Roma lose 3-0 to Brighton in final British friendly

Roma's training camp in the UK ended in defeat as they lost a friendly match against Brighton at the American Express Stadium. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the media after the loss, indicating that something was lacking in the team's performance. Lorenzo Pellegrini signed a contract extension through 2027 during this period. Separately, Torino president Urbano Cairo commented on Alessio Cacciamani and Roma's interest in the player, though no transfer details were specified.

Roma lost 3–0 to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, their final test during their warm-weather camp in England. Goals from Rutter and Ayari in the first half, and a second from Ayari in the second, secured the home side's victory. Despite a decent opening 45 minutes, Roma's display deteriorated markedly after the interval. Gasperini fielded several academy players and made experimental changes, including replacing Çelik with Molina and Dovbyk with Castro. After the match, Gasperini addressed the media about the transfer market. He said: "If I do the count at the moment we are few. We have replaced Çelik with Molina. We have replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I think will give us good satisfaction and for me it was a good operation. And then this boy (Koulierakis) arrived to complete the defence, and he seems interesting to me." The coach acknowledged further work remains: "If you count numerically it seems to me we still need something, but you know who to go for and how to close. There are good possibilities. D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the indication." Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension keeping him at Roma until June 2027. Roma announced the deal, describing Pellegrini—developed through the academy—as embodying the club's sporting vision and values. The squad returns to Trigoria before Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. Real Madrid's Endrick remains a target for the attacking midfield, with Gasperini viewing him as a priority to strengthen the forward line.

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."

Roma lost 3–0 to Brighton at the American Express Stadium, finishing their British pre-season tour with defeats to Brighton and Cardiff City balanced by a win over Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged the poor display but stressed the squad's broader progress during the week's training camp. "Today was a very poor match, undoubtedly. We put in a bad performance. For the rest of the week we worked quite well, in a fresh and ideal environment for the facilities. But this was not a good match. We have some difficulties, which we think we can fix in the coming weeks," Gasperini said. Gasperini identified squad fatigue as a factor, noting that Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui and Donyell Malen are "somewhat depleted" after their Copa América and Africa Cup of Nations commitments. He confirmed Lorenzo Pellegrini's return is now official, though he will be unavailable for roughly a month. On the transfer market, Gasperini stopped short of ruling out departures but deferred questions to the club's chief executive: "I don't know. We have a chief executive officer; you should ask him these questions about what Roma can or cannot do. On figures and market possibilities Roma goes through him." Gasperini assessed Roma's summer moves—Molina replacing Çelik, Castro replacing Dovbyk, and the arrival of Koulierakis to strengthen defence—as steps forward. However, he admitted: "Numerically it seems to me there is still a need for something." He added that assistant D'Amico is pursuing young but significant players, indicating that further moves are expected.

Roma suffered a heavy defeat to Brighton in their final pre-season friendly in England, conceding three goals in the first 50 minutes. The capitulation prompted Gian Piero Gasperini to make immediate changes, with Ziolkowski, Ghilardi and Koulierakis warming up on the sidelines. Hermoso was at fault for the opening goal, leaving too much space for Rutter, while N'Dicka's positioning proved costly for the third. Gasperini turned to his bench and demanded action, declaring: "Cambiamo" (We're changing). The last two substitutes entered within seconds of each other. This was Roma's third consecutive defeat on their UK tour, following a 4-1 loss to Cardiff. Gasperini also identified midfield frailties during the first half, noting the lack of protection in front of the back four. El Aynaoui was withdrawn at half-time without returning for the second period, replaced by Mannini. The full-back had been directly culpable for the second goal when his poor pass to Hermoso allowed Ayari to beat Svilar. Rensch, operating on the opposite flank, also drew Gasperini's ire for a series of misplaced decisions during the opening 45 minutes.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma concluded their British pre-season camp with a friendly at Brighton, one of the Premier League's stronger opponents last season. Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation at the American Express Stadium, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé operating as attacking support behind Donyell Malen. Bryan Cristante captained the side, while Miles Svilar started in goal. Brighton, managed by Fabian Hurzeler, lined up in a 4-3-3 shape. The fixture offered Roma's squad a demanding test during their final pre-season outing before returning to Trigoria as they await additional transfer activity. Gasperini used the match to evaluate his players against one of last season's established Premier League sides. The friendly served as a key preparation tool ahead of the 2026–27 season, allowing the coach to assess fitness and tactical cohesion across the group. Roma's attacking setup highlighted the roles Dybala and Soulé will occupy in Gasperini's system, with both deployed in advanced positions to support Malen's central role.