Roma mark Daniele De Rossi's debut 25 years on from Anderlecht draw

Rodrigo Mora is enjoying a purple patch at Roma, and the Portuguese national team has now added its backing. Portugal Under-21 coach Luis Freire has praised the Roma midfielder and fellow 2007-born talent Quenda of Chelsea in an interview with the agency Lusa. Mora's rise has continued after a strong display against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, where he rose to head in and scored the goal that briefly made it 3-2 to Roma. The performance has won him growing admiration among the Giallorossi supporters, and now the praise has come from Portugal as well. Freire said: "The investment in these two nineteen-year-old players, especially considering the sum invested, shows the great confidence that clubs place in them. For my part, I am calm because they are always motivated and ready to help Portugal, and they want to come when they are not called up to the senior national team, of which they have also been part in the past. We have a lot of affection for them and we hope they establish themselves, but we must give them time. We are here with the Under-21s to support both of them and give them a platform."

Roma will travel from Udine to Manchester after Saturday's match at Udinese, having decided not to return to Rome in between. Their schedule is packed: Saturday's match in Friuli, then a Sunday morning training session at Udinese's sports centre, where the Friulani will host the giallorossi. Roma leave Trieste at 16:00 for England for the Champions League tie against Manchester United. On Monday, the eve of the game, Malen and his team-mates will train at Old Trafford at 19:00 Italian time. Gasperini's press conference, featuring one player, is scheduled for 18:20. The match against the Red Devils kicks off on Tuesday at 21:00. Roma will return to Italy on Wednesday morning rather than immediately after the game. Roma's next Serie A fixture is on Saturday 7 November, when they host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico.

Nicolò Zaniolo returns to face his former club Roma on Sunday, in a fixture the Italian press has already framed as a reunion between a player and a fanbase that feels betrayed. The 1999-born midfielder, who once looked set to become a Roma flag-bearer, now plays for Udinese, and more than 5,000 supporters are expected at the Dacia Arena to treat him as a sporting enemy. The relationship soured over several years. Zaniolo arrived in the capital as a complete unknown and quickly showed his quality, with goals, assists and classy touches, including the goal in Tirana that will remain in the club's history. Two anterior cruciate ligament ruptures tested the patience of supporters who had backed him through hard times. The break came in winter 2023, when a stormy departure was followed by a move to Galatasaray, a few months before the painful Budapest final. Along the way, Mourinho stopped defending him, saying: "non ha voglia di lottare" (he doesn't want to fight). Zaniolo had also rejected Bournemouth before joining Galatasaray. His career has not taken off since. He disappointed at Aston Villa in the Premier League, and Gasperini tried to revive him without success before he rediscovered his smile at Udinese. Further clashes with Roma fans followed. In 2024, while playing for Atalanta, he scored at the Olimpico, took off his shirt and celebrated wildly, drawing a storm of whistles and an irreparable rift. Last year the stadium also gave him an unwelcoming reception, and Hermoso was the one who kept him in check. The Spaniard could once again be the key to stopping the player, who is ready to challenge his past once more. Zaniolo has apologised in recent months, but his words have not been heard. The Italian press has suggested the match could be headlined "C'eravamo tanto amati" (we loved each other so much).