Roma join sold-out ranks in Serie A season-ticket standings

Leonardo Balerdi has made an immediate impact at Roma following his arrival, impressing in substitute appearances against Atalanta and Fenerbahce. A backstory from Argentina reveals that Boca Juniors, through manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena, had attempted to sign the defender around twenty days ago. The Boca manager contacted Balerdi personally, a conversation facilitated by a shared agent, and proposed a one-year loan deal. Balerdi, however, had already secured his move to Roma and rejected the offer outright. According to reports from Argentine media TyC Sports, his response was unequivocal: "This opportunity I'm not letting slip away."

Roma travel to Turin on Monday at 18:30 for a Serie A fixture at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino following a 1–1 Champions League draw. Manu Koné's availability is in doubt after the midfielder reported knee discomfort in the match against Fenerbahce and will be monitored day by day. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will address the press on Sunday ahead of the match. At the World Legends Padel Tour, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni offered contrasting assessments of Roma's season. Totti praised the squad's early momentum and the partnership between Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, describing it as one of the strongest available. He stressed that direct comparisons to Roma's 2001 championship-winning team are reductive, and that winning requires consistency and a deep squad. He confirmed his presence at the stadium and joked about a dinner with Gasperini. Toni praised the team's defensive stability, Dybala's form, and the impact of the new centre-forward, whom he judged well-suited to Gasperini's style of play. He cautioned that the real test will come with fixtures every three days and against Inter, whom he named the strongest squad for depth. Toni nevertheless called Roma credible contenders for the Scudetto, citing enthusiasm, balance, and continuity as their strengths. Of Malen, he said: "He is a striker I really like." Meanwhile, the Roma ultras organisations UTR and AIRC have renewed their protest against a ban on away travel for Roma supporters based in Rome and the surrounding province, describing the measure as unjust and automatically applied without connection to genuine public order concerns. Roma and the organised supporter groups have both expressed opposition to the travel ban for the Turin match, with the supporters' statement criticising the policy as discriminatory and noting it has drawn criticism from UEFA. The club has stated its disagreement with the restriction.

Manu Koné has been cleared of injury following his substitution in the Fenerbahce match, avoiding the need for medical scans. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had flagged a physical issue during his post-match press conference, but tests showed nothing serious. Koné is unlikely to start against Torino, opening the door for Niccolò Pisilli to feature in midfield. Leonardo Balerdi is in contention for the defence after impressing when introduced yesterday. The Argentine defender rejected a move to Boca Juniors over the summer after Roma's approach convinced him to stay. In attack, Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro will rotate, as Gasperini continues to manage the forward line. Balerdi posted a lengthy farewell to Olympique Marseille on social media this evening.