Roma face Newport County in Welsh pre-season fixture

Roma suffered a 4–1 defeat to Cardiff City on 1 August, a match in which the Giallorossi struggled to perform at their best and tensions flared on the pitch. A flashpoint involved captain Bryan Cristante and Paulo Dybala, who had a heated face-to-face exchange following an unblown foul on Castro that led to Cardiff's fourth goal. The pair did not come to blows, but the moment reflected frustration over the refereeing decision. At Roma's training session on 2 August, the atmosphere had eased considerably. Cristante was observed speaking calmly with all three Argentine squad members, indicating a return to normal team dynamics and no lingering ill-feeling between the players involved in the Cardiff incident. The match marked another disappointing pre-season outing for Gasperini's side as preparations for the 2026–27 season continue.

Borussia Dortmund will face Roma in a friendly on 15 August as part of their pre-season preparations. Ahead of the fixture, defender Luca Reggiani, speaking after Dortmund's training match against FC Tokyo, expressed his excitement about the encounter. "Facing Roma is a unique emotion, I hope I can play. I will give my best," Reggiani said. The 2008-born defender also offered high praise for Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli. "Niccolò is a very good and very strong lad, really impressive," Reggiani told interviewer Norikazu Sato. The friendly marks an important pre-season test for both clubs as they prepare for the new season.

Borussia Dortmund centre-back Luca Reggiani has spoken ahead of a friendly against Roma scheduled for 15 August at 17:30, describing the fixture as special. During an interview with local media while on tour in Japan, Reggiani said: "Facing Roma is a unique emotion, I hope to play. I will give my best." The match will serve as Roma's final pre-season test before their Serie A campaign begins against Fiorentina on 24 August. Roma are currently on a training camp in Wales, where they suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat to Cardiff on 1 August. The club has further friendlies against Newport on Tuesday and Brighton on Saturday before returning to Rome. Richard also praised Niccolò Pisilli, the Roma midfielder, calling him "a really talented and strong lad". Paulo Dybala and his Roma teammates will use the Dortmund match to build fitness and sharpness ahead of the competitive season.