Roma explore postponement of UEFA settlement agreement amid financial constraints

Leonardo Balerdi has been confirmed as available for Gian Piero Gasperini and is included in the squad for the fixture against Lecce. In his first interview, the Argentine defender signalled his focus on the Derby della Capitale, sidelining Lazio without naming them directly. When asked about playing at the Stadio Olimpico, Balerdi said: "I've been here before and we played against another team. I want to know it from this side." The remark delighted Roma supporters. Bareldi has already demonstrated proficiency in Italian, surprising observers during the interview. His fluency stems from his girlfriend, who was born in Milan, and his mother, an Italian language teacher in Argentina. The combination of derby awareness and linguistic ease has made an immediate impression on the fanbase as the club prepares for the opening fixture.

Leonardo Balerdi has given his first interview since completing his transfer from Olympique Marseille to Roma. The Argentine defender spoke to the club's official channels about his early impressions in the capital, his reasons for choosing Roma and his relationship with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Balerdi brings experience from Bundesliga football with Borussia Dortmund, Ligue 1 with Marseille and Argentine domestic football with Boca Juniors, along with 11 caps for the Argentina national team. He has played in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League. His arrival adds defensive depth to Gasperini's squad for the 2026–27 campaign. On his decision to join Roma, Balerdi said: "Many things pushed me, but I think I had something with this shirt. When I was small I saw this shirt and said: 'It's beautiful.' I really liked it and that's why I wanted to play here. I got to know the club and the fans, I saw their passion and I wanted to be here." He revealed his mother was an Italian-language teacher in Argentina and his girlfriend is Italian, explaining his fluent Italian. Asked about Argentine players in Roma's history, he named Paulo, Leandro, Gabriel, Walter Samuel and Gabriel Batistuta. When discussing his idols, he singled out Fernando Gago, who played for Roma: "When I was small I wanted to play as a midfielder and Fernando Gago was my idol. He played here. He was one of my childhood idols. I had saved many photos of Gago in this shirt. Incredible." Regarding Gasperini, Balerdi acknowledged limited direct contact so far: "We've had some contact, but not directly. I also know he looked for me when he was at Atalanta." To the Roma fans, he said: "I want to play, I want to wear this shirt right away and I want to give all my heart, all my strength, to take Roma as high as possible. Thank you for everything. Let's go Roma."

Leonardi Balerdi has been officially confirmed as a Roma player and is already available for selection, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having named him in the squad for the away trip to Lecce. The Argentine defender, arriving from Marseille, gave his first interview to the club's official channels, discussing his childhood ambitions and excitement at joining the Giallorossi. Bareldi cited Juan Sebastián Verón, Lionel Messi and Juan Manuel Riquelme as his boyhood idols, explaining: "When I was small I wanted to play in midfield and one of my references was Gago. He was one of my idols along with Messi and Riquelme because I'm a Boca fan, I wanted to play like Gago and I have lots of photos of him in this shirt." The defender has previously faced Roma in Italian football, noting that he had played against the club on an earlier visit and was keen to experience the rivalry from the other perspective. On his relationship with Gasperini, Balerdi revealed they had not spoken directly but acknowledged the coach's earlier interest: "I didn't speak with Gasperini, but I know he looked for me when he was at Atalanta and now I'm happy to work with him. People have spoken very well of him to me." Addressing Roma's supporters, Balerdi said: "Thank you to everyone, I want to play and wear this shirt straight away and give all my heart and strength to take Roma to the top. Thank you for everything."

Leonardo Balerdi has given his first interview as a Roma player, describing his arrival from Marseille as a move to convince Gasperini and climb the defensive hierarchy. The Argentine former Marseille captain spoke to the club's official channels about his childhood, Gasperini's interest dating back to his Atalanta years, and his experiences elsewhere. "I am truly happy and very calm," Balerdi said. "From the moment I arrived here in Rome they welcomed me with incredible affection and warmth." Bareldi is included in Roma's squad for the trip to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 for the second Serie A round. Roma come into the fixture on the back of a 4–0 home win against Fiorentina and aim to maintain that momentum. However, Devyne Rensch remains unavailable and will return to Gasperini's disposal on Tuesday; Lorenzo Pellegrini is also sidelined. Jan Ziółkowski and Robinio Vaz are absent due to transfer matters. Gasperini has already moved to strengthen the squad, completing the arrival of Marten De Roon from Atalanta within 24–48 hours. De Roon, who boasts over 60 international caps, was released by Atalanta after many years at the club and was not in their plans. Gasperini explained the reasoning behind the De Roon move at his pre-match press conference: "De Roon came about quickly in the space of 24–48 hours. He had a situation at Atalanta after many years and did not fit their plans. There was this opportunity and I made contact with Percassi. They made the decision very quickly and left him free to decide. So El Aynaoui has the chance of a new experience. From an economic perspective it is important because it gives us the chance to move on another role. De Roon is intact even if he is an advanced age; he will enter a strong group that wants to be protagonists. Two captains have arrived and I believe we give this squad a strong physical turning point that it needs, as well as personality. Marten is Dutch like Malen and balances out the Argentines. I am certainly happy and I think from this aspect we come out solid." With three days remaining in the summer transfer window, Roma continue to pursue reinforcements for Gasperini, particularly a left-winger with a right foot. The club is now pushing hard for Luiz Henrique, a Brazilian winger born in 2001 at Zenit. According to Fabrizio Romano, talks are ongoing between Roma and Zenit over Henrique, who has signalled openness to the move and made Roma his priority. The two clubs must now reach final agreement.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Serie A matchday 2 fixture against Lecce. Neil El Aynaoui and Robinio Vaz are absent from the squad list, both players close to departing the club. Devyne Rensch and Lorenzo Pellegrini are also unavailable through injury. The 24-man squad features goalkeepers Svilar, De Marzi and Gollini. In defence, Gasperini has included Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. Midfield options are Cristante, Koné, Pisilli and Mora, while attack is covered by Castro, Malen, Soulé and Dybala.

Roma travel to Lecce for a Serie A fixture at a ground Gian Piero Gasperini described as insidious, with a passionate home crowd and a stadium at full capacity. Lecce began their season with a win at Venezia, and manager Di Francesco acknowledged the challenge ahead while preparing his own tactical response. Di Francesco addressed Roma's early-season form, noting that Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala is performing at an exceptional level. "In the league Roma have shown they are immediately sharp," Di Francesco said. "If we look at the values, Roma is an important squad, but they will find a Lecce that wants to do well in front of its wonderful public." He praised Gasperini's methods: "I know the coach very well—he gives a very strong identity to his teams. We have to be good at containing their qualities and try to hurt them in the chances that come to us." On Lecce's own preparations, Di Francesco outlined midfield options brought into the squad. "Ilic can play anywhere in midfield and raises the quality of our engine room," he explained. "I will also call up Berisha, who I think from next week will work fully with the squad. We have raised the quality in midfield but must not lose the ability to defend together. Ilic has not trained with the team for a month, but I saw him alert—I believe he has a few minutes to help us. Fatah comes from a long lay-off, he was stopped since April, but he has some tricks; tomorrow I will assess based on how the match unfolds." On transfers, Di Francesco added: "We coaches on the market sometimes don't count as much as we would like—in this case Ilic was a request of mine. I wanted an extra player in midfield." Gallo is in doubt for the fixture after suffering problems during the week, though Di Francesco confirmed ongoing dialogue with both him and goalkeeper Falcone, emphasizing the importance of commitment regardless of squad tenure.