Roma Femminile face Juventus in Women's Cup final as Gasperini's men take on Inter

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has named his squad for the next two friendlies, against Uruguay and Costa Rica, and three AS Roma players have been included: Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. The call-ups are a confirmation for the three players, who had already been selected by Scaloni for Argentina's most recent fixtures. The three are coached at club level by Gian Piero Gasperini. Alongside them, Serie A is represented in the Argentina squad by Troilo (Parma), Perrone (Como) and Mastantuono (Fiorentina). The squad list for the Uruguay and Costa Rica matches gives Roma's Argentine contingent continued international recognition under Scaloni, with Soulé, Castro and Balerdi all involved in the national team set-up for these friendlies.

Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez could suddenly find themselves in the spotlight for Roma's Champions League night against Manchester United, after Pierluigi Gollini picked up an injury following Mile Svilar's absence. Coach Gasperini may be forced to turn to one of the two goalkeepers who have so far stayed on the margins of the project, an emergency that has several precedents in Roma's history. One of the most unusual cases dates back to 1993, when Patrizio Fimiani was called upon to guard Roma's goal in the two-legged Coppa Italia final against Torino. The experience was not a happy one: Roma lost 3-0 in the first leg, and in the return at the Olimpico they lost 5-2 despite almost completing a comeback. In the 2000s, the turn fell to Carlo Zotti and Gianluca Curci. Zotti, a product of the youth sector, started as third choice behind Pelizzoli and Lupatelli and made his Serie A debut in May 2003 against Torino. The 2004/05 season proved particularly difficult for him. He alternated good performances with several errors and eventually lost his place. The main beneficiary was Curci, initially third in the pecking order. After his Coppa Italia debut against Siena, he made his Serie A debut on 19 December 2004 against Parma. Pelizzoli was injured and Zotti accidentally cut himself with a bottle of perfume, forcing Roma to rely on the young keeper from the Primavera. The most famous precedent, however, is Julio Sergio. Arriving in the capital in 2006, the Brazilian spent over three years without playing a competitive match, so much so that Spalletti described him as "the best third-choice goalkeeper in the world". His breakthrough came on 30 August 2009 against Juventus, when Doni was injured and Artur's performances had failed to convince the coach, who opted for Julio Sergio. Roma lost 3-1, but the Brazilian subsequently won the starting place under Ranieri and became one of the key figures in the team that came close to the Scudetto in 2010, a fairytale culminating in decisive saves in the derbies against Lazio. Far less fortunate was the experience of Mauro Goicoechea. Arriving in 2012 as third choice behind Stekelenburg and Lobont, the Uruguayan made his debut on 31 October against Parma, coming on at half-time for the injured Dutchman. With Lobont also unavailable, Goicoechea found himself guarding the giallorossi goal. Zeman then chose to back him, giving him a permanent place in the starting line-up. The decision did not bring the hoped-for results and culminated in a disastrous blunder on 1 February 2013 against Cagliari. Roma lost 4-2 amid whistles at the Olimpico, and the following day Zeman was sacked. More recently, Daniel Fuzato, third choice behind Pau Lopez and Mirante, made his debut on 1 August 2020 against Juventus on the final matchday of the league season, taking advantage of Fonseca's rotation. The following season he saw more game time, defending the Roma goal in the 2-0 derby win over Lazio on 15 May 2021. Pau Lopez's injury brings back memories of another emergency Roma faced at Old Trafford. On 29 April 2021, in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United, the Spaniard had to leave the pitch in the 28th minute with a shoulder problem. Antonio Mirante came on in his place. Roma, 2-1 up at half-time, collapsed after the break, conceding five goals and losing 6-2. Five years on, Roma again risk finding themselves in an emergency between the posts in Manchester. Everything will depend on Gollini's condition, but for Vásquez or De Marzi the opportunity could come, one that was hard to imagine only a few hours ago.

Roma goalkeeping problems deepen as Pierluigi Gollini is doubtful for the Champions League fixture against Manchester United because of a back problem. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now weigh his alternatives, with Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez the two options if Gollini is ruled out. Neither has yet made a debut for the club. The situation follows the injury to Mile Svilar, which has left Roma short between the posts. Vásquez's route to a possible Champions League start has been rapid. He began the season on the fringes of Gasperini's plans but was recalled after Svilar's long absence. Vásquez was born in Barranquilla on 12 May 1998. Milan bought him from Paraguay's Guaraní in January 2023, but he never made a first-team appearance for the Rossoneri. A series of loans followed, first to Sheffield Wednesday in England and then to Ascoli in Serie B. His breakthrough came in the 2024/25 season, when he became Empoli's first-choice goalkeeper in Serie A. Roma signed him on a free transfer in summer 2025, after his Milan contract ended, on a deal running until 2027. At Roma, Svilar was the undisputed first choice and Gollini the second, leaving Vásquez without a single appearance. He moved to Beşiktaş in the winter transfer window of 2026, but his spell in Turkey also brought only one league appearance. He returned to Trigoria at the end of the season. Unable to find a new club in the summer, he was initially left out of Roma's Serie A squad. Svilar's injury changed that, and Vásquez was first added to the Serie A squad for the trip to Como and later to the Champions League list.