Roma stadium green light approved: Sessa announces single authorisation for Pietralata

Francesco Totti marked his 50th birthday on 27 September with a letter published in Il Messaggero, reflecting on a lifetime devoted to AS Roma and the realisation of a childhood dream. Writing from abroad, Totti recalled playing as a child with his brother Riccardo at the Terme di Caracalla, his journey from boy to man in giallorosso, and his captaincy of the club. "I'm satisfied," he wrote. "I fulfilled a dream, my dream, that of a Roman who managed to play only in his city's team, wearing the captain's armband." A central passage addressed his decision not to return to playing. A couple of years ago, Totti explained, he turned down the chance to come back on the pitch. "I was tempted, I admit it, but then the bond with my city, my squad and my people made me say no. And I think in the end I made the right choice. I would perhaps have been selfish, made Francesco happy but disappointed millions of fans." The letter balanced reflection on his achievements—a World Cup in 2006 and, more significantly to him, the Serie A title with Roma in 2001—with personal touches. He joked about his age: "When I blew out the candles for my 50th, I said to myself: Is it really true? To be honest, I don't feel it. Maybe it's because I keep myself in shape with padel and some five-a-side. In my head, though, I always have half, 25." Totti spoke warmly of his three children and noted that passing a mural of himself on via Sibari near the Romulea pitch in Porta Metronia—the neighbourhood of his birth—never fails to move him. "It's a feeling you can't explain. You can only live it. As a Roman and a Romanista."

Walter Sabatini, the former Roma sporting director, has praised the club's start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, declaring them genuine contenders for the Serie A title. Speaking to Tuttosport, Sabatini highlighted the strength of the current squad despite a lack of an attacking left winger. "I don't think Roma is suffering from this absence or any other gap in the squad today, because Roma really seems to be a serene candidate to fight all the way for the Scudetto given how they're playing," he said. "There's a formidable cohesion among the players and an unexpected physical condition from players like Paulo Dybala. There are all very positive centrifugal forces in Roma." Sabatini offered a measured assessment of midfielder Rodrigo Mora's impact on the club. "Players must have an impact according to what they are. I think Rodrigo is certainly a talented player, but not yet a talent—he's a player with a very consistent technical repertoire. But now he must test himself in a very tactically difficult league: they control him, they care for him, they mark him. And he must put himself in a position not to be swallowed by the field. Often footballers get swallowed by the field. And this must not happen with Rodrigo Mora," Sabatini explained. He stressed that Manu Koné is a fundamental player for Roma: "He's a central barrier that stops all the possible counterattacks of opponents and puts Roma straight back in attack because he wins many balls. Then now I see he's started to look for the goal and score, which was a limit he had—he never looked for the goal. Now that he's scored two goals in a match will probably ignite a passion... a new passion in him." When asked about accusations from Roma fans that he is a "Laziale" because of his previous work at Lazio, Sabatini rejected the label. "I don't care about it at all," he said. "I worked proudly at Lazio and I've always said so. I owe a lot to Lotito, because working with him for a few years allowed me to re-enter a world that was slipping away from me. After Lazio I went to Palermo and there my work was rewarded by results and the value of the players. I will never renounce the clubs I've worked for and I'm not offended if Roma fans say I'm a Laziale. Of course, I was a Laziale because I love the clubs I work for. And the same happened to me at Lazio. Naturally at Roma I had more time—Roma became the story of my life. All the time I spent at Roma is practically the time of my entire life, even in experiences and feelings outside the field." Sabatini compared Roma's current strength to Como under Andrés Fabregas, crediting Gasperini's tactical identity for Roma's success. "Roma under Gasperini right now is a very strong squad because there's cohesion on the field and a shared vision between coach and squad that produces an exceptional result," he said. Regarding the former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi, now facing difficulties at Genoa with a depleted squad, Sabatini offered no specific advice: "I wouldn't give him any advice because I know he has remarkable inner strength and he will use it, because the only thing a coach can do is resist."

AS Roma has received formal planning approval for its new stadium at Pietralata following a conference of services concluded today. Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri announced the clearance and expressed optimism about the project timeline. He said: "It is a historic day. After four years of work, we only lacked formal approval for the project. Now it is certain, the stadium will be built and will be one of the most beautiful in the world." Gualtieri outlined an accelerated schedule for construction. The groundbreaking is planned for March 2027, with a construction period of two and a half years, potentially allowing the stadium to be ready by the end of 2029—ahead of the original 2031 completion date. The mayor stated: "Now we will begin the tender process. All the conditions are in place to lay the foundation stone in March 2027. The construction site lasts two and a half years, so the stadium could be ready by the end of 2029."