Roma cuts Mourinho from Conference League anniversary post, sparking fan backlash

Roma arrive at the international break on the back of an almost perfect start to the season. Gasperini's side sit top of the table with four wins in five league matches, and have impressed with a near-miss against Serie A champions Inter plus a valuable draw away at Fenerbahçe in the Champions League. During the three-week break between matchday five and matchday six, Gasperini will work with players at Trigoria, including Wesley, Malen and Cristante, who are carrying minor injuries, alongside squad members not called up by their national teams. The goal is to have all players at 100% fitness when league action resumes. According to Corriere della Sera, Roma will play two friendlies during the break. These matches will serve both to build match fitness and to involve young academy players, offering them valuable minutes and opportunities to integrate with the senior squad.

Francesco Totti has revealed he genuinely considered returning to professional football at 48 years old, but ultimately rejected overtures from Genoa and Como. The Roma legend explained his reasoning: he could not bring himself to play against his former club. Totti spent his entire career at Roma before retiring in 2017, scoring 307 goals for the Giallorossi. His reflection on potential comeback moves shows the enduring connection between the former captain and AS Roma, even as other Serie A clubs sought to tempt him back into action.

Francesco Totti has disclosed that he received offers from both Genoa and Como when he was 48 years old, but declined both opportunities. Speaking in connection with his new book *Oltre*, published with Corriere della Sera, Totti explained the reasoning behind his rejection of Serie A football after leaving Roma. Totti recounted how his jesting comments about being ready to return to football were taken seriously by club officials. Genoa, managed by Alberto Gilardino—a fellow 2006 World Cup winner with Italy—and Como, with Cesc Fabregas in the dugout, both made formal approaches. Gilardino was 42 at the time and Fabregas 37, meaning Totti would have been respectively six and eleven years older than the men directing his football. To test his fitness, Totti embarked on a serious conditioning programme: he played eight-a-side football every Monday evening, added three weekly gym sessions and two with a physiotherapist, and overhauled his diet, eliminating bread and sweets. He felt his body respond well, though he acknowledged the inevitable wear of a near-50-year-old—a slight back problem but nothing grave. The Marassi stadium, Genoa's home, held particular appeal: an English-style ground with passionate supporters, and notably the venue of his final Roma match. Gilardino sent occasional WhatsApp messages checking his progress: "Allora?" ("So?"). Yet as Totti trained and his fitness improved, an internal conflict crystallized. He articulated the core tension in a question he posed to himself repeatedly: "But can you play for a team that isn't Roma?" He wrote: "Inside me the right answer rang out loudly. I tried not to hear it." Though age could be overcome—"the foot doesn't age, everyone agrees on that"—the prospect of wearing another shirt felt like a betrayal regardless of his years. "A sporting betrayal has no age, whether you're 18 or 48," he reflected. Totti also revealed the beginning of his relationship with Noemi, describing their first kiss near Piazza del Popolo in a car, and recounted the death of his father Enzo, the legendary "Sceriffo," who died at Rome's Spallanzani hospital after contracting Covid-19. A doctor treating his father called with the news, prefacing it with "Purtroppo" ("Unfortunately"), and Totti understood immediately what had happened.

Rome's radio stations have offered their assessment of Roma's early season form, with particular focus on the players needing to regain their fitness ahead of the international break. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo observed that several squad members are working to recover their form, notably Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has not yet been used by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Pes believes Gasperini's strategy has been to start strongly in these opening matches before using the three-week break to build energy levels. Wes­ley has emerged as the player facing the greatest physical difficulty, according to Pes. The defender suffered an injury just days before the league campaign began and therefore missed the normal pre-season preparation his teammates received. "I saw him behind, but I think the others are doing well and I believe this break can help him," Pes said. Despite Gasperini having indicated he sees Pellegrini operating in midfield, the coach has not deployed him there yet, leaving that as a potential tactical option. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino argued that Roma represent a credible threat to Inter, particularly given that the transfer market will offer further opportunities in January. He highlighted the impact of having Donyell Malen available from the start of matches rather than mid-game, alongside Paulo Dybala's strong performances. Luigi Salomone, also of Radio Radio Mattino, assessed Roma's campaign as excellent but suggested they need to address aspects of their display in their upcoming fixture against Inter.

Roma radio pundits have weighed in on the club's opening to the season, with strong praise for the attack and defence but lingering regret over the Inter result. Carina on Radio Radio called Roma deserving of a high mark after difficult fixtures against Fiorentina, Atalanta and Inter, saying they can compete for a Europa League place. "Dybala is the strongest at Roma, he makes the difference when he's fit," Carina said. "The attack is the best in Italy in my view and the defence is the best in the league. There are things to adjust, but there are many positive aspects." Carina also reflected on remarks Gasperini made suggesting he feared Dybala could be injured, believing a mental "switch" occurred in the Inter match that could unlock the forward's goalscoring. Pruzzo on Radio Radio backed Roma's credentials against Inter despite calling for January clarity in the transfer market, noting that Malen's availability from the start and Dybala's form are encouraging signs. Salomone also on Radio Radio acknowledged Roma's fine campaign but suggested the Inter result could have been different with earlier substitutions. Pes on Teleradio Stereo praised Gasperini's athletic work but highlighted uneven recovery in the squad. "Pellegrini hasn't been used yet and still needs to regain form," Pes said, while Wesley was singled out as struggling most physically after his injury just days before the season started. Pes added: "Gasperini said he sees Pellegrini in midfield, but hasn't put him on yet. I think that could be a card to play." The pundit expects the international break to give Wesley time to catch up with his teammates.

Roma's midfield has become the engine driving the club's strong start to the season, with centrebacks contributing five goals across Serie A and the Champions League so far. The standout moment came from Manu Koné, who scored twice against Inter at the Olimpico in what the club sees as his breakthrough performance. Beyond Koné's brace, the midfield has drawn on contributions from nearly all its members, showcasing a collective potency that is pushing Roma towards the top of the league. Niccolò Pisilli has emerged as an extraordinary box-to-box threat, remarkably having scored ten goals for Roma with all of them coming after the eightieth minute. Bryan Cristante combines defensive work, equilibrium and distance shooting, demonstrated in the first half against Inter. Koné, whom Gasperini considers a central player capable of changing the team's level, was notably absent last season and his presence is being keenly felt. Gasperini is evaluating rotations across the group, including the possibility of using Lorenzo Pellegrini more regularly in the heart of midfield—an idea sketched out last year and now being applied. Marten de Roon has featured less frequently but will be incorporated into the rotation plans. This depth of midfield options becomes crucial when attackers like Donyell Malen must drift wider to escape opposing markers. Roma's midfield strength underpins the club's remarkable run of thirteen consecutive results without defeat stretching back to last April in San Siro, a streak that best illustrates the squad's growth. The team prepares for the match against Como from the top of the table, bolstered by that unbroken sequence of performances across league and cup competition.