Roma face Cannes in pre-season friendly as Dybala and Malen lead attack

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Maresca has been appointed to referee Roma's Serie A fixture against Torino on Monday at 18:30. Tegoni and Fontani will serve as assistant referees, Sozza as fourth official, and Aureliano at VAR. Maresca has nineteen previous matches involving Roma, with a record of 8 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats for the Giallorossi—a slight advantage but marked by several controversies. His last Roma appointment came on 17 May last season, when Roma won the Derby della Capitale with a brace from Mancini.

Maresca will take charge of Torino's Serie A match against Roma on Monday 14 September at 18:30, kick-off time 18:30. The fixture is the fourth round of the league campaign. Maresca will be assisted by Tegoni and Fontani, with Sozza as fourth official. Aureliano will operate as VAR, and Ghersini as AVAR. The full set of match officials for the upcoming round of Serie A fixtures has been confirmed. Across the weekend's ten matches, spanning Friday 11 September through Monday 14 September, a complete slate of referees, assistants and video review officials have been named. Lazio play Milan on Saturday 12 September at 18:00, with Marcenaro in charge, while Juventus travel to Sassuolo on Sunday 13 September at 20:45 under Sacchi. Inter face Udinese on Monday 14 September at 20:45 with Pairetto as referee. Other notable appointments include Fourneau for Venezia v Fiorentina on Friday 11 September at 20:45; Rapuano for Genoa v Frosinone on Saturday 12 September at 15:00; Crezzini for Lecce v Monza on Sunday 13 September at 15:00; Bonacina for Napoli v Bologna on Sunday 13 September at 18:00; Mucera for Como v Parma on Monday 14 September at 18:30; and Arena for Atalanta v Cagliari on Saturday 12 September at 20:45.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce on Thursday evening. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy a squad combining several players making their maiden appearance in the competition's main draw alongside seasoned European campaigners. Gianluca Mancini and Manu Koné will make their Champions League debuts, as will younger squad members including Pisilli, Lulli, Mora and Ghilardi. Gasperini can call on considerable experience to balance the newcomers. Paulo Dybala and Marten de Roon have accumulated nearly one hundred appearances between them at the highest level. Nahuel Molina and Mario Hermoso both bring over sixty European appearances from their time at Atlético Madrid, while Donyell Malen, Leonardo Balerdi and Artem Dovbyk add further continental pedigree. Dybala will lead the attack and is targeting a European goal; his last came in the Europa League final in Budapest against Seville. Roma will be supported by approximately 2,300 fans in the away section at the Turkish stadium. The domestic competition faces a ticketing restriction for the upcoming Serie A fixture against Torino: the CASMS has banned ticket sales to residents of Rome province due to potential clashes with Parma supporters travelling to Como, permitting purchases only to AS Roma Card holders from other Italian regions.

Roma enter the Champions League for the first time in seven years on Thursday evening against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, arriving on the back of three consecutive Serie A victories and with a squad that has absorbed Gian Piero Gasperini's identity. The club intends to bring the same aggression and forward-thinking approach that has impressed domestically to the continent's elite competition, though the standard will inevitably be higher. Paulo Dybala will be central to Roma's European night. Gasperini appears intent on leaning on his most experienced players to guide a return to the highest stage after a long absence. The squad blends proven European hands with Champions League debutants: Mancini, Koné, Wesley, Pisilli, Mora, Ghilardi and Lulli will compete in the competition for the first time, while De Roon, Molina, Balerdi, Hermoso, Malen and Dybala bring substantial European pedigree. Gasperini himself knows these nights well from his time at Atalanta and will attempt to transfer that experience to Roma without changing the team's character—one built on constant attacking intent and refusal to surrender. Matías Soulé is among the most anticipated performers. After physical problems last season and a summer marked by transfer speculation, the Argentine has rediscovered form with two consecutive goals against Lecce and Atalanta, plus a 93rd-minute strike that set the Olimpico alight. He now faces Fenerbahce, featuring Mason Greenwood, one of Roma's major targets during the summer transfer window. Roma arrive in Istanbul with confidence and a squad mixing veterans and debutants. While not obliged to compete as equals with Europe's strongest sides, they have the tools to become an awkward obstacle. Gasperini knows it well: seven years on, Roma return among the stars—and they intend to do so without fear.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

AS Roma flew to Turkey on 9 September 2026 for their opening match of the Champions League group stage. The squad gathered at Fiumicino airport in the morning and boarded a direct flight to Istanbul, where they will face Fenerbahce on 10 September in the first round of the tournament. Around forty supporters, mostly young fans, waited outside Terminal 5 to send off the team led by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The players stopped before boarding to sign autographs on official shirts and pose for photographs with the crowd. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen drew the loudest acclaim from supporters, signing items and taking pictures before passing through security checks.

Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku will face each other as enemies tomorrow when Fenerbahce visit Roma, but their reunion carries the weight of unfulfilled promise. The pair were signed to form a devastating partnership in late summer 2023, when Lukaku arrived on a Friedkin Group charter flight to widespread Roma fan excitement. Together, Dybala and Lukaku collected 37 goals and 15 assists across their time as teammates, with Lukaku contributing 21 goals and 5 assists and Dybala 16 goals and 10 assists. When both were on the pitch, Lukaku scored 17 goals and Dybala 15—solid returns that suggested the chemistry was immediate and potent. Yet injuries and José Mourinho's dismissal as head coach meant those numbers never translated into the sustained success both player and club demanded. Lukaku departed at the end of that season, initially returning to Chelsea before joining Napoli. Dybala narrowly avoided a move to Saudi Arabia, saved by what he and Roma supporters regard as a fortunate reversal of circumstances. Their trajectories have since diverged sharply. Dybala has started the 2026-27 season impressively and remains the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma attack. Lukaku, by contrast, is struggling in Turkey and may start tomorrow from the bench. Despite his current difficulties, Lukaku's history as a dangerous substitute—and the unpredictability of former teammates—means Roma cannot afford complacency in the 90 minutes ahead.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

AS Roma flew to Turkey on 9 September 2026 for their opening match of the Champions League group stage. The squad gathered at Fiumicino airport in the morning and boarded a direct flight to Istanbul, where they will face Fenerbahce on 10 September in the first round of the tournament. Around forty supporters, mostly young fans, waited outside Terminal 5 to send off the team led by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The players stopped before boarding to sign autographs on official shirts and pose for photographs with the crowd. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen drew the loudest acclaim from supporters, signing items and taking pictures before passing through security checks.

Roma face Fenerbahce in the Champions League on 10 September 2026 in Istanbul, where the hosts will lean heavily on Mason Greenwood to trouble the visiting defence. Turkish newspaper Fanatik declared that Greenwood will "destroy Roma", reflecting the weight Fenerbahce manager Kartal is placing on his star player ahead of what has become a decisive fixture. After four league matches—two wins and two defeats including a derby loss to Besiktas—Kartal is already under pressure, and the Champions League clash looms as potentially crucial for his tenure. Roma's main tactical concern centres on Donyell Malen, the Dutch forward who has already scored five goals this season and is preparing to make his Champions League debut in the competition for the club. Turkish media report that Fenerbahce have devised a specific defensive plan to contain Malen's threat. The Stadio will host approximately 50,000 spectators, including 2,300 Roma supporters. Fenerbahce will be without Guendouzi through suspension and cannot rely on Asensio, who is dealing with a physical problem. Greenwood will operate behind the forwards with tactical freedom and is positioned as Kartal's primary hope to overcome a Roma side that Gian Piero Gasperini has been coaching since 2025.