totti as a man. Francesco is kind and good. At his first American press conference he said: 'Fabrizio Aspri doesn't start the press conference.' Totti is many things, you can't capture him in a book. The Totti I experienced was a daily Totti—like the desk mate we never had. If Totti missed a match, the airport was empty. His simplicity was the most beautiful thing about him."

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina want to attend a farewell match for Lionel Messi with Argentina on 6 October, but the timing poses a logistical and sporting problem for Roma. The event is scheduled for 22:00 in Argentina, and factoring in travel, time zones and recovery, both players would not be available until 8 October. Roma face Como three days later on 11 October at 12:30 in a crucial fixture for the top of the league that also opens a demanding run of consecutive Serie A and Champions League matches. The question of whether the pair should travel has become one of the most delicate issues during Roma's current international break. Reports differ on where the resistance lies. According to Il Messaggero, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini gave approval for Dybala and Molina to depart, recognising the special significance of the occasion for two players who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi. However, Corriere dello Sport reports that the Friedkin family themselves have applied the brakes, judging the cost in fatigue, travel and recovery too high ahead of such an important match. No final decision has been made. The situation remains open, though the lean of opinion is currently towards preventing the trip. A definitive resolution is expected on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria, when the club, Gasperini and the players must weigh sporting demands against personal wishes and reach a shared conclusion. Meanwhile, other Argentina internationals will attend the Messi event regardless. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi are all on regular national team duty and will participate in the farewell ceremony, meaning they will be among the last national team players to return to Rome ahead of the Como fixture.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina face uncertainty over attending Lionel Messi's final Argentina match, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having approved the trip but the club moving toward blocking it. The two Argentine players, not called up for Argentina's opening international break friendlies, were invited to the farewell friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. Both would not return to Italy until 8 October, leaving only three days before Roma's away fixture against Como on 11 October—the start of a gruelling run of nine matches in 27 days. The decision will be made on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi will definitely return, as all three have been called up and are the last to arrive back in Italy.

Roma have decided to deny Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina permission to travel to Buenos Aires for a friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental stadium, organised by the Argentine Football Association to mark Lionel Messi's farewell from the national team. Despite the symbolic weight of the occasion—particularly for Dybala, who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi—the club has rejected the request. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was decisive in his opposition, viewing the intercontinental round trip to South America as excessively demanding at a critical point in the season, just five days before Roma's Serie A match at Como on 11 October. Dybala had hoped to make the trip a rapid visit, but no authorisation came from the club's Trigoria training ground. The club's rigid stance reflects broader concerns among Italian sides about the match's timing and short notice. Both Inter and Fiorentina have formally registered their disapproval with the AFA over the scheduling, which they regard as poorly timed during the European campaign. Gasperini's firmness was the decisive factor, with the club unwilling to release two key players for an unofficial fixture. The decision marks a firm boundary as Roma prepare for the resumption of their season.