Roma sells 11,000 season tickets in single day as fan passion peaks

Dario Bonetti, a former Roma defender, has given a detailed interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport reflecting on his time with the club in the early 1980s. Bonetti made his Serie A debut in the 1980–81 season under Dino Viola, arriving after military service and settling at Trigoria alongside Carlo Ancelotti. He came to the club alongside Falcao and developed a deep admiration for teammates including Bruno Conti and, particularly, Agostino Di Bartolomei. Bonetti spoke reverently of Di Bartolomei's influence on the squad. "He was a master and a second father," Bonetti recalled. "He barely spoke in public, but in private he knew how to make himself heard. And he was an encyclopedia. I remember great conversations about art—it was a pleasure to listen to him. He also had a great way of managing the dressing room: he simplified things, especially with the champions. I think Carlo took a lot from him." Bonetti expressed sadness over Di Bartolomei's death, describing it as a tragedy he still struggles to understand, and noting that Di Bartolomei had been abandoned by the football world. Despite fielding a strong squad, Roma repeatedly fell short of major honours during Bonetti's tenure. He cited a disallowed goal to Turone as a crucial moment that cost the club a scudetto. He also highlighted the infamous Roma–Lecce match, which he describes as "inexplicable, cursed"—he was watching from the stands, suspended, and recalls it "like a nightmare." Bonetti expressed regret at not winning the league title in 1983, which would have been his first. Roma also lost the European Cup at home, a defeat Bonetti attributes in part to poor refereeing: "Their goal came from an obvious foul on me," he said of the Liverpool match.

Roma's summer transfer strategy underwent a dramatic reversal during the window, moving away from established stars towards younger, more financially sustainable targets. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had begun the window pursuing elite profiles including Mason Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville and Antonio Nusa, but as weeks passed the club progressively shifted direction. The turning point came when Roma abandoned a planned deal for Summerville and instead invested rapidly: 36 million plus 3 million in bonuses for Castro, 16.5 million plus 1.5 million for Koulierakis, and 13 million plus 4 million for Molina. These signings consumed the available budget and forced a complete change in approach. The root cause lies in Roma's Settlement Agreement with UEFA. Gasperini believed Champions League qualification would ease financial constraints, but the club's wage cap restrictions proved immovable. A decisive meeting during the club's Wales retreat saw CEO John Galantic communicate the ownership's new direction to the coaching staff: away from expensive, established players and towards young prospects capable of appreciating in value. Gasperini acknowledged the shift: "We started looking for very high-profile players but had to contend with the need to keep the wage bill under certain ceilings. Communications changed." He added: "I thought that once we reached the Champions League, financial fair play problems were solved and maybe the club thought so too. We had a different vision that we had to change over the weeks, including as strategies." Gasperini explained the domino effect of the decisions: "Maybe if we had done Summerville we couldn't have done anything else. Or perhaps his contract was sustainable at that moment." On UEFA's constraints, he stated: "There are situations that UEFA imposes from which the ownership cannot escape. All this forces us into a creative market, a necessity that also comes from what was done in previous years. In perspective Roma will certainly have value, but now the reckoning has arrived." The final phase of the window sees the club still seeking two players—a central midfielder (with Oosterwolde arriving for that role) and an attacking winger—but any additions must maintain financial balance. Gasperini confirmed: "Yes, two players. The left winger? We'll take it only if it brings added value."

Dario Bonetti, a former Roma defender, has reflected on his time at the club and his Serie A career in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. Bonetti made his Serie A debut in the 1980–81 season under Dino Viola, arriving at Roma after military service. He recalled sharing accommodation at Trigoria with Carlo Ancelotti and arriving alongside Falcao, though he named Bruno Conti as his favourite teammate: "a Brazilian born by mistake in Nettuno." Bonetti also spoke movingly about Agostino Di Bartolomei, one of Roma's most revered figures. "He was a gentleman unlike few others," Bonetti said of the legend. "His death was a tragedy I still cannot explain to myself. He was a man of great culture, somewhat introverted, and he was abandoned by the football world. I believe that was one of the reasons for his gesture." Bonetti's recollection underscores the deep impact Di Bartolomei had on those who played alongside him during Roma's golden era.