Roma continues negotiations with UEFA over financial fair play settlement

Dario Bonetti, a former Roma defender, has reflected on his time at the club and his Serie A career in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. Bonetti made his Serie A debut in the 1980–81 season under Dino Viola, arriving at Roma after military service. He recalled sharing accommodation at Trigoria with Carlo Ancelotti and arriving alongside Falcao, though he named Bruno Conti as his favourite teammate: "a Brazilian born by mistake in Nettuno." Bonetti also spoke movingly about Agostino Di Bartolomei, one of Roma's most revered figures. "He was a gentleman unlike few others," Bonetti said of the legend. "His death was a tragedy I still cannot explain to myself. He was a man of great culture, somewhat introverted, and he was abandoned by the football world. I believe that was one of the reasons for his gesture." Bonetti's recollection underscores the deep impact Di Bartolomei had on those who played alongside him during Roma's golden era.

Gian Piero Gasperini declared himself "very satisfied" with Roma's completed signings at his pre-match press conference on 22 August, but the coach's public words mask deeper frustration with how the transfer window has unfolded. While Gasperini has praised the club's reactivity within a market still open, not everything has gone as he originally envisioned. Roma pursued Greenwood and then Summerville—ready-made attackers capable of immediate impact—before ultimately landing on Rodrigo Mora, a 19-year-old talent of immense potential but one around whom immediate decisiveness cannot be demanded. Gasperini had hoped that Roma's Champions League qualification would push the ownership towards more ambitious horizons, including willingness to pursue players commanding higher wages and therefore better prepared for immediate contribution. That did not materialize. The arrival of chief executive John Galantic, implementing the ownership's principles, has reinforced that direction. The contrast is stark: fielding Greenwood is one proposition; operating without him another. The failed pursuit of Moreira—who instead joined AC Milan, a direct competitor—further illustrates the limits of this summer's ambition. Two further additions remain expected: Oosterwolde and a winger described as "mythological," according to reporting cited here. Yet the gap between Gasperini's initial expectations and the reality of the window—constrained by ownership philosophy rather than sudden circumstance—colours the technical director's satisfaction with caution.

Gian Piero Gasperini arrived at Roma in June with ambitious transfer targets but will end the window with a markedly different squad profile, reflecting financial constraints that emerged mid-campaign. The coach expected to sign established stars such as Greenwood, Summerville or Nusa but instead will complete a roster built on younger, more affordable talent. Oosterwolde will arrive in the coming days as one of the final signings, with a second incoming player still to join before the close of the window. Gasperini's measured public tone masks deeper frustration: his original reinforcement strategy collided with Roma's strict wage-cap obligations under the Settlement Agreement with UEFA. "We started looking for very high-profile, established names but we had to confront the need to keep the wage bill under certain limits, so we switched to other players, possibly young ones to develop," he said, adding that "communications changed at a certain point." The turning point came after Roma sent an aircraft to Rotterdam on 21 July to pursue Summerville, whose package would have cost €53 million plus €4 million in wages and bonuses. That deal collapsed under circumstances Gasperini has not fully explained. He suggested that signing Summerville might have precluded other moves, or that his contract was only sustainable at that moment. Roma's operational margin shifted sharply after Al Hilal's intervention in the market forced rapid signings: Castro (€36m plus €3m), Koulierakis (€16.5m plus €1.5m), and Molina (€13m plus €4m—an unplanned outlay that would have been unnecessary had Çelik remained). A pivotal meeting at Helsol in Wales with CEO Galactic led the ownership to shift strategy away from chasing elite young talent like Nusa toward more sustainable, youth-focused profiles. Gasperini blamed the Financial Fair Play restrictions: "It's limiting; perhaps Roma is the only club in Italy that has to pay this price." He emphasized that Roma has already received two deferrals from UEFA and cannot obtain another, with "a reckoning" now at hand.