Roma fan guide for Manchester United trip at Old Trafford

AS Roma have issued a full set of entry instructions for supporters travelling to Old Trafford for their Champions League fixture against Manchester United on Tuesday 3 November. Tickets for the away section have already been emailed to buyers, and they can be used only in digital form via NFC technology. The club said all tickets bought for the Old Trafford away section were sent to the email addresses given during purchase. Fans who have not received their ticket, or who have trouble displaying it, can call the assistance service on 06/89386000, which operates from 9:00 to 18:30. Roma advise supporters to download their ticket before arriving at the stadium to avoid problems at the turnstiles. The away section is in the south-east corner of the stadium and is split into several areas, each with its own entrance. Holders of tickets for section S229 must enter only through gate S22, and requests to move to sections E230-E233 will not be possible. Seating was allocated at random, following the order in which tickets were bought. The gates open two hours before kick-off. All fans will go through security checks and cannot bring in bags larger than an A4 sheet. Tickets for other areas of the stadium will not grant access to the away section. On the advice of local authorities, the official meeting point for Roma supporters will be Shambles Square in central Manchester, at Shambles Square, Cathedral Gates, Manchester, M3 1SW. From there, fans can walk to Old Trafford in about 45 minutes, following the route the club has published. Screenshots, paper printouts and alternative QR codes will not be accepted. Phones must be working and have enough charge at the time of entry, and fans with a flat battery will not be allowed in. Tickets can be downloaded more than once and on different devices. Android users must check that NFC is switched on. Samsung owners may need to set Google Wallet as their default app. Apple devices have NFC active automatically. Roma urge all supporters to complete these checks before travelling to Old Trafford so that they avoid problems at the point of entry.

AS Roma have published an official club notice with practical information for supporters travelling to Old Trafford for their Champions League fixture against Manchester United. The club's statement comes ahead of Roma's Serie A match against Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium, which is taking place tomorrow, with the Champions League trip following on Tuesday. According to the notice, tickets bought for the away game against Manchester United have been sent to the email addresses entered at the time of purchase. Fans who have not received the email, or who have problems viewing their ticket, can call 06/89386000 between 9.00 and 18.30. The ticket is in mobile format and works exclusively with NFC technology, and fans must download it before arriving at the stadium. The away section is in the south-east corner of the stadium and includes sectors S229 (entrance S22) and E230, E231, E232 and E233 (entrances E30 and AE8). Ticket holders for sector S229 may only enter through entrance S22, and requests to move to sectors E230 to E233 will not be possible. Sectors were allocated randomly according to the order in which tickets were purchased. Supporters will be able to access the stadium from two hours before kick-off. On arrival, fans will be subjected to security checks, and bags larger than an A4 sheet of paper are not allowed. Entry to the away section will not be permitted under any circumstances for anyone holding tickets for other areas of the stadium. On the instructions of the local authorities, the meeting point for all Roma supporters is Shambles Square (Shambles Square, Cathedral Gates, Manchester, M3 1SW). From there, fans can walk to the stadium in around 45 minutes.

Exactly 25 years ago, on 30 October 2001, Daniele De Rossi made his first appearance for Roma, in a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht. The club has marked the anniversary with a retrospective on that night. Roma had already secured qualification to the next stage of the Champions League before kicking off, but a final group slot was still to be filled. Fabio Capello's side wore the Champions League kit of that season, half yellow and half red, with blue shorts and socks. Capello fielded an experimental side in a 3-5-2 system, with Pelizzoli in goal, a back three of Siviglia, Samuel and Aldair, and a midfield of Cafu, Assunção, Emerson, Tomic and Guigou, with Cassano and Delvecchio up front. Anderlecht took the lead through Mornar, and Delvecchio equalised to make it 1-1 at full time. The defining moment came in the 26th minute of the second half, when an 18-year-old with a blond bob haircut and the number 27 shirt replaced the Serbian midfielder Ivan Tomic. It was his first appearance for Roma, and he had yet to play a league match. He went on to make three further appearances in the Coppa Italia that season. His first Serie A match came on 25 January 2003, at the neutral venue of Piacenza against Como. The club describes that 1-1 draw with Anderlecht as the first piece in the story of De Rossi's time at Roma. He has worn the shirt 616 times, beginning with that night against Anderlecht. The figure 616 is, in the club's words, evocative of what De Rossi would become at Roma. The number 16, which he has worn since 2005, is made up of 6 and 16, and the club notes the 6 for De Rossi himself.