Roma hunt three points against Fiorentina to chase Champions League spot

Roma have scored 31 goals in their first 11 Serie A matches, a tally the club has never reached before at this stage of a league season. The previous best was 28, in 1960/61. Last season the side averaged one goal a game (12 in the same period), a sharp contrast with the current team, which is scoring freely against every kind of opponent. Last season Roma reached 31 goals only in matchday 25. This year's total is also the club's best start since 2013/14, when Garcia's side won 10 consecutive matches. Roma have 27 points in the league. They are second in Serie A for big chances created (49) and have the second-best defence (10 goals conceded). They also average the most successful dribbles per game (9.3) and have the most clean sheets (6). Roma remain unbeaten in the league, a record they share with Lazio. Across the top five European leagues, the two Roman clubs are joined in this feat only by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The figures were reported by Stefano Carina in Il Messaggero, who credits the turnaround to the arrival of a coach from Grugliasco, Gian Piero Gasperini, who has transformed the side into a team that scores everywhere and against everyone.

Rodrigo Mora's time has arrived, with the Portuguese teenager scoring in a third consecutive Serie A match against Sassuolo, following earlier goals against Cagliari and Udinese. In the past few hours he has also earned his first call-up to the Portugal senior national team, in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Corriere della Sera's Simone Valdarchi writes that there is no crown to inherit and no blasphemous comparison to make; this is simply the story of a teenager who has handled the normal difficulties of arriving in Italian football with brilliance, in an important city like Rome and in a season when Gasperini wants to aim for the top of the league. For weeks, things were not going so well for Mora, but he has kept working and waiting for his moment. In recent weeks, with Dybala out and set to return after the international break in Parma, Mora has found space in the trequartista role, adding flair to matches with his touches in the final 30 metres. Alongside his three consecutive Serie A goals, he produced the assist for Soulé's opening goal for Roma against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Tuesday. It was his second assist of the season, after the one against Real Madrid for Malen. Those were not ordinary fixtures. With the goal against Sassuolo, the Portuguese now has four goals, making him the club's second-highest scorer alongside Pisilli and Soulé, behind Malen, who is on 12. Valdarchi's point is that Mora is a teenager, born in 2007, who is adjusting to a new league and a demanding city. Mora's first senior call-up with Portugal marks a further step in a rapid rise, and the youngster now combines international recognition with a growing role in Gasperini's attacking options.

Roma have scored 31 goals in their first 11 matches of the season, a total that puts Gian Piero Gasperini's side among the most prolific attacks in the club's history and in recent Serie A decades. The tally was completed by a hat-trick in the win over Sassuolo, which took Roma past the 1928-29 season, the second-best scoring campaign in the club's history. Il Romanista describes the figure as a historic landmark. To find similar numbers, one has to go back to Luciano Spalletti's Roma of 2016-17, which stopped at 26 goals, or to the Garcia and Fonseca sides, which managed no more than 24-25 in the same number of matches. The contrast with last season is even starker: Roma scored just 12 goals in their first 11 matchdays, relying more on defensive solidity than on attack. Under Gasperini, the team has adopted a total attacking mentality and is averaging almost three goals per game. The only match without a goal was the 0-0 draw at Como, played with a numerical disadvantage for almost half the game. Otherwise Roma have found the net in every fixture, often more than once. Over the last 65 years of Serie A, only Juventus under Allegri (33 goals) and Napoli under Sarri (32 goals) have scored more after 11 matchdays, while Roma have matched Lazio's total from that season. All of this has come despite the long absence of Paulo Dybala, a sign of how completely the collective is now built around attack and entertainment.

Porto's chief financial officer, José Pedro Pereira da Costa, has laid out the financial terms of Rodrigo Mora's transfer to Roma, valuing the deal at €50 million for Porto. Speaking to the ECO portal, he said: "Overall, in the 2026/27 summer we invested 37 million euros, compared with around 110 million the previous summer. And we made sales worth 78 million euros, including Rodrigo Mora for 50 million." The deal has one of the most complicated structures in recent Serie A seasons. Roma paid €25 million for the Portuguese but left Porto with 50% of any future resale. Roma can reduce that percentage, eventually to zero, by paying a further €25 million over the next two years. Once that period ends, Porto can also ask Roma to reduce some or all of the remaining percentage. In short, the more Roma pay, the smaller Porto's share of any future sale will be. Mora's form has made the arrangement a talking point, with the 2007-born midfielder scoring against Sassuolo, his third consecutive Serie A goal, and his place in the side no longer in doubt. Da Costa said: "It is 25 million euros for 50%, but we have an option that depends solely on our will. For us, it is a 50 million euro operation." Those discussions are considered premature for now. Mora is focused on the pitch and, after winning over Roma, has done the same with Portugal, who have called him up for the coming international commitments. Gasperini, meanwhile, is enjoying the breakthrough and already considering how to fit Mora alongside Paulo Dybala, who is close to returning.

Several Roma-focused radio pundits discussed the club's January transfer options, the Endrick situation and the form of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the latest edition of the On Air roundup from Rome's radio stations. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport suggested that Endrick would not join Roma permanently, because he hopes to establish himself at Real Madrid, but that a loan of 18 months could be a good solution. He said Roma could then invest in Kvernadze, who is already performing well in Italy and costs relatively little, as he has a 4 million euro release clause. Piacentini said Frosinone would like to renew his contract, but if he already has an agreement with another club he will not renew. "If it were Roma, you turn up with 10-12 million in January and you take both of them," Piacentini said. He added: "On Pellegrini, and perhaps also on Dybala, you cannot rely, and that is why you need two." Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista said Endrick could arrive on loan, and that Roma could keep control of the player unless that control were well paid for and taken back by Real Madrid, as happened with Nico Paz. He gave an example in which Roma would take him on loan and buy him at 60 million if they valued him, with Real Madrid having to pay 80 million to take him back. Asked whether such a deal was feasible, Lo Monaco said: "At this moment there is nothing." He stated that Endrick's agents know Roma's intentions perfectly well, that there were contacts before the Roma-Real match, and that the giallorossi had reiterated their interest. He said he understood the player would not go to Milan. "If he leaves Real, I can give a percentage: 60-70% that he ends up at Roma," Lo Monaco said. Sandro Sabatini of Radio Radio named Malen, Cristante and, as a surprise, Dybala as the three most important players at Roma, saying Dybala had been phenomenal in the matches he played even though he is currently injured. He said he had thought Soulé was not on Dybala's level, but that Soulé had taken advantage of Dybala's absence and grown enormously. "The club tried to sell him all summer without succeeding, first because Soulé and Dybala cannot play together," Sabatini said. He added: "When Dybala is there, Soulé suffers a psychological inferiority. Soulé plays very well when Dybala is unavailable." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio named Hermoso, Soulé and Malen as the three most important players so far, and said Marten de Roon had been a fundamental signing, while noting that Rodrigo Mora is showing he deserves a starting place in certain matches. He said he did not know whether the club had a trick up its sleeve to sign a striker who could start. "With these players you can go all the way, but avoiding injuries will be decisive," Pruzzo said. Ilario Di Giovambattista of Radio Radio said that with Malen Roma had made one of the best deals of the last 30 years, having paid 25 million, a figure that now looks ridiculous. He said Malen had become the most decisive striker, more so than Lautaro, and that Roma had made an extraordinary signing. David Rossi of Rete Sport and Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo discussed the club's situation off the pitch. Pes said Gasperini had had no contact with the Friedkins in recent months, but that Galantic had been named CEO for precisely this purpose. He said Roma would face the consequences of the UEFA ruling and the settlement agreement, and that by the end of November the club would know what it faced, which would shape the January market. Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said it was not known how much the Friedkins would allow the club to invest and that January was usually a month for loans. He added that the January market must be attacked with clear ideas about what the squad needs to challenge Inter, "until the last matchday of the league."

Roma's radio pundits have focused on the club's transfer plans, the expected UEFA fine and the Dybala-Soulé pairing. Francesco Balzani of Teleradiostereo said Endrick is the club's main target, ahead of Gittens and others. "Right now all the attention is on Endrick, who is the player who most convinces Gasperini. Roma are trying again and will try again. I hope they succeed, because Endrick inserted into this squad can be the extra turbo to reach the Scudetto." Balzani also addressed the UEFA case. He said UEFA sources had indicated a decision was expected by November, and that Roma would learn the outcome unofficially at the end of the hearing. "I think they have more or less understood what the amount will be. They will probably know a strong fine is coming, between 10 and 15 million." Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Gasperini has had no contact with the Friedkins in recent months, but that Galantic was named CEO precisely for that purpose. He said D'Amico has not been idle and that there is likely a list or an investment plan, but that operational detail is still missing. The UEFA ruling, he added, adds an asterisk: Roma will have to deal with the settlement agreement. "By the end of November Roma will know what they are going to face, and this will shift the focus to the January market." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino said: "De Roon has been a fundamental acquisition in midfield. I can't say whether Roma have an ace up their sleeve for a signing who could become a starter at certain moments. If they don't, they will try to go all the way with this squad." He added: "At some point in the season the injury situation will be decisive, especially if Roma are still in the hunt in the Champions League." Sandro Sabatini, also of Radio Radio Mattino, was critical of the forward pairing. "In my view Dybala and Soulé cannot play together. The impression is that they need two balls. When Dybala is available, Soulé still seems psychologically subservient. Roma tried to sell him all summer without succeeding, first because Soulé and Dybala cannot play together." Balzani also handed out his awards for the first part of the season. He chose Hermoso as the player of the season so far, describing him as fundamental to Gasperini, and named Soulé and Malen as the other two candidates. Cristante won his award as best supporting player. Balzani said Mora could become a star in Serie A, but said he expects more from Castro.

Former Roma player Stefano Desideri, speaking exclusively to Retesport, has backed Gian Piero Gasperini's side and said the gap to Inter is closing. He said he was proud to have worn the Roma shirt and described the current team as strong, with players focused and committed on the pitch. "Roma of Gasperini? A strong side, a joy to watch on the pitch. All the players are focused and on it, it's really a beautiful Roma." He added that he is enjoying watching the team after years of matches that were less enjoyable. Desideri drew comparisons with his own Roma side, which surprised opponents with a zonal press using one fewer forward and one extra midfielder, removing the markers of their opponents. He said the players then were willing to step forward, much as Gasperini's players are doing now. On the gap with Inter, he said something is always missing and that a few more players would help, but the club must find players capable of absorbing Gasperini's work, which he said is producing exceptional things. "We must keep trusting the coach," he said. He added: "I'm not afraid of anyone, I'm confident in this Roma. Lazio are the biggest surprise, Inter are a battleship but have levelled off a little, while the giallorossi have improved, so the gap is closing." On Lorenzo Pellegrini's fellow midfielder Niccolò Pisilli, Desideri said: "Good player, a complete midfielder who is good in the tackle and gets forward. He just needs to play as much as possible. A serious lad from Rome, I am proud of him." On European competition, he said the team lacks experience, with many players having little of it. He said that against Real Madrid the side played excellently with personality for 84 minutes, but then experience was lacking. "Managing the result is not part of this team's DNA." On Donyell Malen, Desideri compared him to Voller, describing him as a driving force for the team with different characteristics. "He has an execution speed that leaves defenders stranded, a fundamental quality. We have discovered a strong player." On Rodrigo Mora, he said: "A talent, he struggled at first. In recent outings we have seen him chasing opponents, he is entering the coach's mentality and it is perfect for him."

Kostas Manolas, the hero of Roma's 3-0 win over Barcelona, has given an interview to Betarades looking back at his time in the giallorossi shirt. He spoke warmly about Francesco Totti, whom he described as the best person he has known in football. "He is the best person, the most humble. I cannot say one negative word about him. Before being a footballer he is a man. He welcomed me as if I were his son. That is why we have always been very close. Even today we speak on the phone. He knew what to do with the ball an hour before it reached him. There was a huge difference between him and all of us, technically and mentally. Totti helped me. If it had not been for him, I would not have renewed. He convinced me. He was like a brother to me and I could not say no to him. Totti should be inside Roma. It is not possible that he is outside. If I were the president, I would keep him for life, in the role he wants." Manolas also praised Totti as a captain who put players at ease. "Totti was a captain who above all tried to make you feel comfortable. He was not one who came into the dressing room to frighten you or show you his teeth. During a match he could get angry, perhaps if you gave away a bad pass he would start cursing, but in the dressing room he was not that kind of captain. He managed to bring out his personality without shouting and without intimidating you." On Totti's technical quality, he added: "There was a huge difference between him and all of us, from the earth to the moon. He was superior to all of us technically, mentally, in everything. If he had been in the physical condition of his 25-26 years, he would have had no rivals." On Totti's final match and retirement, Manolas said: "I was crying too. You could not do otherwise. I had lived through it in the last days and I saw how he was facing the situation. He did not want to stop. It was the club that made him stop. The club, the coach, Spalletti… Totti wanted to keep playing. In my opinion he still had something to give. Maybe he was no longer in the best physical condition, but even in recent times he came on and scored. In those 15, 20 or 30 minutes he always managed to do something, an assist or a goal." Manolas was also frank about Luciano Spalletti. "He is a very, very, very good coach. As a person, though, he is difficult. In my view he does not behave correctly with the players. But as a coach he is one of the best I have ever had, if not the best. I tell the truth. Just because he did not behave well with me, I cannot say he was a bad coach. He was a great coach. If I said the opposite I would be a liar." On the Arsenal move, Manolas claimed: "It was Spalletti who blocked my transfer to Arsenal, you have to know that. He said that if I left, he would leave too. And from that day he made my life impossible." He said he had concrete, written interest from Arsenal and then Chelsea, and that his agent Giannis Evangelopoulos was about to fly to talk to Chelsea, who had called about him. They had mentioned Antonio Conte's interest. On the Zenit offer, Manolas said: "Many people accuse me of going where the money is. Zenit offered me 7 million on signing, plus another 3 million to the agents. I would have earned 7 million a year and, with bonuses for championships won, I could have reached 8 million net. Over four years I would have taken 40 million net, into my pockets. They would have paid the taxes." He explained the Roma side of the story: "Roma needed money for financial fair play. At that moment there were me, Salah, Rüdiger. Paredes did not play much and did not yet have such a high market value." He recalled the collapse of the deal: "I arrived at the meeting and they told me the contract figures would be written in roubles. They explained that the rouble can rise or fall by as much as 20%. I told them I wanted the amounts in euros. They replied that it was not possible, that I was the only player who wanted it. I told them that if I walked out of that meeting, I would not go back, because I am superstitious. They told me to leave. When I was at home they called and said they had agreed to put everything in euros. But I replied that it was now too late." On his return to Roma, he said: "When I came back, they told me I would no longer play and would no longer do anything. I replied that there was no problem, that we would have a coffee and in the end we would see who would play." He also linked his goal against Barcelona to the decision: "That was the season I scored against Barcelona. You see? Not all evil comes to harm. That is what remains in history. What money? I could have earned 10 million in one year, but instead I stayed at Roma for less than a third of that. But what I did for myself is worth ten times as much." Manolas said he was not a believer in the comeback against Barcelona. "When you play against Barcelona and you are Roma, you have a 10% chance, maybe I am even saying too much, perhaps 1%. There were enormous differences. A miracle had to happen to go through, especially after losing 4-1." He recalled sitting with team-mates before the match: "We were sitting at a table, there were De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others. They said we would come back, that we would win 3-0. I looked at them and said: 'You are completely mad! How do we win 3-0? Do you really think we will not even concede a goal against these? What you are saying does not exist. It is all nonsense. Today we will concede another three or four and go home.' I did not believe it at all." Manolas's account also spans his move away from Rome. He said he chose Napoli because the club was in a difficult position: "Roma had an enormous problem with financial fair play. It had to collect that money. In the end they convinced me and I went to Napoli." He described it as the only time he had reversed a decision: "I had left the first meeting without signing because some things had not pleased me. Then I went back and signed. Unfortunately it went badly for me. That is why I always say I never go back." He added that Atlético Madrid had also wanted him, but offered less money, and that his wife had not wanted him to join Napoli, though he made the decisions himself. Manolas said Raiola had promised Manchester United: "Mino Raiola wanted to bring me to England. He told me not to be in a hurry to go to Napoli, that he would take me to Manchester United. But I never had patience."

Former Roma defender Kostas Manolas has spoken at length to Betardes about his time in the Italian capital, reflecting on Francesco Totti, Luciano Spalletti, the 2017/18 Champions League campaign and his move to Napoli. Manolas said Totti was the best person he has met in football: "È la persona migliore, la più umile. Non posso dire una sola parola negativa su di lui. Prima di essere un calciatore è un uomo. Mi accolse come fossi suo figlio. Per questo siamo sempre stati molto vicini. Ancora oggi ci sentiamo al telefono. Sapeva cosa fare con il pallone un'ora prima che gli arrivasse. C'era una differenza enorme tra lui e tutti noi, tecnicamente e mentalmente. Totti mi aiutò. Se non fosse stato per lui, non avrei rinnovato. Mi convinse. Era come un fratello per me e non potevo dirgli di no. Totti dovrebbe essere dentro la Roma. Non è possibile che sia fuori. Se fossi il presidente, lo terrei a vita, nel ruolo che desidera." Manolas also addressed Totti's retirement, which he said was not the player's own decision: "Piangevo anch'io. Non potevi fare altrimenti. L'avevo vissuto negli ultimi giorni e vedevo come stava affrontando la situazione. Non voleva smettere. È stata la società a farlo smettere. La società, l'allenatore, Spalletti… Totti voleva continuare a giocare. Secondo me aveva ancora qualcosa da dare. Magari non era più nella migliore condizione fisica, ma anche negli ultimi tempi entrava e segnava. In quei 15, 20 o 30 minuti riusciva sempre a fare qualcosa, un assist oppure un gol." On Spalletti, Manolas separated the coach's qualities from his manner with players: "È un allenatore molto, molto, molto bravo. Come persona però è difficile. Per me non si comporta correttamente con i calciatori. Ma come allenatore è uno dei migliori che abbia mai avuto, se non il migliore. Io dico la verità. Solo perché non si comportava bene con me, non posso dire che fosse un cattivo allenatore. Era un grandissimo allenatore. Se dicessi il contrario sarei un bugiardo." The defender recalled the dressing-room mood before the second leg against Barcelona in the 2017/18 quarter-finals, when Roma trailed 4-1 from the first leg. Manolas said that De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others at a table were convinced they would win 3-0: "Siete pazzi da legare! Ma come facciamo a vincere 3-0? Pensate davvero che non prenderemo neanche un gol da questi? Quello che dite non esiste. Sono tutte stupidaggini. Oggi ne prenderemo altri tre o quattro e ce ne andremo a casa." He then described the decisive goal, scored from a corner taken by Cengiz Under: "Io al primo palo andavo molto raramente. Ma avevo visto Under in allenamento e sapevo che spesso calciava forte senza riuscire a superare il primo uomo. Così sono andato sul primo palo. Ho colpito di testa, la palla ha fatto quello che doveva fare ed è entrata. Non so neanch'io come spiegartelo." Roma's run ended in the semi-finals against Liverpool, and Manolas still has regrets about his own performance in the first leg: "Andiamo a Liverpool e faccio il peggior sogno che potessi fare nella mia vita. Sogno che mi cade un dente. Io credo a queste cose. Quando ho fatto quel sogno, ho capito che sarebbe stata una giornata molto difficile. Uno o due dei loro gol erano in fuorigioco, ma noi siamo stati molto scarsi. E anch'io sono stato molto scarso. Posso dirti che quella è stata una delle mie peggiori partite in Champions League. Sono stato davvero pessimo." In the return leg at the Olimpico, he disputed several refereeing decisions: "Avremmo dovuto vincere. El Shaarawy tira e Alexander-Arnold respinge il pallone con la mano, prima che entri in porta. È rigore ed espulsione. Avremmo potuto fare il 3-2 al 55' e avremmo ribaltato la partita. Poi c'è un altro episodio: un rigore che non ci viene dato per un fuorigioco che non esiste. Non c'è nessun fuorigioco. Se ci fosse stato il VAR, saremmo andati in finale. Avevamo rimontato contro il Barcellona e avremmo rimontato anche contro il Liverpool." Manolas also described a transfer to Zenit that collapsed over the contract currency. He said the figures were to be written in roubles, which he rejected: "Arrivo all'incontro e mi dicono che le cifre del contratto sarebbero state scritte in rubli. Mi spiegano che il rublo può salire o scendere anche del 20%. Io gli dico che voglio gli importi in euro. Mi rispondono che non è possibile, che sono l'unico giocatore a volerlo. Gli dico che, se esco da quella riunione, non tornerò più indietro, perché sono superstizioso. Mi dicono di andare via. Quando sono a casa mi chiamano e mi dicono che hanno accettato di mettere tutto in euro. Ma io rispondo che ormai è troppo tardi." On his return to Rome, he said he was told he would no longer play: "Quando tornai, mi dissero che non avrei più giocato e che non avrei più fatto niente. Io risposi che non c'era problema, che ci saremmo presi un caffè e alla fine avremmo visto chi avrebbe giocato." He does not regret the decision: "Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere. È questo che è rimasto nella storia. Avrei potuto guadagnare 10 milioni in un anno, invece sono rimasto alla Roma per meno di un terzo. Ma quello che ho fatto per me vale dieci volte tanto." Finally, Manolas explained his move to Napoli after five seasons in giallorosso: "Non avevo pazienza. Il mio ciclo alla Roma si era chiuso. Cinque anni, e vedevo che la squadra non riusciva a fare quel passo in più per competere davvero. Avevamo provato a vincere il campionato, ma lo avevamo perso contro la Juventus, che allora era fortissima. Era come l'Olympiacos in Grecia, difficilissima da affrontare. Vedevo che in quel momento il Napoli era una squadra che, dal punto di vista calcistico, aveva standard più alti rispetto alla Roma. Non volevo lasciare l'Italia. Negli anni precedenti avevo avuto offerte dalla Juventus, ma quell'anno non ne avevo. Così decisi di andare al Napoli." On the financial side, he said: "La Roma doveva prendere quei soldi. Aveva un problema enorme con il fair play finanziario. Doveva incassarli. Alla fine mi convinsero e andai al Napoli."