Roma open season with sold-out Olimpico and €120m investment as centenary year stirs dreams

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Roma recorded the lowest minute tally among Serie A's top sides during the latest international break, accumulating 1,204 minutes across their squad members on national duty. AC Milan led the ranking with 2,625 minutes, followed by Inter on 2,352 and Napoli on 2,094. Roma's relatively modest figure reflects fewer players being called up for the four matches played by their national teams during this fixture congestion period. Rodrígo Mora topped Roma's minutes register for Portugal Under-21 with 225, ahead of Evan N'Dicka (Ivory Coast) on 187 and Gianluca Mancini (Italy) with 180. Niccolò Pisilli matched Mancini's total for Italy Under-21, while Manu Koné accumulated 152 minutes for France. The minutes spread unevenly across the squad: Konstantinos Koulierakis (Greece) played 90 minutes, Leonardo Balerdi (Argentina) 79, Matías Soulé (Argentina) 45, and Emanuele Lulli (Italy Under-21) 45. Santiago Castro (Argentina) featured for just 21 minutes, while Daniele Ghilardi (Italy) and Giorgio De Marzi (Italy youth) saw no action. In the broader Serie A comparison, Juventus recorded 1,772 minutes with Como on 1,587 and Lazio on 1,232. Among the top three, Milan's total was driven by players such as Jashari (Switzerland, 295 minutes), Pavlovic (Serbia, 275) and Ramos (Portugal, 275). Inter's Akanji (Switzerland) and Napoli's Lobotka (Slovakia) each played the maximum 360 minutes across their respective nations' campaigns. The international window has added significant load to players' schedules as calendars become increasingly congested with fixtures.

Rome's radio stations dissected Lorenzo Pellegrini's prospects and Santiago Castro's playing time in depth on 8 October, with studio hosts split on whether the midfielder can justify his renewed contract under Gasperini's high-tempo system. Mario Corsi stated bluntly: "Pellegrini knows inside himself that this is the moment where he either succeeds or fails. This is his last chance, because if he has another opaque season I don't think he'll stay at Roma. From a player like Pellegrini it isn't enough to have one good match — he was Roma's captain, and people expect him to make a difference." Lorenzo Pes offered a contrasting view of the tactical fit: "I'm very curious to see how Pellegrini will slot into a Roma going at full speed. He seems a player who is a bit removed from how this team is shaped. He managed the damage in a Roma that wasn't playing at this rhythm, but honestly I struggle to imagine him in this squad." Paolo Cosenza countered that Pellegrini's ability to play vertically and his vision suited Gasperini's approach. Alessio Nardo framed the renewal as a high-stakes gamble: "The society has placed this squad and its fate in Gasperini's hands. All the players were approved by the coach — he and D'Amico are jointly responsible for the players signed, sold and renewed. Dybala has proved he deserved his renewal 100 per cent. Now we will evaluate Pellegrini on the pitch. If Pellegrini doesn't deliver, we will have to hold Gasperini to account for it, because he has always defended him." CCastro's limited first-team action also drew comment. Checco Oddo Casano explained the transfer fee: "Castro cost 35 million partly because Bologna was the only club willing to take Dovbyk, a player with continuous physical problems, absorbing his entire wage and including a purchase option. When a young but promising player has a low wage, he often costs you more in transfer fee." Gianluca Piacentini observed that Donyell Malen was scoring a goal per game, making him a regular starter, but argued Castro deserved playing time to develop. David Rossi advocated for Castro's inclusion: "He's an ambitious player, and you can see it when he takes the pitch. If at the end of the season Malen plays 38 times as a starter and Castro comes on 38 times for five minutes, he'll tell you he made a mistake, because he wants to be the main man." Roberto Pruzzo highlighted the tactical duel in the upcoming Como match: "Think of Nico Paz and Dybala — that could be the key to the game. Pisilli is in form and can give you a midfield alternative in a very static situation, because if De Roon plays, it becomes very readable against Como, who make their quality their best weapon." Nando Orsi predicted Paz would be benched, saying Fabregas uses the bench to punish occasional indolence. The match is scheduled for 12:30, with Orsi defending the early kickoff as standard in English football for years.

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Rome's radio stations dissected Lorenzo Pellegrini's prospects and Santiago Castro's playing time in depth on 8 October, with studio hosts split on whether the midfielder can justify his renewed contract under Gasperini's high-tempo system. Mario Corsi stated bluntly: "Pellegrini knows inside himself that this is the moment where he either succeeds or fails. This is his last chance, because if he has another opaque season I don't think he'll stay at Roma. From a player like Pellegrini it isn't enough to have one good match — he was Roma's captain, and people expect him to make a difference." Lorenzo Pes offered a contrasting view of the tactical fit: "I'm very curious to see how Pellegrini will slot into a Roma going at full speed. He seems a player who is a bit removed from how this team is shaped. He managed the damage in a Roma that wasn't playing at this rhythm, but honestly I struggle to imagine him in this squad." Paolo Cosenza countered that Pellegrini's ability to play vertically and his vision suited Gasperini's approach. Alessio Nardo framed the renewal as a high-stakes gamble: "The society has placed this squad and its fate in Gasperini's hands. All the players were approved by the coach — he and D'Amico are jointly responsible for the players signed, sold and renewed. Dybala has proved he deserved his renewal 100 per cent. Now we will evaluate Pellegrini on the pitch. If Pellegrini doesn't deliver, we will have to hold Gasperini to account for it, because he has always defended him." CCastro's limited first-team action also drew comment. Checco Oddo Casano explained the transfer fee: "Castro cost 35 million partly because Bologna was the only club willing to take Dovbyk, a player with continuous physical problems, absorbing his entire wage and including a purchase option. When a young but promising player has a low wage, he often costs you more in transfer fee." Gianluca Piacentini observed that Donyell Malen was scoring a goal per game, making him a regular starter, but argued Castro deserved playing time to develop. David Rossi advocated for Castro's inclusion: "He's an ambitious player, and you can see it when he takes the pitch. If at the end of the season Malen plays 38 times as a starter and Castro comes on 38 times for five minutes, he'll tell you he made a mistake, because he wants to be the main man." Roberto Pruzzo highlighted the tactical duel in the upcoming Como match: "Think of Nico Paz and Dybala — that could be the key to the game. Pisilli is in form and can give you a midfield alternative in a very static situation, because if De Roon plays, it becomes very readable against Como, who make their quality their best weapon." Nando Orsi predicted Paz would be benched, saying Fabregas uses the bench to punish occasional indolence. The match is scheduled for 12:30, with Orsi defending the early kickoff as standard in English football for years.

Papu Gomez, the former Atalanta player, has backed Roma to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, Gomez said: "Today I see Roma as a strong team that knows how to play. If Roma is in good health and the strong players are in good health, for me it is the team that can fight against Inter for the Scudetto." Gomez's comments come as Roma have started the 2026-27 season in positive form. He emphasised that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's squad has the quality to mount a genuine title challenge, provided all key players remain fit and available. Gomez, who spent years under Gasperini at Atalanta and served as captain for five years, spoke about the relationship between Gasperini and the Roma players. When asked whether Maurizio Sarri could open a winning cycle at Atalanta comparable to the one Gasperini built there, Gomez said: "It will be very difficult to follow a path like Gasperini did: ten years of success. I wish him well, but it's difficult. Then many things need to change because Sarri's football is not Gasperini's football. That team has assimilated Gasperini's concepts and now must get used to playing another type of football. So we hope Sarri has time and can build something important." Gomez also praised Gasperini's regard for him and expressed hope that Paulo Dybala performs well at Roma.