Roma launch third kit in dark silver with 'Fight with Heart' message

Francesco Totti has dismissed any friction with AS Roma, stating he intends to spend the club's centenary in 2027 alongside supporters. Speaking at the presentation of Maxima Roma, the former captain said: "The centenary belongs to everyone and I am a Roma fan." His remarks come amid continued speculation about a potential return to the club for the milestone anniversary. Totti's comments represent a clear statement of his relationship with Roma as the club approaches its 100-year mark. The club's ownership, the Friedkin Group, has previously approved a return to the traditional AS Roma crest for the 2026–27 season, signalling a broader reconnection with the club's history. Totti played his entire career at Roma from 1992 to 2017, scoring 307 goals overall, including 250 in Serie A. His number 10 shirt was retired by the club in recognition of his legendary status.

Roma have announced the start of public ticket sales for their Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, 14 October at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico. The fixture represents Matchday 2 of the league phase and marks the return of José Mourinho to the capital in his role as Real Madrid manager. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, 8 September at 12:00, with each supporter able to purchase up to four tickets per transaction. This will be Roma's first home Champions League match in seven years, following their appearance against Porto on 12 February 2019 (a 2–1 Roma win). The match precedes Roma's opening Champions League fixture, scheduled for Thursday, 10 September at 18:45 away to Fenerbahce in Turkey. Real Madrid's squad includes Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius, Rodrygo and Arda Güler. All tickets will be issued exclusively in digital format, downloadable to the user's phone wallet or via the IL MIO POSTO app; no PDF file will be sent. Supporters holding 2026–27 Plus Cup subscriptions may access a resale service from 10:00 on Friday, 11 September 2026. The user-change service for individual tickets opens at 10:00 on Wednesday, 7 October. Ticket swaps for 2026–27 Cup subscribers are unavailable this season.

Francesco Totti has placed Roma among the primary candidates for the Serie A title. Speaking to Rai Sport at the presentation of the capital's basketball team, the Roma legend and current advisor to Maxima Roma outlined his confidence in the club's start to the season. Totti said: "Roma and Inter are the candidates for the title, let's not say anything and wait for the rest of the championship. In 10 or 15 games we will see." He also reaffirmed his bond with the club: "I will never set Roma aside, it is my skin. We are there, we started well and I hope we can continue at these levels." On his involvement with Maxima Roma, Totti described it as a project that enthused him rather than a response to being overlooked elsewhere: "It is not a spite move, but a project that excited me. I am happy because for me sport comes before everything."

Radio pundits across Rome's airwaves offered their verdicts on Gasperini's Roma ahead of the new season. The debate centred on Francesco Totti's absence from the club's plans, with Ugo Trani claiming the former captain was let down by both the national team and Roma itself. Trani defended Totti's character and noted that Gasperini alone had given his approval to a return: "Gasperini was also the only one to go to dinner with him and, as he has stressed, is a free man: he does what he wants, without anyone being able to tell him what to do." Francesco Balzani observed that Totti appeared hurt by how things unfolded at Roma, having waited for a call that never came. Looking ahead to the squad's composition, Balzani predicted Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné would start in Turkey, with Rodrigo Mora also featuring behind Dybala and Donyell Malen. Roberto Pruzzo praised the bond between squad and coach: "The team and manager have formed a working group that functions very well, this is a positive signal. This year Gasperini also has quality substitutes; now we'll see what happens with congested fixture schedules." Nando Orsi took the boldest stance on Roma's ambitions this season: "Gasperini knows how to manage multiple competitions. Roma will fight for the Scudetto; it is a squad that can take advantage of stumbles by Inter and Napoli. The Champions League is a fine reality, but the objective must be to win the league."

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce on Thursday evening. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy a squad combining several players making their maiden appearance in the competition's main draw alongside seasoned European campaigners. Gianluca Mancini and Manu Koné will make their Champions League debuts, as will younger squad members including Pisilli, Lulli, Mora and Ghilardi. Gasperini can call on considerable experience to balance the newcomers. Paulo Dybala and Marten de Roon have accumulated nearly one hundred appearances between them at the highest level. Nahuel Molina and Mario Hermoso both bring over sixty European appearances from their time at Atlético Madrid, while Donyell Malen, Leonardo Balerdi and Artem Dovbyk add further continental pedigree. Dybala will lead the attack and is targeting a European goal; his last came in the Europa League final in Budapest against Seville. Roma will be supported by approximately 2,300 fans in the away section at the Turkish stadium. The domestic competition faces a ticketing restriction for the upcoming Serie A fixture against Torino: the CASMS has banned ticket sales to residents of Rome province due to potential clashes with Parma supporters travelling to Como, permitting purchases only to AS Roma Card holders from other Italian regions.

Paulo Dybala will lead Roma's return to the Champions League after seven years when the club travels to Turkey on Thursday. The Argentine striker carries the most European experience in the squad—53 appearances and 18 goals, all earned with Juventus—but his Roma European journey away from the Olimpico remains barren. His last goal in a European away fixture came on 31 May in the Europa League final against Sevilla, a span of 1196 days. Since then, under both José Mourinho and Gian Piero Gasperini, Dybala has failed to score outside the Olimpico in continental competition. Dybala has not found the net since January, when he scored against Torino before suffering a knee injury. He returned late in the season without adding goals, though he provided several decisive assists as 2026 began in promising form. Thursday's match in Istanbul offers him the chance to end both droughts—his lack of goals this year and the long European away curse that has haunted his time in the giallorossi.