Roma depart for Istanbul ahead of Fenerbahçe Champions League opener

Roma return to the UEFA Champions League on Thursday at 18:45 with a trip to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce at Stadio Şükrü Saracoğlu. Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will take charge of the match, with assistants Diego Barbero and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso. César Soto Grado handles VAR duties, with Valentín Gómez as AVAR and Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. Gil Manzano is not unfamiliar with Roma. His most distant previous encounter came on 7 November 2019, when he refereed Roma's 2–1 defeat away at Borussia Mönchengladbach. His more recent meeting came in a Europa League playoff return against Feyenoord, which Roma won on penalties, with Mile Svilar delivering a standout performance.

UEFA has confirmed that Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will take charge of Fenerbahçe vs Roma on Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul for the opening match of the 2026–27 Champions League League Phase. Gil Manzano has previously officiated Roma twice in European competition. He will be assisted by Diego Barbero and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, with Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. César Soto Grado will operate at VAR, supported by AVAR Valentín Gómez, making the entire match officiating team Spanish. This fixture marks Roma's return to the Champions League after seven years. Gil Manzano's two prior encounters with Roma came in Europa League matches. The first was on 7 November 2019, when Roma lost 2–1 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the group stage. The second, much more recent, took place on 22 February 2024 at the Olimpico in a Europa League playoff return leg against Feyenoord. After a 1–1 draw that persisted through extra time, Roma secured qualification to the round of 16 by winning 4–2 on penalties. Excluding the penalty shootout outcome and considering only the match itself, Roma's record against Gil Manzano stands at one draw and one defeat. Thursday's encounter in Istanbul will be their third meeting, this time in the Champions League.

Roma director of sport Tony D'Amico was heard by the Federal Prosecutor's office on 8 September to give his account of an incident involving Atalanta chief executive Luca Percassi following the Roma-Atalanta match at the Olimpico. According to Il Messaggero, D'Amico was expected at Trigoria in the afternoon to provide his version of events to the sporting authorities. According to accounts that emerged after the match, D'Amico was reportedly insulted repeatedly by Percassi, first at the exit from the Tribuna 1927 and later in the Monte Mario car park. The Roma director chose not to respond to the provocations, preventing the confrontation from escalating further. Roma had already publicly backed D'Amico through an official statement released on Sunday, calling the conduct attributed to Percassi unacceptable and announcing its intention to report the matter to the sporting authorities. The Federal Prosecutor's office opened an investigation to establish a precise account of what happened. On 7 September, stewards and several witnesses present at the Olimpico had already been heard. D'Amico's testimony on 8 September was followed by an expected statement from Percassi, with the evidence gathered by prosecutors set to determine any further developments in the case.